end of the war, they were to be certain that their sin would find
them out; that God would avenge their falsehood on them in some way
in their lifetime: in their lifetime, I say, for there is no
mention made in this chapter, or in any part of the story, of heaven
or hell, or any world to come. And the text has been always taken
as a fair warning to all generations of men, that their sin also,
even in their lifetimes, will be visited upon them.

Now, it is strange, at first sight, that these texts, which warn men
that their sins will be punished in this life, are just the most
unpleasant texts in the whole Bible; that men shrink from them more,
and shut their eyes to them more than they do to those texts which
threaten them with hell-fire and everlasting death. Strange!--that
men should be more afraid of being punished in this life for a few
years than in the life to come for ever and ever;--and yet not
strange if we consider; for to worldly and sinful souls, that life
after death and the flames of hell seem quite distant and dim--
things of which they know little and believe less, while this world
they DO know, they are quite certain that its good things are
pleasant and its bad things unpleasant, and they are thoroughly
afraid of losing THEM. Their hearts are where their treasure is, in
this world; and a punishment which deprives them of this world's
good things hits them home: but their treasure is NOT in heaven,
and, therefore, about losing heaven they are by no means so much
concerned. And thus they can face the dreadful news that "the
wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget
God;" while, as for the news that the wicked shall be recompensed on
the earth, that their sins will surely find them out in this life,
they cannot face that--they shut their ears to it,--they try to
persuade themselves that sin will PAY them HERE, at all events; and