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yield its increase； and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit。
'' Then if you walk contrary to me； and will not hearken to me； I will bring more plagues upon you； sevenfold as many as your sins。 And I will let loose the wild beasts among you； which shall rob you of your children； and destroy your cattle； and make you few in number； so that your ways shall bee desolate。 I also will walk contrary to you； and I will bring a sword upon you； and shall execute vengeance for the covenant； and if you gather within your cities I will send pestilence among you； and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy。' 〃
As Matthew Logan rolled out the words； Covenant felt their spell falling on him。 The promise of punishment caught at his heart； it snared him as if it had been lying in ambush for his gray； gaunt soul。 Stiffly； involuntarily； he moved toward the tent as the curse drew him to itself。
'And if in spite of this you will not hearken to me； but walk contrary to me； then I will walk contrary to you in fury； and chastise you myself sevenfold for your sins。 You shall eat the flesh of your sons； and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters。 My soul will abhor you。 I will lay your cities waste。 I will scatter you among the nations； and I will unsheathe the sword after you； and your land shall be a desolation； and your cities shall be a waste。
'Then the land shall pay for its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate Covenant ducked under an edge of the canvas and found himself standing beside an usher at the rear of the tent。 The usher eyed him distrustfully； but made no move to offer him a seat。 High on the platform at the other end； Matthew Logan stood like a savage patriarch leveling retribution at the bent； vulnerable heads below him。 The curse gathered a storm in Covenant； and he feared that he would cry out before it ended。 But Matthew Logan stopped where he was and flipped through the Bible again。 When he found his new place； he read more quietly：
〃 'Whoever； therefore； eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord。 Anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself。 That is why many of you are weak and ill； and some have died。 But if we judged ourselves truly； we should not be judged。 But when we are judged by the Lord； we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world。' 〃
Slapping the Bible closed； he returned stolidly to his seat。
At once； Dr。 B。 Sam Johnson was on his feet。 Now he seemed to bristle with energy； he could not wait to begin speaking。 His jowls quivered with excitement as he addressed his audience。
〃My friends； how marvelous are the Words of God！ How quick to touch the heart。 How forting to the sick； the downtrodden； the weak。 And how easily they make even the purest of us squirm。 Listen； my friends！ Listen to the Word of the Apocalypse：
〃 'To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life。 He who conquers shall have this heritage； and I will be his God and he shall be my son。 But as for the cowardly； the unbelievers； the polluted； as for murderers； fornicators； sorcerers； idolaters； and all liars； their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone； which is the second death。'
〃Marvelous； marvelous Words of God。 Here in one short passage we hear the two great messages of the Bible； the Law and the Gospel； the Old Covenant and the New。 Brother Logan read to you first from the Old Testament； from the twenty…sixth chapter of Leviticus。 Did you hear him； my friends？ Did you listen with all the ears of your heart？ That is the voice of God； Almighty God。 He doesn't mince words； my friends。 He doesn't beat around the bush。 He doesn't hide things in fine names and fancy language。 No！ He says； if you sin； if you break My Law； I will terrify you and make you sick。 I will make the land barren and attack you with plagues and pestilence。 And if you still sin； I will make cannibals and cripples out of you。 'Then the land shall pay for its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate。'
〃And do you know what the Law is； my friends？ I can summarize it for you in the Words of the Apocalypse。 'Thou shalt not be cowardly； or unbelieving； or polluted。' Never mind murder； fornication； sorcery； idolatry； lies。 We're all good people here。 We don't do things like that。 But have you ever been afraid？ Have you ever faltered just a bit in your faith？ Have you ever failed to keep yourself clean in heart and mind？ 'Then the land shall pay for its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate。' The Apostle Paul calls a spade a spade。 He says； 'That is why many of you are weak and ill； and some have died。' But Jesus goes further。 He says； 'Depart from me； you cursed； into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels。'
〃Do I hear you protesting？ Do I hear some of you saying to yourselves； 'No one can be that good。 I'm human。 I can't be perfect。' You're right！ Of course； you're right。 But the Law of God doesn't care for your excuses。 If you're lame； if you've got arthritis； if you're going blind or your heart is failing； if you're crippled； if you've got multiple sclerosis or diabetes or any other of those fancy names for sin； you can be sure that the curse of God is on you。 But if you're healthy； don't think you're safe！ You're just lucky that God hasn't decided to 'walk contrary to you in fury。' You can't be perfect； my friends。 And the Law doesn't care how hard you tried。 Instead of telling yourself what a valiant try you made； listen to the Bible。 The Old Covenant says to you as plain as day； 'The leper who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose； and he shall cover his upper lip and cry； 〃Unclean； unclean。〃 ' 〃
He held his audience in the palm of his hand now。 The orotund resonance of his voice swept them all together in one ranked assembly of mortality and weakness。 Even Covenant forgot himself； forgot that he was an intruder in this canvas tabernacle； he heard so many personal echoes and gleams in the peroration that he could not resist it。 He was willing to believe that he was accursed。
〃Ah； my friends；〃 Dr。 Johnson went on smoothly； 〃it's a dark day for us when illness strikes； when pain or dismemberment or bereavement afflict us； and we can no longer pretend we're clean。 But I haven't told you about the Gospel yet。 Do you remember Christ saying； 'He who loses his life for my sake shall find it' ？ Did you hear Paul say； 'When we are judged by the Lord； we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world'？ Did you hear the writer of the Apocalypse say； 'He who conquers shall have this heritage； and I will be his God and he shall be my son'？ There's another side； my friends。 The law is only half of God's holy message。 The other half is chastening； heritage； forgiveness； healing…the Mercy that matches God's Righteousness。 Do I have to remind you that the Son of God healed everyone who asked Him？ Even lepers？ Do I have to remind you that He hung on a cross erected in the midst of misery and shame to pay the pric