ys a reason. One
reason is self-will. People do not like to be told what to do. They like
to be masters of themselves. God's government demands complete surrender
of self-will and must of necessity do so. If we will be his servants, it
is not for us to choose what our lives shall be, nor what we shall say,
nor what we shall do. It is his right to command; it is our part to hear
and to obey. To hear and then to heed just as we please is setting up our
authority above his. The two ideas of service and self-will are opposed
the one to the other. Self-will always means rebellion against God's will.
Therefore if a person chooses what he will do, and leaves undone what he
finds distasteful, he, and not God, is the master. This self-willed
disposition is very noticeable among nominal professors of religion. They
profess to be God's servants, and yet they set their wills not to do
certain things that they ought to do, or else to do certain things that
they ought not to do. They have their minds and hearts set in the matter.
When they hear the Word of God preached on matters predetermined by them,
it falls on unhearing ears. There is no response of the heart.

Another reason is love of ease--indolence. People hear the voice of duty,
but they do not respond to it because they do not wish to make the
necessary effort. They do not let their hearts be pressed by a sense of
duty on that particular point, because to obey they must arouse themselves
from their indolent attitude.

One symptom showing that the heart does not hear is unbelief. One reason
why the Jews did not believe Christ was because their hearts were so hard,
and that is one reason why people do not hear the gospel in these days.
This is not confined to non-professing sinners; it is a very common thing
among church-members.

Reader, how is it with you? Are you one of those who have the connection
broken between the ears and the heart? or have you listening ears and a
feeling heart? When you hear the Word of God preached on certain subjects,
can you slight it? or does it sink deep into your conscience and take hold
there and produce fruit in your life? Are you ready to live by every word
of God? Or do you want to take only that which suits your views? If the
latter is true in your case, you are in a dangerous condition. God has the
word preached, not simply to entertain people, but that they may obey it.
The soul who delights in God's will does not have to be compelled