LECTURE 1186.

The presumptuous boldness of impenitent sinners.

The people of Jerusalem are here reminded of the mercies they had experienced, of the good professions they had made, and of the relapses they had been guilty of. They are taxed with their degeneracy, from a right seed to a strange vine. They are told that the stain of their sin is such as they could by no means wash out. They are compared for their wilfulness and unruly disposition to "a swift dromedary traversing her ways," and to "a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure." And when charged to be no longer thus untamed, and to refrain from thirst after their own ways, they are represented as having been prone to answer, "There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go." And they who one while thus speak, are ready to say afterwards, "Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me." And this, when they had been convicted of idolatry, like a detected thief, and brought to shame and confession in time of trouble, by then finding that the stocks and stones they had been worshipping could give them no relief. And then they had resorted in their distress to God, whom in their prosperity they had forsaken, and to whom they did not turn with true contrition in the day of their adversity. No wonder that God now charges them with their sins, instead of delivering them from their trouble. No wonder that when they plead with Him for help, He reminds them of their transgressions, their persecution of his prophets, their disparagement and forgetfulness of Himself, their spiritual adultery in loving strange gods, and their spiritual blood guiltiness in beguiling souls into sin. What gross presumption, for them that were justly chargeable with sins like these, to think that they should escape punishment in virtue of their innocency, and that too, when they had avowed a resolution to persist in sin without hope of amendment! What gross presumption! And yet how commonly does this case occur! How often does the same person express himself as having little or no hope of thoroughly amending his life, and yet little or no fear of perishing for ever! I have loved my sins and after them will I go, for I cannot help it, this is the language of the same lips, which presently declare, surely God's anger will turn from me, for I am no worse than my neighbours, I am no such very great sinner against God. Let us learn to use, instead of words like these, the language of true Christian faith. I know that I am guilty; but I trust that God will blot out my offences, for the sake of my sinless Saviour. And I have hope, that by the help of his grace I shall be able to leave off my sins. I confess that I am a grievous sinner, justly deserving endless wrath. But I fully purpose, and confidently expect, that through God's allsufficient grace, I shall live henceforth according to the will of Christ, to the praise of the glory of

his name.

LECTURE 1187.

The responsibility of having eminent privileges.

Most marvellously does God magnify his love and forbearance towards his idolatrous people, in beseeching them to return again unto Him, whilst at the same time He remarks, that this is more than any husband would do for a wife whom he had divorced. Adultery, the chief ground for divorcement, is often used in Scripture, to represent the unfaithfulness of God's people, in seeking after other gods. For marriage is a figure of God's affection for his church. He is to his people as a husband to a wife. And they justly owe to Him the dutifulness, affection, and fidelity, of a wife towards a husband. He is also to them that which a father is to his children, the guide of their youth. And accordingly after taxing them with their gross idol

atries, for which they were as eager as the Arabian in the wilderness is desirous of spoil, and after telling them that it was because of this iniquity that the rain in its season had been withholden from their land, He asks them in an unexpected strain of tenderness, "Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth." And He conceives of them as asking, not without hope," Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end?" No, we at least may answer unto ourselves, it is not so with God. Our heavenly Father has compassion on his erring children; and if we will but earnestly repent, He will speedily and thoroughly forgive. But not if we only profess repentance, and continue all the while impenitent. In such case He who knows the heart will reply to us, as He did to Judah, "Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest."

This is the burden of the charge here especially brought against treacherous Judah; she had not turned unto God" with her whole heart, but feignedly." And it is in this respect that the Lord here pronounces judgment, on a comparison of the two cases, that "The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah." And yet Judah had seen all that Israel did, and all that Israel suffered. Judah ought to have taken warning from the awful sight of her sister's sins and sorrows, idolatry and rejection, adultery and divorce. But no, her heart was hardened, and her show of turning unto God was seen by Him to be insincere. And therefore in this prophecy, which beginning at the sixth verse seems distinct from that which went before, the guilt of Judah is declared to be so much the greater, and her offence so much the more inexcusable. A decision not unlike to that of Jesus Christ our Lord, in the case of the unbelieving cities in the which his mighty works were wrought: "Woe unto thee Chorazin! woe unto thee Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you." Matt. 11. 21, 22, And how then must it fare with us, if we are unbelieving or impenitent? Confessedly we have much greater privileges than almost any people that ever lived. So much greater in proportion must be our responsibility. If Judah_compared with Israel had more to answer for, if Chorazin and Bethsaida were on the like grounds more guilty than Tyre and Sidon, what must be the case of Christian nations compared with those who have not enjoyed the light of the Gospel? What must be the guilt of those who enjoy that light in all its brightness, or might enjoy it if they would, but will not, because their deeds are evil?

Promises of restoration to be proclaimed to Israel.

12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you

to Zion:

15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their

evil heart.

18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house

of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

LECTURE 1188.

Christian contrition, and fuith, and devotion.

There appears to be in this passage a promise to the children of Israel, conditional indeed on their repenting and turning unto God, but yet a promise which God will find a way to fulfil, at least in a remnant of the people, in "one of a city, and two of a family;" a promise of restoration to the favour of the Lord, of reconciliation to the Father through the Son. The prophet is instructed to proclaim these tidings of mercy "toward the north," in the direction of those countries into which the Israelites had been carried away captives. There we doubt not that in due time some among their descendants gave ear to the primitive preachers of the Gospel. And there we may reasonably hope that Israelites indeed will yet be found and multiplied, in a church uniting not only the ten tribes and the two, but also together with them all the nations of the earth.

The expressions in this prophecy relating to ministers who should be given to the Israelites are adopted by S. Paul, when speaking of those who were ordained in the Christian church. "I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding:" thus spake the Lord by the mouth of the prophet. By the apostle the same Spirit has thus spoken: "he gave some pastors and teachers;" Eph. 6. 11; and has thus described the pastors' duty, "to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts 20. 28. And further there is a distinct reference to the times of the Gospel dispensation, in the circumstance here foretold, that "in those days they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more;" a disregard of types which could never have been right until the substance of things typified had really come to pass. And when the Lord in mercy vouchsafes to ask, concerning his rebellious people, "How shall I put thee among the children?" The method revealed in the Gospel is suggested by the reply: "Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me." Sinners reproved, convicted, and convinced, are heard to mourn for their transgressions. Invited to return to God they make confession of sin, they profess faith and repentance. Such is the behaviour of the Israelites described at the conclusion of this chapter. Such is the contrition, such the self abasing language, such the devout profession of trust in God, which become his true Israel, the believers in Christ Jesus. May, such faith and penitence be ours! And whilst we watch that we duly abase ourselves, may we at the same time take care that we glorify our Saviour!