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thy sin, thou shalt not die-In what beautiful colours is the mercy of our God painted in the parable of the lost sheep, and the returning prodigal! Is it possible for words more fully to describe how much "he delighteth in mercy?" Let us marvel then at the condescension of our God in confirming such declarations by an oath-Had he "sworn in his wrath that we should not enter into his rest," we might easily have accounted for it; because, however merited such a judgment might be, he is never brought, but with extreme reluctance, to execute it-But to establish his character for mercy in such a way, was altogether superfluous, except for the more abundant display of his own goodness, and the richer consolation of our minds-]

That this testimony of God, respecting his own delight in mercy, may not fail of producing its proper effect on our minds, it is enforced by

II. An affectionate exhortation

Had we not already seen such condescension as almost exceeds our belief, we might well be filled with wonder at the further proofs of it which are exhibited in the text

The Creator and Judge of all stoops to use the language of entreaty towards perishing sinners

[He does not simply issue his command, but repeats it with all the tenderness and solicitude of the most affectionate parent-He sees with deep concern how "all like sheep are gone astray, every one to his own way:" one is wandering in the paths of open sensuality and profaneness; another has involved himself in the labyrinths of worldly care: another is pleasing himself with the idea that he belongs to the fold of God, bile he has nothing but "the form of godliness without any of its power"-But God would have all return to him, to walk in his ways, and to enjoy his blessings-He longs to see the sensualist, the worldling, and the formal professor of religion, all truly and thoroughly awakened to a sense of their guilt and danger, and all seeking after the salvation of their souls as the one thing needful-He would not that one of them should perish, but that all should come to repentance and live-Hence his earnestness in urging their immediate and effectual return-]

He further enforces his request with a most animated expostulation

b 2 Sam. xii. 13.

[Sin and death are inseparably connected: there is no alternative but to flee from sin or perish for ever; we must turn or die-This is evidently implied in the expostulation which God uses; and the certainty of it is far more strongly marked, than if it had been asserted in the plainest terms-Let sinners then answer the question which God puts to them, Why will ye die? Is death, eternal death so light a matter, that ye will subject yourselves to it for the fleeting gratifications of sin? Is it a light thing "to fall into the hands of the living God," and to have "both body and soul cast into hell" for ever?Or is a life of godliness so painful, that the labours of it will not be repaid by all the felicity of heaven?-If we were to ask you, Why will ye seek after God? Why will ye regard your souls? Why will ye forsake the beaten paths of sin, and walk in the unfrequented ways of righteousness? Your answers would be plain; the most ignorant might give such a reply, as not all the wisdom of man could gainsay or resist-But what will ye answer to the interrogation in the text? And if you are constrained now, notwithstanding your habits of selfvindication, to acknowledge the folly and madness of your conduct, how much more will you be speechless in the day of judgment, when the enormity of such conduct will appear without any palliation or disguise!-Let not God then reason with you in vain: but turn from those ways, which you are not able to justify, or, with any shadow of propriety, to excuse-]

APPLICATION

1. To those who are now at length desirous of returning to God

[It is not from profaneness to morality, or from morality to an outward observance of religious duties, that God calls us; but from all sin whatever to a sound and thorough conversion-Be sure then that you do not mistake in a matter of such infinite importance; but turn to God in the ways which he has appointed-Go with penitence and contrition to the Lord Jesus, that you may be washed in the fountain of his blood: and pray to God for the influences of his Spirit, that you may be "sanctified wholly in body, soul, and spirit, and be preserved blameless unto his heavenly kingdom"-Rest in nothing short of this, for it is not to this only that the promise of life is annexed; "you must be converted, and become as little children (simple, teachable, dependent, obedient in all things) if ever you would enter into the kingdom of heaven"-]

2. To those who are still determined to withstand the intreaties of God

[Go on in sin, till you have filled up the measure of your

iniquities: but remember, ye will not have to cast the blame on God in that day when your calamities shall come upon you-God has at this very hour testified with an oath, that it is his desire to save your souls; yea, he at this moment expostulates with you, and beseeches you to seek his face-Nor shall ye have to accuse your minister in that day-We are told indeed, in the very chapter before us, that the blood of those who perish, shall be required at the hands of negligent and unfaithful ministers: but, even though your blood were to be required at the hands of your minister, it would be no alleviation of your misery, since you also would die in your iniquity, and be condemned together with him-We hope, however, and are determined, God helping us, to be " pure from your blood:" we have warned you, and do warn you yet again, that you must turn or die; "if ye live after the flesh ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live"-Whatever others therefore may plead, ye have, and shall have, none but yourselves to blame: and it will be a bitter reflection in the day of judgment, to think, that "God called, and ye refused;" and that "Christ would often have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not"-May God prevent those reflections by giving you repentance unto life, for his dear Son's sake: Amen, and Amen-]

• Ezek. xxxiii. 7-9.

CCCCXXVI. THE WORK OF REDEMPTION A MOTIVE

TO CONVERSION.

Isaiah xliv. 22. Return unto me; for I have reedeemed thee.

IT is almost incredible that rational beings should ever be so stupid as to cut down a tree, and carve out of it the image of a man, and, after having roasted their food with a part of it, bow down to the residue as to a godBut it is yet more astonishing that Jehovah, after having been thus insulted, should invite the offenders to mercy, and urge them to accept it-Yet it is in this connexion that the text stands; and it may well be addressed to us; since, however free we be from such gross idolatry, we all have worshipped and served the creature more than he Creator-Let us then fix our attention upon

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I. The invitation

Our defection from God is too manifest to need much proof-Shades of difference there may doubtless be between different individuals; but all have turned aside from God, and gone astray like sheep that are lost-But we are here invited to return to him

1. With penitence

[The example of the Prodigal is that which we ought to follow The consideration of our departure from God should fill us with shame and sorrow, and our idolatrous attachment to the creature humble us in the dust-This is the direction which God himself has given us," and it is to such humiliation alone that his promises of acceptance are made]

2. With faith

[We are not to come to God with a mind full of doubts and suspicions, but with a full persuasion of his readiness to receive us-To what purpose is it to put away our contempt of his authority, if we deny or question the riches of his grace? Our conviction of his love and mercy should be as strong as possible; and we should with the most confident assurance rely on the death of Christ as a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for all our sins]

3. With love

[God delights in a willing people; he would not have us regard him as a severe Master, but as a loving Father: instead of accounting his commandments grievous, we should consider his services as perfect freedom-Our disposition should be like that of Jesus when first he undertook our caused

Nor indeed can any thing but an unreserved surrender of ourselves to his service prove the truth of our repentance and the sincerity of our faith-]

The full import of this invitation will be seen by considering

II. The motive with which it is enforced

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who addresses to us the word of the text-Now if he had enforced his invitation with a threatening of everlasting punishment, it would have called for our most attentive regard: but the motive here urged has tenfold energy-It may be considered

Hos. xiv. 1, 2. d Ps. gk 7, 94

b Job. xxxiii. 27.
a See ver. 2k,

• Mark ix. 22, 23.

1. As a tie upon our gratitude

[The redemption of Israel from Egypt, though great, was not to be compared with that which is wrought for us by the blood of Christ-The obligations which we lie under exceed all computation-Well therefore may this stupendous mercy be urged as an inducement to return to God-Indeed, this motive, duly considered, could not fail of producing the desired effect-Suppose a prodigal, having left his father's house, and squandered away his substance, had been seized by his creditors and sold for a slave; suppose his father, full of compassion, had gone, at the risk of his own life, and given all that he possessed as the price of his son's redemption: suppose the son returning to his evils ways, and actually going to sell him, self again to his former master: if his father should follow him, with the invitation in the text, could he fail of success? Must not his son have an heart of adamant, if he could withstand such a solicitation?-The application of this to our own case is easy: 0 that we may realize the idea for our good!-]

2. As an encouragement under our fears

[Notwithstanding the numberless proofs which God has given us of his readiness to forgive sin, we are apt to think him hard and inexorable-But the argument here used may well dissipate our unbelieving fears-Let us conceive the Saviour, at the very instant of his resurrection, meeting one of his murderers, and importuning him, by the very wounds which he had made, to accept of mercy, and assuring him that, if he would believe, the blood that he had shed, should cleanse him from the guilt of shedding it: could that man entertain a doubt of the Saviour's willingness to shew mercy? -This very thing is done to us, whose sins were the real occasion of Jesus' death: he meets us in the word, and, with his wounds yet exhibited before our eyes, addresses us in the words of the text-Let all unworthy conceptions of him then be put away, and every soul return to him as able and willing to save us to the uttermost→]

APPLICATION

[Careless sinners overlook, alas! all these considerations -But if they would consider the Saviour as addressing them, and as following them with these words into all their retirements, yea, into all their resorts of gaiety and dissipation, what a damp would such a reflection cast on all their vicious appetites and unshallowed enjoyments!-Methinks it would not be possible for them long to withstand the influence of such a thought---To backsliding professors these words must be applied with tenfold emphasis-How pungent must such an invitation be to those, who, having once experienced

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