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the efficacy of the blood of Christ, have relapsed into a lukewarm Laodicean state!-How shocking must their ingratitude appear, and how great their folly!-Let all such, if such there 1 be amongst us, attend to this gracious call, and return, without delay, to their duties, their privileges, their enjoyments--]

CCCCXXVII. EXHORTATION ΤΟ RECEIVE THE

BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL.

Isaiah lv. 1-3. Ho! every one that thirsteth, come to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David,

WE can never sufficiently admire the condescension and grace of God in noticing such insignificant and worthless creatures as we are. That he should provide for our returning wants, and permit us to ask of him the things we stand in need of, may well excite our deepest astonishment. But that he should be as much interested in our welfare, as if his own happiness and glory depended on it, seems utterly incredible: yet, that this is really the case, is manifest from the earnest invitations and entreaties, which he uses to prevail upon us to accept of mercy. In confirmation of this, we need only notice the passage before us, in which God, with inexpressible affection, labours to awaken the attention of sinners to their own truest happiness, and to bring them to the enjoyment of everlasting salvation, In his words we may observe

I. An invitation

No words could be devised that should more forcibly declare God's desire for our welfare

[The blessings of the gospel are here set forth under the most natural and expressive image. What can be more re

freshing than water? more reviving than wine? more nutritious than milk? yet do these but faintly represent the operations of the gospel on the soul of man. Nor can water or

milk be by any means dispensed with; they are altogether ne cessary for human subsistence: so that on this account also are they fit emblems of spiritual blessings, What would be the state of man if there were no Saviour to atone for him, no Spirit to renew him, no God and Father to preserve and bless him? On the contrary, how revived and animated is he by the promises of pardon and peace, of holiness and glory! Such then are the blessings which God offers to mankind. He invites every one that thirsteth; every person, whatever have been his character or conduct, is called: if only he thirst, nothing shall be a bar to his acceptance. Yet no man need to decline the invitation, under the idea that he is not welcome, because he does not thirst enough: if he be willing, that is sufficient. Nor need any one be discouraged at the thought that he has nothing wherewith to purchase these benefits: for though they are to be bought, it is" without money and without price;" and therefore they, “who have no money," are particularly specified in the invitation. deed, if any man bring a price in his hand, he shall surely go empty away: Christ has paid the price; nor can we obtain any thing, unless we be willing to receive it as the free gift of God through Christ.

In

The earnestness, with which God intreats us to accept these blessings, is well worthy of our notice. He personates an herald standing in the place of public concourse, and, in the accustomed manner, calling the attention of all around him. He then expatiates on the blessings which he is ready to communicate, and the terms on which he will bestow them: he describes the persons to whose necessities the blessings are suited, and to whose indigence the terms are more especially adapted; and then, as though he were determined to take no refusal, he cries, “Come," " come," "come."]

And shall we despise such a gracious invitation?

[Let us but contemplate the blessings we are invited to partake of: how rich, how suitable, how necessary!-Let us reflect on the terms on which they are offered: can any thing be more encouraging?---Let us recollect who it is that calls us: Is he used to mock his people? or is he incapable of supplying all their wants?Let us consider his descriptions of the persons invited: can any thing be more encouraging? and shall we not be inexcusable if we turn a deaf ear to such intreaties?

-]

So St. John expounds the passage Rev. xxii. 17.

But God, knowing our extreme backwardness to go to him, urges us yet further by

II. An expostulation

Our infatuation justly calls for a severe reproof

[The contemners of God's invitations may be comprised under two classes, the worldly-minded, and the self-righteous, Both of these despise the offers of the gospel; the one, because they have no relish for spiritual things; the other, because they think they already possess them: the one find their happiness in the pursuit or enjoyment of earthly things; the other in self-applauding reflections on their own goodness. But we may appeal to both, whether they have ever attained any abiding satisfaction in their respective courses? Have pleasures, riches, or honours ever proved a source of solid peace? Are they "bread" proper for the soul? Does not the comfort, derived from such things, fail us in the hour that me most need it? And will any satisfaction arise from the remembrance of them, when we stand at the bar of judgment? Nor however laudable the conduct of the self-righteous may be in the sight of men, can it yield them the comfort they aspire after: it cannot satisfy either God or their own consciences; not God, because it does not fulfil the demands of his law; not themselves, because they never can know that they have done enough to procure them acceptance with God: in the midst of all their boasted confidence, they have many misgiving fears lest they should have laboured for nought, and spent their money for that which is not bread."

To impress this thought on our minds, God contrasts the blessings he offers, with those which we foolishly prefer. He calls them "good," and declares that they will "delight the soul with fatness." And they are not good? What so worthy of this character, as a free and full pardon, to the guilty; a peace that passeth all understanding, to the troubled; renewed strength, to the weak; and everlasting glory, to the lost? Can these be received into the soul, and not comfort it? or can they be promised to us by a faithful God, and not satisfy the mind? Surely they are "meat indeed, and drink indeed;" nor can they fail of filling us with "joy unspeakable and glorified."]

Let us then call ourselves to an account for our con

duct

[Who amongst us has not had abundant experience of the insufficiency of every thing, except the gospel, to make us happy? And shall we yet persist in our error? shall we never cease to "hew out to ourselves broken cisterns," when we might have access to "the fountain of living waters?" shall We still grasp at a shadow, while we lose the substance?— ·

What reason can we assign to ourselves for such obstinacy? and what shall we assign to God, when he shall interrogate us respecting it in the day of judgment? shall we plead a want of information? God has informed us. Shall we say that the blessings of salvation were out of our reach? God has freely offered them to us: nor is it any thing but a deliberate rejection of his mercy, that can finally destroy us---]

Lest any thing should be wanting to affect our hearts, God confirms his invitation with

III. A promise

There is not any thing which God will not do for those who obey his call

[Whatever a carnal man may enjoy, he has no right or title to eternal life. On the contrary, whatever a spiritual man may want, this privilege he shall assuredly possess, "his soul shall live." Nor shall this life be terminated like the life of the body; for God will make a covenant with him, "an everlasting covenant," a "covenant ordered in all things and

so that every thing necessary for the maintaining and perfecting of this life shall be secured to him. And as the Father gave unto his Son "the sure mercies of David" by raising him from the dead, and setting him at his own right hand in heaven, so will he bestow on his believing people every thing that he ever promised unto his church. Notwithstanding he may suffer for a time their state to appear forlorn and desperate, his mercies shall be "sure" to all his seed.

Lest we should still remain unmoved, God calls our attention to this promise, repeating his intreaties with all the energy and affection that words can express. "Hearken," says he, as to a distant sound which you are solicitous to hear: hearken "diligently," not suffering any thing to divert your attention for one moment: "incline your ear" as one that is afraid of losing one word that is spoken to him: "hear," determining to judge with candour, and to follow the dictates of sound wisdom. Do this, says God, and the promise shall be yours: I pledge myself by covenant and by oath that your soul shall live, and that nothing that is good shall be wanting to yout either in time or in eternity.]

How incurably obstinate then must we be, if such accumulated means be used in vain!

[Is the life of the soul a matter of such indifference, that a promise of it shall have no effect on our minds? Shall God engage himself to us by covenant and by oath to supply all our need both of body and soul, and shall we account his word

Acts xii. 34.

unworthy of our attention?---Who ever experienced his blessings, and found them of no value? or whom has he ever deceived, that we dare not trust him?---Let us at least remember what an alternative we prefer; we reject life, and happiness, and glory, and embrace death and misery as our eternal portion that God might prevail at last! that we might now accept his gracious offers; and be made par takers of present and everlasting felicity!]

CCCCXXVIII. CHRIST A STRONG HOLD.

Zech. ix. 12. Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to-day do I declare, that I will render double unto thee.

IF the declarations of God be humiliating, and the denunciations of his vengeance awful, we must acknowledge that his invitations and promises afford us all the encouragement we can desire; inasmuch as they are addressed to persons in those very circumstances wherein we are-Nor should we be averse to confess the truth of our state, when we see what provision God has made for our happiness and salvation-The words before us lead us to consider

I. The persons addressed

All men, as sinners, are condemned by the law of God, and may therefore be considered as prisoners arrested by divine Justice, and sentenced to eternal death -But they who hear the gospel are "prisoners of hope" 1. Though they be prisoners, yet they have an hope

[Those, who have died in their sins, are utterly without hope, being reserved in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day-But as long as we continue in the world, we need not to despair The invitations of the gospel are sent to us; nor can any thing but an obstinate rejection of divine mercy cut us off from the blessings of salvation-Though we are condemned, and are every hour in danger of having the sentence executed upon us, yet there is a way opened for us to escape, and we may obtain mercy even at the eleventh hour-]

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2. There is however but one hope, unto which all are shut upa

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