with mens characters and conduct. Indeed the Lord feeth not as man feeth, who feeth objects at a dif tance one after another, and can only difcover their exterior form, whilft he may be mistaken and impofed upon by deceitful appearances. The Lord 'looketh down from heaven, and full well beholdeth all the fons of men: his eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good: he fearcheth the heart, and trieth the reins;' fo that he cannot be deceived, nor can any thing be concealed from his view. With great propriety are his all-penetrating eyes called the eyes of his glory, or his glorious eyes.Beware then, brethren, of fpeaking and acting against the Lord. For this purpose adopt the wife refolution of the man according to God's own heart, I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not with my tongue*." One would think he might rather have faid, I will take heed to my words, that I offend not with my tongue. When our ways are wrong, our words are feldom right: the tongue is foon out of the way of speak, ing rightly, when we go out of the way of acting properly. He that offendeth with his tongue, is apt to offend in his ways; and having tranfgreffed in his ways, he is in greater danger of offending with his tongue. Keep your hearts with all diligence, for out of them are the iffues of life +.' 9 The fhew of their countenance doth witness against them, and they declare their fin as Sodom, they hide it not: wo unto their foul, for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. A circumftance is here mentioned, which greatly aggravated the iniquity of Judah: they had put off fhame and bafhfulnefs; they had become bold and impudent, in committing the most abominable crimes. They gloried in their fhame; and, as God teftified + Prov. iv. 23. * Pfal. xxxix. I. Bb by by another prophet, All the house of Ifrael are impu"dent and hard-hearted. God hath fo formed man, and fo closely connected his foul and body, that the one hath a reciprocal influence on the other; in confequence of which, the various affections and paffions of the mind feldom fail to difcover themfelves in the face. Hence the common expreflions of a fad and joyful, a proud and fierce countenance. Indeed the prevailing difpofition of the mind is often confpicuous in the face: if it is envy and discontent, the countenance falls; if meekness and modefty, it appears ferene, and full of complacence. And fuch was the external afpect of the people to whom Ifaiah delivered this prophecy, that it teftified against them, that they were proud and felf-conceited, foolish and extravagant in the commiffion of enormous tranfgreffions.And they declare their fin as Sodom, they hide it not. The men of Sodom were very wicked, and finners before the Lord exceedingly; their fin was grievous, and the cry of it reached up to heaven. They committed all man ner of wickedness with greedinefs; and, far from concealing it, they gloried in their iniquity. They did not declare their fins like those who are humbled for them before God, who declare them that they may be juftified; but they impudently published them, counting it a pleasure to riot in the day, and finning openly in the face of the fun. How lamentable the condition of Jerufalem, the city of the great King, when the resembled a place famous for wickedness through the whole earth! To fuch a dreadful pitch of impiety had the men of Judah arrived, that the prophet Jeremiah enters against them this bitter con-plaint; Were they afhamed when they had commit ted abomination? nay, they were not at all afhamed, 'neither could they blush +. Their foreheads were as iron, and their brows brafs;' which plainly fhewed, that they were loft to all sense of the evil and malig. nity of fin, as is here intimated. Wo unto their foul, for they have rewarded evil unto themfelves. They might promife themfelves peace and happiness, but complicated calamities, and inevitable destruction, were fuddenly to overwhelm them; and their very foul, the chief fubject of happiness or mifery, was to be filled with forrow, lamentation, and wo, and covered with everlafting fhame and contempt. This mifery and wo fhould be greatly aggravated, by the moving confideration that they had brought it upon themfelves. Their own evil-doings were the procuring causes of their destruction, and the very means whereby it was effectuated. In the words of the prophet Jeremiah, 'Their way and their doings 'procured these things unto them. And as the prophet Hofea informed them, Thy deftruction is from thyfelft.' The men of Judah might foolishly imagine, that it proceeded from the Moft High; from the wrath and rage, the malice and cruelty of their enemies, or the treachery and neglect of their friends. God therefore informs them, that their destruction and mifery did not originate from friends or enemies, nor from himself, but was the fruit of their own wicked ways, whereby they rewarded evil to themselves.We are apt to attribute the good we enjoy to our wisdom, power, and good conduct, and thus to facrifice to our own nets: we are prone to afcribe all the evil we fuffer to fome foreign cause, and thus extenuate our own guilt. The reverse of this is the truth, as is plain from the words before us, where we are taught to charge our deftruction on ourfelves, to whom alone it is owing. Under all the evils then which we fuffer, let us ever recollect, that they are the just rewards of our evil-doings, and the bad effects of our tranfgreffions against the Lord. 10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they fhall eat the fruit of their doings. Jer. iv. 18. † Hofea xiii. 9. Our 1 Our prophet, with other fervants of God, are here charged to announce a moft comfortable meffage to his upright people, expreffive of that tender affection, and paternal care, which the Almighty never fails to difcover for them on every proper occafion.Say ye to the righteous, not to those who are righteous in their own eyes, or who appear to be righteous in the view of others. There is a generation who are clean in their own eyes, who notwithstanding are an abomination to the Lord; and there is also a generation who have made clean the outfide of the cup and platter, and affumed a fpecious appearance before men, who are inwardly full of all manner of unrighteoufnefs.. To neither of thefe claffes of people ought the fervants of God to fay, it fhall be well; but to those who are righteous indeed, through the righteoufnefs of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe, in virtue of which they are delivered from the guilt of fin, they enjoy the favour of God, and a right to eternal inheritance. Their fpiritual diftempers being removed, they are restored to the proper exercife of their va rious powers and faculties, which they employ in ferving God in holiness and righteoufnefs before him all the days of their life, yielding their members as inftruments of righteoufnefs unto God. Their minds are furnished with right principles: they have a pure heart, a good confcience, and faith unfeigned. Their actions are conducted by the right rule of God's holy precepts, and the fpotlefs example of the juft One; being taught, by the grace of God, to live foberly, righteously, and godly in the world. In few words, they walk uprightly, and work righteoufnefs, and fpeak the truth in their hearts. He that doth these things fhall never be moved. Be folicitous to attain this defirable character, which, according to the maxim of the wife man, will render you more excellent than your neighbours.To perfons of this defcription, God hath directed his fervants to fay, It shall be well with him. It must be so. All the perfections of Jehovah fhall be employed for their be nefit: his irrefiftible power fhall ftrengthen and protect them; his infinite wisdom fhall inftruct and guide them; his tender mercy fhall pardon and uphold them; his everlasting faithfulness fhall be their fhield and buckler; his boundless grace fhall animate and comfort, and his glorious all-fufficiency fhall enrich and fatisfy them. All the exceeding great and precious promises of the gofpel fhall be accomplished for their happiness: in which are contained, mercy to pardon, grace to help, confolation to fupport, counfel to direct; the divine prefence in every condition; grace, and glory, and every good thing; and the reviving affurance, that all things fhall work together for their good. All the ineftimable privileges peculiar to the children of God fhall conftitute their felicity; fuch as union with Jefus Chrift, in whom dwells all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; the forgiveness of fins, through him who died for their offences; reconciliation to God, through the death of his Son; the protection of the kind providence of God; and his Holy Spirit, to instruct and affift them in all things. The moft ample encouragements, prefented in the word of God, accompanied with divine power, fhall thoroughly furnish them for the performance of every good work. There they are affured of gracious affiftance, and acceptance through Jefus Chrift; that their prayers fhall afcend before God as incenfe, their praifes as the eveningfacrifice; that their charity fhall be an odour of a sweet fmell; and that their doing good is well pleafing in his fight, who will mercifully remember, and bountifully reward all their labours of love. Befides, they entertain the most certain, glorious profpects, that God will never leave nor forfake them; that goodnefs and mercy fhall continually attend them; and that, in due time, their heavenly Father will conduct them to his immediate prefence and glory, where they fhall |