Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

law of God. Some fins are lefs heinous, and others more aggravated and atrocious, on which account they are compared to scarlet and crimson, the ftrongest of all colours. In the expreflions now under confideration, there is an obvious reference to the concluding part of the 15th verfe, where thofe here fpoken to are faid to have had hands full of blood, which is of a fcarlet and crimfon colour. They had provoked the Lord their God by the most bloody crimes and daring tranfgreffions, whereby they were deeply involved in that complicated guilt, which fully juftifies the fimilitude here used. Their fins were attended with every circumstance that could increase their aggravations: they were committed against much inftruction which they had received, against manifold mercies wherewith they had been favoured, against repeated warnings that had been given them, after the most folemn engagements to the fervice of God, many profeffions of repentance, and moft awful judgments threatened, and in part executed upon them. With great propriety are the fins referred to likened to fcarlet and crimfon, which, fo far as I know, are colours impoffible for human art to dif charge.Notwithstanding, God, with whom all things are poffible, declares, they fhall be white as fnow and wool, the purity of which are fo well known as to require no illuftration. Both comparisons reprefent the remarkable cleannefs, and high degree of purity, which God promises to communicate to those who have been guilty of the greateft tranfgreffions. This was verified in David, when God, in anfwer to his prayer, purged him with hyffop, fo that he was 'clean, and wathed him, fo that he was whiter than fnow;' and in thofe who came out of great tribulation, that have their robes wafhed, and made 'white in the blood of the Lambt.' In these expres fions we obferve a figure of fpeech which frequently

6

Pfal. li. 7.

+ Rev. vii. 14.

occurs

occurs in fcripture, wherein that is afcribed to things which properly belongs to the perfons poffeffed of thefe things. You may fee an example of this in Matth. viii. 3. where we read, Jefus put forth his hand, and touched the leper, faying, I will, be thou clean, and immediately his leprofy was cleanfed;' i. e. he was cleanfed from the leproly wherewith he had been - afflicted. In this fenfe we must understand the words before us, where fins like fcarlet and crimfon are faid to be made white as fnow. It being impoffible, in the nature of things, that fin can change its nature, what is here faid muft be defcriptive of that happy alteration made in the condition of finners, when they are wafhed from their fins in the blood of Chrift, and their hearts and hands are purified through his word and Spirit. However deeply they were tinged with the pollution of iniquity, and ftained with guilt, they are cleanfed from their filthinefs, and faved from their unrighteoufnefs.

It is vain to object to this reafoning of infinite wifdom, that you have finned with a high hand, and much stubbornnefs; that your fins have been frequently repeated, and long perfifted in. Thefe very circumftances contribute to give them the fcarlet colour and crimfon die here mentioned; and though they have been multiplied without number, and aggravated beyond defcription, you cannot conclude they exceed the reach of that mercy which multiplies to pardon, and extends from everlasting to everlasting. Nor does it affect the argument we have been confidering, that the truth it contains may be grofsly perverted to the worst of purpofes. What is there good and valuable that hath not been abufed? The beft bleflings, life and health, medicine, liberty, pardon, have been grofsly perverted; but no wife man, on that account, will undervalue or neglect them; no more must we omit, for that reafon, to unfold the riches of divine mercy. This is a strong drink, which muft be plentifully adminiftered for the confolation

of

of them that are ready to perish, though prefumption and impenitence may prompt men to abuse it to bad purposes. Diligence in bufinefs is converted by the covetous into an encouragement to eat the bread of carefulness; muft we ceafe therefore to exhort men, by our Lord Jefus Chrift, that with quietnefs they work, and eat their own bread. Take no thought for to-morrow founds like mufic in the ears of the fluggard, folding his hands to fleep; but muft we, for this reafon, refrain from perfuading you to be careful for nothing, but, in every thing, by prayer and fupplication, to let your requests be made known unto God. Though the riches of the grace of God hath been wickedly perverted into an encouragement to fin, by thofe whose hearts are fully fet in them to do evil, their exhibition hath never failed to prove a powerful antidote against fin, to fuch as have tafted that the Lord is gracious; and, therefore, I decline not to treat of this reviving fubject.-Admire then the riches of forgiving mercy, and beware left you turn it into wantonnefs: it is difpenfed that you may resemble the fnow and the wool in purity; and this will be its certain effect, if you have experienced its happy influence.

19

If ye be willing and obedient, ye fhall eat the good of the land.

This verse describes the happy confequences of a prompt obedience to the directions contained in the preceding verfes. The pofterity of Ifrael, like other people, were ftiff-necked and rebellious, uncircumcifed in heart and ears, and would not hearken to the voice of God, nor obey his commands. They were wife to do evil, but how to do that which is good they knew not. In order to their being willing and obedient, God muft have wrought in them both to will and to do of his good pleafure, and made them his willing people in a day of his power, over

coming that perverse obftinacy for which they were remarkable, and difpofing them cheerfully to comply with the falutary advices which were given them. If, in confequence of this happy change of difpofition, they were willing to wash and be clean, to put away the evil of their doings, to cease to do evil, and learn to do well; if they were willing to abandon their wicked ways, to have recourfe to the fovereign mer. cy of God for pardon of fin, to renounce their perverfe obftinacy, and to be governed as his loyal fub. jects by his righteous laws; then it fhould be well with them, and their children, and all the promises made to obedience fhould be their portion.Thefe, Christians, are effential ingredients in the character of all the people of God; and you will do well fe riously to confider, if they are defcriptive of your tem, per and practice. Are you heartily willing to accept of the generous offers made you, in the word of God, of the most valuable bleflings, from a deep conviction of their tranfcendent excellence, and fuitableness to your condition? Are you obedient to your rightful Lord, viewing his fervice as your indifpenfable duty, your truest wisdom, and higheft intereft; and do you study, in dependence on divine aid, to yield him that cheerful, unlimited obedience he graciously demands, and which is most juftly his due? That you answer thefe fimple, interefting inquiries in the affirmative, is indifpenfably neceffary to your enjoying the bleffings contained in the following words:

Ye fhall eat the good of the land. The land primarily intended in thefe words was the land of Canaan, the glory of all lands, which flowed with milk and honey, and abounded with corn and cattle, wine and oil, and the precious things of the earth, put forth by the fun and moon. This land the Almighty God promised for a poffeffion to the progenitors of this people, as an inftance of his peculiar regard, and a type of a heavenly and better country, which he would bestow on the fpiritual pofterity of the father of the faithful.

The

The good of that land comprehended all the good things which the children of Ifrael therein enjoyed, abundance of all the comforts of this life, multitudes of flocks, large increase in things neceffary to temporal profperity, deliverance from difeafes, and the other evils incident to the nations around them, and the peaceable poffeffion of the facred inftitutions of divine worship wherewith they were favoured.To eat this good, is to enjoy it, to feaft upon it, fo as to be thereby agreeably fupported and fatisfied. It is not to poffefs the riches of the land as fome do, who cannot enjoy them, and find little fatisfaction from them; or as others, who have but small and few poffeffions, and therefore cannot be faid to have the riches of the land. The expreffion imports, that they fhould have large and valuable poffeffions, which they fhould liberally use; that, under the care of divine providence, opportunity fhould be afforded them of living on the fruits of the land, from which they fhould reap the moft pleafing fatisfaction. Thefe good things were intended to represent heavenly and better things, to which they were directed to look forward as their certain portion, did the character of willing and obedient belong to them in the proper fenfe of the words. Then should they be exalted to inherit the land of uprightness, and be fatisfied abundantly with the fatnefs of God's houfe, and the rivers of his pleasures, which are before his face, and at his right hand for ever. more. Men and brethren, what a powerful motive does this confideration fuggeft, to enforce your com. pliance with the counfel of God, and your obedience to his righteous authority! If you cordially comply with the advices of the wonderful Counsellor, you fhall eat the good of the land, you fhall receive every temporal comfort which infinite wifdom fees proper for you; with these you shall have his bleffing, that maketh rich, and addeth no forrow with it, whilst they fhall prove earnests and pledges of eternal bleffings. You fhall enjoy the benefit of divine inftitu

« AnteriorContinuar »