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CONVERSION, IN ITS COMMENCEMENT AND PROGRESS
THE precise import of these words is not clear at first sight. If we take them in connexion with the preceding context, they must be considered as a continuation of the threatening denounced against the Jews for their abominable idolatries. Then their meaning will be, ‘I will inflict upon you the judgments which your violations of my covenant demand:’ or, as God had said by Moses, “I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant [Note: Lev_26:25.].” If, on the other hand, the words be taken in connexion with the following context, then they must be regarded as a promise, that, notwithstanding the judgments that should be inflicted on them, God had mercies in reserve for them, and would, at a future period, restore them to his favour. And this is the sense to which I rather incline. The obstinately rebellious amongst them, indeed, he would give up to their own lusts, and utterly destroy them [Note: ver. 38, 39.]: but he would take out a chosen people from among them, and bring them to his holy mountain, and accept all their offerings, and make himself known to them as their reconciled God and Father, and give them repentance to salvation, not to be repented of [Note: ver. 40–44.]. This exactly accords with what the prophet had spoken in a preceding chapter: “Thus saith the Lord God: I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant. Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth; and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant [Note: Eze_16:59-60.].” In this view the words have a singular beauty; and will lead us to some extremely profitable reflections.
It was customary with shepherds, as it is also at this day, to make their flocks pass under their pastoral rod, in order that he might number them, or separate some from the rest [Note: Lev_27:32. Jer_33:13.]. In this way God promises to make Israel pass before him, in order to select from them a people unto himself, and to bring them into the bonds of his everlasting covenant. And, in conformity with this view, we might well direct your attention to the future conversion of the Jews, who shall assuredly be restored to the favour of their God. But, waving this part of the subject, I will rather speak of conversion generally; the process of which is the same, whether in them or in us. We may notice, then, this work of conversion, as here described,
I. In its commencement—
“The Lord,” we are told, “hath set apart him that is godly for himself [Note: Psa_4:3.].” This he accomplishes in a variety of ways:
1. By the dispensations of his Providence—
[Sometimes things which, humanly speaking, we should call accidental, are ordered with a special view to the awakening of immortal souls, and leading them to the knowledge of himself. In our Saviour’s progress from Judea to Galilee, “he must needs go through Samaria; and, being wearied with his journey, he stopped at a city called Sichar, and seated himself by a well called Jacob’s well. Whilst he was there, a woman of Samaria came thither to draw water.” In all this there appears nothing but an ordinary occurrence: but it was God’s appointed way of bringing her, together with many others, under the rod, and eventually into the bond of his covenant [Note: Joh_4:3-7; Joh_4:25-26.]. Not unfrequently he is pleased to make use of some afflictive dispensation; as in the case of Manasseh, upon whom “God brought the armies of the king of Assyria, who, as his instruments, took him among the thorns, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon:” the effect of all which was, that, “when he was in affliction, this monster of impiety besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers [Note: 2Ch_33:11-13.],” and obtained mercy at his hands. Multitudes of others also, in every age, have found reason to say, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now have I kept thy law.”]
2. By the conversion of some pious friend—
[We see not, in general, any thing remarkable in an accidental interview with a pious person; whilst yet it may, perhaps, have been as particularly ordained of God for a special end, as the meeting of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. God especially directed Philip to join himself to the eunuch’s chariot, and to explain to him a passage of Scripture which he was not able to comprehend. By this was the eunuch guided to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and made a partaker of everlasting salvation. Thus, persons sent to us, though they received not their commission in so plain and direct a way, have come to us under the same Divine guidance, and have been made alike successful in their efforts for our good. For similar benefits was Peter indebted to his brother Andrew, and Nathanael to his friend Philip [Note: Joh_1:40; Joh_1:45.]: and perhaps many amongst ourselves must trace our first awakenings to some event of this kind, even to a friendly suggestion from some pious or benevolent instructor.]
3. By the public ministry of the word—
[It is by this, for the most part, that God is pleased to separate, and seal us up, for his own. He sends home his word with power to the heart of one and another, just as he did to the heart of Lydia; and causes them to surrender up themselves to him, as his redeemed people. A whole assembly is present: but a discrimination is made by God, according to his sovereign will and pleasure; who makes “the same word to be to some a savour of life unto life, whilst to others it becomes only a savour of death unto death [Note: 2Co_2:16.].”]
4. By the secret operation of his Spirit upon the soul—
[We see not the rod in the hand of the great Shepherd; but he is using it every moment, for the purpose of separating a people for himself. By his good Spirit he imparts a sensation to the soul, a heavenly touch, of which the person himself perhaps, at first, is scarcely conscious. By that he enlightens the eyes, and draws the heart; and prepares a person for fuller discoveries of his power and grace. Job says, “God speaketh once, yea, twice; yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man [Note: Job_33:14-17.].” Doubtless, whatever is done by the Holy Spirit, is, and must ever be, in perfect accordance with the word: but his motions are not confined to means or instruments of any kind: yet, in his operations, he always deals with us as rational creatures; drawing us, not by force, as inanimated beings, but “with the cords of a man, and with the bands of love [Note: Joh_6:44. with Hos_11:4.].”]
This, then, is the preparatory work, whereby “God causes us to pass under the rod:” and this is the commencement of that conversion, which we are next to mark,
II. In its progress—
God’s ultimate view, in these diversified dispensations, is, to bring us into the bond of his covenant, because it is only by virtue of that covenant, and through an interest in it, that sinful man can be saved. When, therefore, he has made us to pass under the rod,
1. He reveals that covenant to us—
[Previous to a work of grace upon our souls, we are altogether ignorant of the covenant which God has made with us, and with his only-begotten Son in our behalf. We have, perhaps, some general notions about repentance and faith; but we have no distinct view of the Saviour undertaking for us to expiate our guilt by the sacrifice of himself, and to work out a righteousness for us by his own obedience unto death. We see not our need of such a covenant: much less do we so behold its excellency, as to “comprehend the breadth and length and depth and height of his love” displayed in it. But, when God, in tender mercy, arrests us in our course, and directs our attention to eternal things, he opens and unfolds to us this covenant, in all its merciful provisions: he shewn us, that in this covenant there is abundant security, both for the honour of God and the happiness of man; inasmuch as, by the provisions of it, all his perfections are glorified, and every want of man is supplied. Thus “his secret is with us, and he shews us his covenant [Note: Psa_25:14.].”]
2. He enables us to lay hold on it—
[There is much reluctance in us, at first, to embrace this covenant. It is too humiliating for us; in that it requires us to abandon all self-dependence, and to look for acceptance with God solely through the merits of his dear Son. But when once we have passed under the rod of our divine Shepherd, and been set apart for him, then comes “the day of his power; and we are made willing” to be saved on any terms which it has pleased God to prescribe. The salvation of our souls is then, in our estimation, “the one thing needful:” and, without any wish to stipulate for ourselves, we cry, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Then, as the man-slayer sought a city of refuge, and fled to it with all earnestness from the pursuer of blood, so do we most thankfully lay hold on this covenant, and “flee for refuge to the hope that is set before us.” In truth, this way of salvation appears precisely such as our necessities require. The covenant makes over to us every thing, as the free gift of God for Christ’s sake: and, deeply conscious that we have nothing, and can do nothing, whereby to merit even the smallest of its blessings, we are glad to receive them all “without money and without price.”]
3. He confers upon us all the blessings—
[“This covenant is ordered in all things, and sure:” it makes over to us all that we can ever need, for body or for soul, for time or for eternity. Accordingly, from the time that we are brought to “lay hold upon it,” God showers forth his blessings upon us in rich abundance; “he blots out all our iniquities, as a morning cloud;” and pours down upon us the riches of his grace, whereby we are enabled to mortify all our corrupt affections, and to walk before him in newness of heart and life. He makes known himself to us as a Covenant God, that is engaged to fulfil to us all his promises, and to “perfect in us the work he has begun.” In short, he gives us to see that heaven itself is our inheritance; and that, whilst “that is reserved for us, we also are kept by his mighty power for it [Note: 1Pe_1:4-5.].” His faithfulness then becomes no less an object of our affiance than his mercy; and we are enabled, with confidence, to say, “There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me,” at the great day of his appearing.]
We cannot but remark from hence,
1. How sovereign God is, in the dispensations of his mercy—
[If a shepherd separate any sheep for his own peculiar use, it is probable that he has some reference to their intrinsic worth, as the ground of his preference. But our heavenly Shepherd has respect to nothing but his own sovereign will and pleasure. This remarkably appears in the passage before us; where the promise of God’s mercy is so interwoven with the denunciations of his wrath, as to involve a doubt in which of the two lights it is to be viewed. And in this way it is that God’s promises are frequently introduced. By the Prophet Isaiah, God says of his Church, “For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth; and yet he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.” Now, what might we expect to follow this? What, but some heavy denunciation of his wrath? Yet, behold, he adds, “I have seen his ways, and will heal him, and will restore comfort to him and to his mourners [Note: Isa_57:17-18.].” It was in this sovereign way that Saul was “made a chosen vessel to the Lord:” and I doubt not but that every individual amongst you, who has ever experienced conversion in his own soul, will trace it altogether to the same source, and say, “By the grace of God I am what I am [Note: 1Co_15:10.].”]
2. How mysterious are his dealings with the children of men—
[Sheep, when undergoing the process referred to in my text, are usually full of fear and terror, expecting nothing but evil, whilst their shepherd designs them nothing but good. So it is also, most generally, with the children of men, at their first awakening: they apprehend nothing but vengeance at the hands of an offended God; and regard the rod as held over them only for their ruin. But at no distant period their fears are turned into joy: and it is delightful to contemplate what shall soon be the issue of those convictions which perhaps at this time may be filling the souls of some amongst you with terror and dismay. Could you but see what is really passing in reference to you at this moment, you would behold, perhaps, your heavenly Shepherd standing over you, and by his word and Spirit marking you for his own. O, beloved, lift up your hearts to him in earnest prayer, and say, “Take me, Lord, even me, the least and meanest of thy flock!” and learn to regard all his dispensations as means to this blessed end.]
3. How you may best answer all the purposes of his grace—
[You have heard what God’s gracious purpose is towards all the objects of his love: he seeks “to bring them into the bond of his covenant.” Trouble not then ourselves about the abstruse doctrines of election; but seek to have the ends of electing love accomplished in you. Lay hold on God’s covenant; embrace the salvation there offered you; go to the Mediator of the New Covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ; and seek all the blessings of it, in and through him. Then shall you have in yourselves an evidence of that, which you never can discover but by its fruits. It was “from their works of faith, and labours of love, and patience of hope,” that St. Paul knew the election of his Thessalonian converts [Note: 1Th_1:3-4.]: and from our laying hold of God’s covenant, we may assuredly ascertain that he has “chosen us to salvation,” and loved us with an everlasting love. Again, therefore, I say, perplex not yourselves about what no man can know, except from its effects; but do that which will at once ensure all the blessings of salvation, and demonstrate that God is your God for ever and ever.]