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GOD IS DESIROUS OF SAVING MEN
THROUGHOUT all the sacred writings we behold the goodness and severity of God: sometimes the one attracts our notice, and sometimes the other; and in many places, as in that before us, we are struck with the union and combination of them both. Jerusalem was the city of the living God, the residence of his peculiar people; yet he denounces woe against them: but at the same time he declares, in very pathetic language, the ardent desires of his soul to exercise mercy towards them.
From these most affecting words we shall take occasion to shew,
I. The woes which impenitent sinners have reason to expect—
This is a painful, but necessary, subject of our inquiries—
The punishment that awaits sinners is most tremendous—
[The loss of heaven is one part of it: and who shall declare how great a loss this is? — — — The miseries of hell (which is the other part) are equally beyond the powers of language to describe, or of imagination to conceive — — —]
This, however, the impenitent have but too much reason to expect—
[“Woe unto thee!” says my text: and this is the voice of reason [Note: There must be a difference between the righteous and the wicked.] — — — of Scripture [Note: Against ten thousand passages to this effect, there is not one syllable that has an opposite aspect.] — — — of experience [Note: The union of sin and misery is felt by all. Where is there a sinner that is truly happy? See Isa_57:20-21.] — — — of the compassionate Saviour himself [Note: See how often woe is denounced, Mat_23:13-16; Mat_23:23; Mat_23:25; Mat_23:27; Mat_23:29; Mat_23:33.] — — — What stronger evidence can any man wish for? and how blind must he be that is not convinced by it!]
But however merited and awful these woes are, we see from the text,
II. How unwilling God is to inflict them—
He complains of men’s obstinacy in rejecting the overtures of his mercy—
[It is their sin only that exposes them to his displeasure: were that once removed, he would “rejoice over them to do them good.” And whence is it that they are not cleansed from it? Has not God provided such means for their cleansing, us should certainly be effectual, if only they were applied? Has he not opened a fountain to cleanse them from guilt [Note: Zec_13:1. 1Jn_1:7. ]? — — — Has he not promised to sprinkle them with water that should purify and renew their very inmost souls [Note: Eze_36:25-27.]? — — — Yes: but they are averse to that purification: they hate the very means by which it is to be attained, and the regimen whereby it is to be preserved — — — God would gladly effect the work for them, if only they would submit to it; but they will not [Note: Eze_33:11.]. Hence those complaints so often uttered by the prophets [Note: Psa_81:11-13. Jer_7:23-26.], and by Christ himself [Note: Joh_5:40. Mat_23:37.] — — —]
He expresses also an impatient longing for an opportunity to bless their souls—
[Long has he waited to no purpose: yet still “he waiteth to be gracious unto us:” “he stands at the door of our hearts, and knocks.” His address to us is, “Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways i for why will we die, O house of Israel?” Every day appears to him an age [Note: Hos_8:5. Jer_15:6. “I am weary with repenting.”]: he is at a loss, as it were, what to do, whether to give us up, or to use any further means [Note: Hos_6:4; Hos_11:8. Jer_3:4; Jer_3:19.]. The complaint in the text is scarcely less the language of despondency than of compassion; “When shall it once be?” It is us though he said, ‘My patience is almost exhausted: your return to me is the most earnest desire of my soul: but I fear I shall be forced, in spite of all my efforts to save you, to abandon you at last, and to execute the judgments which you so obstinately provoke.’]
Address—
1. Those who imagine that they have no need of cleansing—
[What child of man has not need to be cleansed from that taint which we inherit from our first parents [Note: Job_14:4; Job_15:14; Job_25:4.]? And who has not contracted much moral defilement by means of actual transgression? — — — Let none entertain such proud conceits. The best amongst us, no less than the worst, need to be washed in the blood of Christ, and be renewed by his Spirit; and, without this cleansing, must inevitably perish.]
2. Those who are unwilling to be cleansed—
[Many are unwilling to part with even the grossest lusts. What then must we say to them? Must we speak peace to them, instead of denouncing woes? If we were to do so, God would not confirm our word: so that we should only delude them to their ruin. But indeed they themselves would not be deluded by any such assertions: for, with whatever confidence they utter them themselves, they would not endure to hear them if uttered from the pulpit.
But it is not gross sin only that must be put away: we must be “cleansed also from secret faults:” whatever stops short of this, is ineffectual. The right hand, the right eye, must be sacrificed; and the whole heart be turned unto God — — —]
3. Those who desire the cleansing of their souls—
[It is of infinite importance that you seek this blessing aright. It is not in floods of tears that you are to be cleansed; though floods of tears are proper and desirable: it is the blood of Christ alone that can cleanse from the guilt of sin; and the Spirit of Christ alone that can cleanse from the power and pollution of sin. To apply these effectually, we must embrace the promises, and rest upon them, trusting in God to accomplish them to our souls. We must not first cleanse ourselves, and then embrace God’s promises of mercy; but first lay hold on the promises, and then, by virtue derived from them, proceed to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit [Note: 2Co_7:1. with Act_15:9.].”]