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THE INGRATITUDE OF MEN
HOW marvellous is the condescension of Almighty God! There is not in the universe a man that would bear with his fellow-man as God beareth with his people. Amidst all the indignities that they offer him, he follows them with entreaties, reasonings, expostulations, if by any means he may prevail upon them to turn to him, and thus to avert from themselves his merited displeasure. In my text, all Israel are challenged by him to assign a reason for their contemptuous treatment of him. As by the Prophet Micah he says, “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me [Note: Mic_6:3.]:” so here he challenges them all to say, “What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me?”
Here we are called to consider,
I. The complaint he makes—
Grievous, indeed, had been the departure of God’s people from him, and their insuperable attachment to idols. Jeremiah says of them: “It is the land of graven images: “they are mad upon their idols [Note: Jer_50:38.].” And this was the more wonderful, because they believed that Jehovah had brought them out of Egypt, and led them through the wilderness, and established them in Canaan; and yet they did not, as one might have supposed, desire to know and serve Him, but turned their backs upon him, and sought in preference “the vanities of the Heathen [Note: Deu_32:21. Jer_14:22.],” even their idols of wood and stone.
But if God utters this complaint against his ancient people, how much more justly may he urge it against us. For there is in us, alas!
1. The same folly—
[What has been the uniform tenour of our lives, but one constant state of departure from God, and a preferring of every vanity before him? True, we have not bowed down to idols of wood and stone: but we have cared for nothing, yea, and thought of nothing, but the pleasures, or riches, or honours of this vain world. Look at persons in early youth; see them growing up to manhood; see them in full maturity of mind and body; yea, look at them when grey hairs are come upon them, aye, and when bowed down with the infirmities of age; what is it they are seeking after? and what is it to which they look for satisfaction? It is the world, in some shape or other. Though they have found all that they ever enjoyed to be, in fact, nothing but “vanity and vexation of spirit,” yet they go on in the same infatuated course from year to year, withholding their hearts from God, who alone can make them happy, and setting their affections upon things which never did, nor ever can, administer to their comfort. In a word, “they forsake God, the fountain of living waters, and hew out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water [Note: ver. 13]” — — —]
2. The same ingratitude—
[If their ingratitude was base, who inquired not after Him who had redeemed them from Egypt, what must ours be, who have been redeemed from death and hell; and redeemed, too, not as Israel, by a mere act of power, but by the blood and righteousness of our incarnate God! Consider, in reference to the points specified in the passage before us, from what bondage we have been delivered; what provision God has made for us in the way; and what a rest he has prepared for us at the end [Note: ver. 6, 7.]! What were the afflictions of Egypt, in comparison of the miseries of hell? And what were the cloudy pillar for their direction, and the manna and water for their support, in comparison of the in-dwelling of the Spirit of God in our souls, as our Guide, our Sanctifier, and our Comforter? And what was a short possession of Canaan, in comparison of an eternal inheritance in heaven? What the Jews enjoyed was a mere shadow only, of which we possess the substance: and all this bought for us by the precious blood of Christ, who laid down his life for us?
Now, it might well be supposed that we should be continually inquiring after this Saviour; and that we should not have so much as a wish but to know him, love him, serve him, glorify him, and enjoy him. But has this been the case with us? Have we not, on the contrary, passed days, weeks, months, and years, without any anxious desire after him, or any diligent pursuit of him? Look back, I pray you, and see what has been the state of your souls, from your youth up even to the present moment. Compare your feelings about the things of this world, its cares, pleasures, vanities; and say whether they have not engrossed your minds far more than the Lord Jesus, and all the wonders of redeeming love. Tell me, then, What can exceed your ingratitude? and how justly may God be filled with indignation against you! — — —]
From this complaint, we pass on to notice,
II. His challenge in relation to it—
“What iniquity have your fathers found in me,” to justify such conduct towards me? — — — This was altogether unanswerable by them: but how much more so by us!
I now, in God’s name, challenge every one of you to say, What have you ever found in the Lord Jesus Christ that merits such treatment at your hands?
1. Have you ever found him a hard Master?
[The Jews might have said, that God imposed “a yoke upon them, which neither they nor their fathers were ever able to bear:” but can you speak thus of Christ’s yoke? Has he not declared, and do not your consciences attest, that “his yoke is easy, and his burthen light? Verily, there is not one of his commandments that is grievous;” not one “in the keeping of which you will not receive” a present, as well as an eternal, “great reward.”]
2. Have you found him, in any one respect, less gracious or merciful than he professed to be?
[Where is there a truly penitent soul that he ever spurned from his footstool? — — — Where is there one who ever cried to him for help, and did not find his grace sufficient for him? — — — Who ever delighted himself in him, and did not experience a reciprocation of his love? — — — And whom did he ever leave or forsake, provided he, on his part, “cleaved with full purpose of heart unto him?” — — — May he not address every one of you in the words nearly following my text; “O generation! Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? Wherefore then say ye, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee [Note: ver. 31.]?” Yes, Brethren, I challenge you, and God himself invites the whole world to sit in judgment, and decide the controversy between us: “O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard: What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes [Note: Isa_5:3-4.]?”]
Tell me then,
1. What will ye say in justification of yourselves?
[Are ye not guilty? and have ye so much as a shadow of an excuse for your base conduct? When the Lord Jesus, at the Last Day, shall call you to account, and say, Why did you prefer every vanity before me? — — — Why did not all the wonders which I had wrought for you, in bearing your sins and expiating your guilt, find a place in your minds, and constrain you to surrender up yourselves to me? — — — Tell me, will not your mouth be shut? Will you not then be amazed at the iniquity that was in you? — — — I pray you, then, put aside all your self-vindicating delusions, and cast yourselves at the feet of Jesus, crying, “Save, Lord, or I perish!” — — —]
2. What line of conduct will ye henceforth pursue?
[Will ye go on in your neglect of God and his Christ, and in a determined pursuit of earthly vanities? I trust ye will not. I do hope that you will see how unreasonable such conduct is, and will from this time turn unto God with your whole hearts. And see, for your encouragement, how rich are the offers of his grace! He says concerning you, “Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense; but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, and wearied me with thine iniquities, I, even I, am he that (What? will pour out my judgments upon thee? No: but that) blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins, Put me in remembrance (of this promise): let us plead together: “declare thou (thine affiance in it), that thou mayest be justified [Note: Isa_43:22-26.].” Verily, it seems incredible that God, that God whom we have so offended, should address us in such terms as these. But these are the very words of God, addressed even to the most rebellious of the human race. Apply them, then, to your own souls, my Brethren, and seek now the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Then shall you, notwithstanding all your past wickedness, find favour with God, and “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son shall cleanse you from all sin.”]