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REPENTANCE GLORIFYING GOD
THE whole Scripture bears witness, that “God willeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live.” For the advancement of this object, nothing is omitted; but every argument that can influence the human mind, whether in a way of terror or desire, is adduced. In the passage before us, the whole people of Israel, and the priests in particular, are addressed. Their sins had been very aggravated: the offerers and the priests had been alike implicated; and in my text they are all called to repentance [Note: See Mal_1:7-8; Mal_1:13-14.]. The admonition here given them is extremely solemn. In it we notice,
I. The duty prescribed—
This, in general terms, was repentance [Note: Jos_7:19.], which does all that a sinner can do to glorify that God, whom, by his past iniquities, he has dishonoured. “It gives glory to God’s name,” and honours every one of his perfections.
1. His holiness—
[The Law of God is holy: it is a transcript of the mind and will of God himself: and every penitent expresses his perfect approbation of it, and his shame and sorrow on account of his numberless violations of it [Note: Here his views and feelings may be stated.] — — —]
2. His justice—
[God has denounced his judgments against every violation of his law. And the penitent acknowledges from his inmost soul his desert of those judgments. He attempts not to extenuate his guilt; but confesses, that death, everlasting “death, is the just wages of his sin” — — —]
3. His mercy—
[On God’s mercy the penitent casts himself, as Benhadad did upon the mercy of the king of Israel; “going before him with a rope round his neck, and sackcloth on his loins;” and relying simply on the compassion of him against whom he had warred, and whose captive he was [Note: 1Ki_20:31-32.] — — —]
4. His truth—
[The penitent lays hold on the promises which God has made to returning sinners, and to Christ, “in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen.” He looks to the Saviour as having died for him; and he pleads before God the merit of his blood; of “His blood, which cleanseth from all sin” — — —]
This is genuine repentance, such as is prescribed under the Christian dispensation: nor will any man, who truly “lays to heart” his past sins, be satisfied with any thing less — — — Nor will any thing less prevail, to avert,
II. The judgment threatened—
God declared, that, if his people would not give glory to him, “he would curse their very blessings:” yea “he had cursed the offenders already, because of their impenitence.” Now, it is a fact, that God has inflicted a curse upon the whole world; not only by temporal judgments of various kinds, but by turning their very blessings into a curse. This he has done in relation to,
1. Their temporal blessings—
[Behold men in the possession of health, and wealth, and all those things which the carnal mind affects; and say, what use they make of these benefits. They are all employed as occasions and instruments of sin; and involve the possessors of them in far greater iniquity than they would have been able to commit if these blessings had been withheld from them. The like evil accrues also from their domestic blessings, Men seek for happiness in the married state, and in the increase of their families. But, if we look through the world, we see little but misery arising out of these relations; husbands and wives, parents and children, only embittering each other’s life; and proving, in too many instances, no better than curses to each other — — —]
2. Their spiritual blessings—
[God has given his dear Son to die for men; his Holy Spirit to instruct them; and his holy Gospel to make known to them all the provisions of his grace and love. But how are these received? In every place where the Gospel comes, divisions are created; and the great mass of the people make it an occasion of offence. Even Christ himself is made “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence;” over which men fall, to their utter ruin [Note: Isa_8:14-15. Luk_2:34-35. Mat_11:6.]. And the monuments of grace, whom God raises up in different places, are treated with scorn and derision; so that the very means which God has used for the salvation of men, become the occasions of their heavier condemnation. Our blessed Lord declared this to be the effect of the blessings vouchsafed to the people of Capernaum: they were “lifted up to heaven in their privileges, and were cast down the deeper into hell” for their abuse of them [Note: Mat_11:21-24.]. And this, alas! is the unhappy portion of the great mass of those to whom the tidings of salvation are sent: they will not repent, but will still go on in their wickedness: and the greatest blessing that God has ever vouchsafed to them becomes their heaviest curse — — —]
Learn then,
1. What is the proper object of a Christian’s ambition—
[You should not be content to avoid gross and open sin: you should seek to “glorify your God [Note: 1Co_6:20.]:” and if you have not done this by a course of holy obedience, you should at least endeavour to do it by a course of penitential sorrow, and by a due improvement of those blessings which God has vouchsafed to you in his Gospel [Note: Jer_13:15-16.] — — —]
2. What is the proper object of a Christian’s hope—
[Only walk with God as his redeemed people, and you shall have all imaginable blessings from your God: as he has said, “The faithful man shall abound with blessings [Note: Pro_28:20.].” Nay more: as for his people of old “he turned the curses of Balaam into blessings to them [Note: Neh_13:2.],” so will he do to you: your trials, your troubles, your losses, your very temptations, shall be the means of weaning you more and more from this world, and perfecting the work of divine grace in your souls [Note: Rom_5:3-5.], and bringing you into a state of nearer access to God, and preparing you for higher degrees of glory; according to that saying of St. Paul, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory [Note: 2Co_4:17.].” This, brethren, may be your assured hope, if only you will serve your God aright: such “showers of blessings shall be poured out upon you [Note: Eze_34:26.],” and so greatly will God magnify himself in your salvation [Note: Php_1:20.]. Only do you glorify him here, and “he will be glorified in you” to all eternity [Note: 2Th_1:10.].]