concourse," and it is wisdom itself, or God under the name of Wisdom, that now addresses us-The substance of the address may be comprehended under two general observations

I. To those who receive his invitations, God will be exceeding gracious

Nothing can be more tender than the expostulation before us

[The words are addressed not merely to the "simple," but to those who "love simplicity;" not only to the ignorant, but to them that "hate knowledge;" not only to those who are destitute of religion, but who" delight to scoff" at it—What can we suppose that God should say to such daring transgressors? What, but to denounce the heaviest judgments? But "he is God and not man," and therefore he speaks to them as God, in terms of inconceivable love and mercy; "How long will ye love your evil and destructive ways?" Will not "the past time suffice to have followed" them? Have they been so pleasant or profitable that ye will forego all the happiness of heaven for them? or, if ye intend to turn away from them, have ye fixed the period of your conversion?"How long" do you intend to persist? Till the time of sickness, and the hour of death? Or till some more convenient season? Ah! "turn you at my reproof;" let the words of a Father and a Friend, prevail with you: do not attempt to justify your actions; or to extenuate your guilt: you see clearly enough that your conduct is indefeosible: turn, turn from it without delay-]

The promises, with which the expostulation is enforced, add greatly to its weight

[A consciousness both of weakness and of ignorance often contributes to keep men under the power of their sins-A thought arises in their minds, "I know not how to turn; I know not how to obtain either the pardon of my sins, or victory over my lusts"-But God obviates at once all such discouraging reflections-He says in effect, "Are your corruptions insuperable by any efforts of your own? I will pour out my Spirit' to sanctify you throughout. Are you at a loss how to obtain my favour? I will make known to you the words of life;' I will reveal my Son in your heart; I will shew you the efficacy of his atonement, and make you wise unto salvation through faith in him.'-Thus does he silence their objections, and dissipate their fears-" Behold," what manner of love is this! surely we should not hear of it but with wonder; we should not receive its overtures, but with grateful adoration-]

But "God will not always strive with man"-On the 'contrary

II. They, who despise his invitations, shall be given up to final impenitence and ruin

The contempt too generally poured upon the mercy of God, is awful in the extreme

[One would suppose that such invitations and promises could not fail of producing the desired effect. But, alas! the reception they meet with is such as God himself represents it: men "refuse to obey his calls; when he stretches out his hands to them with parental tenderness and importunate intreaties, they will not regard him; they set at nought his counsel; they despise his reproof; they hate even to hear of their duty, and determine, whatever be the consequence, that they will not perform it"-The zeal and earnestness of his ministers are made a subject of profane ridicule; and the dictates of Wisdom are laughed at as the effusions of folly and fanaticism-We appeal to the consciences of all respecting these things-Who that has made any observations on the world around him, or on what passes in his own heart, must not attest that these things are so? Yes; we are all guilty: "This has been our manner from our youth"-Some have been more open and notorious, and others more secret and reserved, in their oppositions to God's will; but all have opposed it, and, if divine grace have not slain our enmity, we are opposing it still: the deliberate sentiment of every unregenerate man is like theirs of old, "As for the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee"-]

But such conduct, if persisted in, will one day meet a suitable reward

[As God cannot be deceived, so neither will he be mocked: if he have a day of grace, so has he also a day of vengeance; and that day is hastening on apace-However secure the sinner may think himself, there is an hour of "desolation, and of consequent distress and anguish coming upon him"-Perhaps it may come in this life; on a dying bed he may be filled with terror and remorse; and though, like Judas, he may confess his sin, or, like Esau, pray for a revocation of his sentence, his prayers may be cast out, and God laugh at his calamity-Often does God threaten this, and often has he executed his threatening; "Go to your gods whom ye have

a Jer. xliv. 16.

chosen," said he to his people of old; "let them deliver you; for I will deliver you no more"-So now does he often suggest to the mind of an awakened; but unconverted sinner, What will the world do for you now? What will your pleasures, your riches, or your honours profit you in this day of my wrath? What do you think of the seed which you have been sowing, now you begin to reap the fruit thereof?-But if God deal not with us thus in this world, most assuredly he will in the world to come-That will indeed be an hour of distress and anguish when these despisers of mercy shall stand at the tribunal of their Judge: and oh! how will HE then "laugh at their calamity! how will he mock at all their fear" and terror! You would not believe my word: now see whether it be true or not? You would not be persuaded that I would ever vindicate my insulted Majesty: What do you think of that matter now? You despised me, and said, “Depart from me; I desire not the knowledge of thy ways!" You shall have your request: I will depart from thee; and thou too shalt depart from me: depart accursed into everlasting fire: and though you should pray to all eternity for a mitigation of your pain, you shall never have so much as a drop of water to cool your tongue'—

Would to God that men would realize these things, and be persuaded to believe that God is true! But whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, we must declare what God has spoken: and, however an ignorant world may deride it as folly, we will aver it to be the "counsel of true Wisdom,” and the declaration of an unerring God-]

APPLICATION

1. Let all adore the divine goodness

[Which of us must not plead guilty to the charge of despising God? Which of us has not persevered in a course of disobedience to him in spite of all his messages of mercy; and that too, not for days merely, but for months and years?— Yet has God exercised forbearance towards us; and at this very instant renews to us his gracious invitations-Let us consider how many thousands have been cut off in their sins, while we are yet spared to ear the tidings of salvation: and "let the patience and long-suffering of God lead us to repentance"-Let us magnify him for such distinguished favours; and turn to him "to-day, while it is called to-day, lest he swear in his wrath that we shall never enter into his rest”—] 2. Let all tremble at the divine justice

b He has threatened it, Mic. iii. 4. Jer. ii. 27, 28. and he has executed it, Zech. vii. 11-13. Judg. x. 13, 14.

[Though God be so full of compassion, "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and live," yet is he a just and sin-avenging God: "he will by no means clear the guilty"-He sometimes "repays the wicked to their face" even in this life; but there is a day which he has appointed for the full display of his own righteousness; a day, wherein he will render to every man according to his deeds; to those, who have sought for immortality, eternal life; but to the despisers of his truth, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish-Let us then get our minds impressed with this thought, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God: and let us instantly comply with his invitations here, that we may be partakers of his promises in a better world-]

• Exod. xxxiv. 7.

d Rom. ii. 6-9.

e Heb. x. S1.

CCCCXXV. GOD EXPOSTULATING WITH SINNERS.

Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked;, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

THE excuses, which men offer for not turning unto God, are, for the most part, reflections cast on God himself One man deems his service unnecessary; another thinks it impracticable in his particular situation; another says, I can do nothing without grace, and if God do not bestow his grace upon me, how can I help myself?-Such was the disposition manifested by the Jews of old, when they were invited and commanded to repent: they complained, that it was to no purpose to repent, since they were already pining away under their transgressions; and that the promises of life, which were held forth to them in God's name, were delusive, since God, so far from wishing to pardon them, had shewn a pleasure in executing his vengeance upon them-Against

This seems to be implied in ver. 10. as connected with the text.

such unrighteous accusations God vindicates himself by an oath, and by the most pressing and affectionate exhortation renews his calls to repentance-In the message which he sent by the Prophet to the Jews, we have his message to sinners of every age and nation: and in delivering it to you at this time we would call your attention to two things contained in it

I. A solemn oath

"Hear, O heavens, and givè ear, O earth, for the Lord speaketh," yea, sweareth; and, "because he can swear by no greater, he swears by himself," even by his own life and immortal perfections -But what is it which Jehovah condescends to confirm in this solemn manner?

1. That he hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner

[What? was this a matter so doubtful, that it was necessary to remove our doubts in such a way?-Methinks, we need no further proof of this than our own continuance in the land of the living-Should we, should any of us have been here, if God had taken pleasure in our death? Have we not provoked God in ten thousand instances to cut us off, and would he not long since have consigned us over to perdition, if he had not been slow to anger, and rich in mercy?Would God moreover have given his only dear Son to die for us, and his blessed Spirit to convert and sanctify us, yea, would he wait so long to be gracious unto us, and, notwithstanding our obstinacy, follow us every day with invitations, intreaties, promises, and expostulations; would he act thus, I say, if he had pleasure in our death?— -Surely it was not any uncertainty respecting the truth itself, but our backwardness to believe it, that gave occasion for such an astonishing vindication of it-]

2. That he has pleasure in the conversion and salvation of sinners

[This is not at all less obvious than the foregoing truth; and the same observations, which confirm the one, will establish the other also-But we may further refer both to existing facts, and most explicit declarations, in support of this assertion-We cannot conceive more atrocious guilt than that which David had contracted, guilt aggravated an hundredfold by his past professions and experience-But no sooner did he acknowledge his transgression, than the prophet who had been commissioned to denounce the heaviest judgments against him, was inspired to reply, The Lord hath put away