Part 19 (1/2)
* Ezekial x.x.xiii. 10.
That people continued in their sins and perished in them: But will any who read these messages, sent them of G.o.d, conceive their crimes, and the desolations which followed, when they had filled up the measure of their iniquity, to be pleasing to G.o.d, or the effect of divine order and influence?
Will those who read our Savior's lamentations over Jerusalem, and the destruction soon after brought upon that city and nation, because ”they did not know the time of their visitation,” consider those events as pleasing to him? His predictions were verified--”their enemies cast a trench about them, compa.s.sed them round and kept them in on every side--laid their city even with the ground, and her children within her; not leaving one stone upon another--Zion was ploughed like a field”--vast numbers perished in the siege--many were crucified after the city was taken--the residue scattered among all nations, and the sword drawn out after them! The compa.s.sionate Redeemer called those sinners to repentance--warned them of the evils which they would bring on themselves, by refusing the grace which he offered them, and wept over them when filling up the measure of their guilt! But when they had been tried the appointed time, and continued obstinate, till the divine patience was exhausted, he entered into judgment with them and gave them according to their works.
Similar will be the event of persevering obstinacy in others. Man is placed here for trial--endowed with powers sufficient to render him a probationer; which implies capacity to use, or abuse his powers. The abuse is sin. The way of duty is made known, needed a.s.sistance conferred, the reasonableness of obedience shewn, and the injunction, ”occupy; till I come,” subjoined, but no compulsion is used. Thus circ.u.mstanced, it is referred to man to choose for himself.
G.o.d operates indeed on man; but only as on a free moral agent. Divine influences coincide with human liberty. Those who are willing and obedient find mercy. Over such the Savior rejoices, and their faith and love are rewarded with the rewards of grace. But those who neglect so great salvation, are left to perish in their sins.
That G.o.d can confidently do other than leave them to perish, is to us unknown. It may be impossible to renew them by repentance--beyond the power of Omnipotence to save them!
The conditions of salvation are fixed: No change can be made in them.
”The impenitent heart treasureth up wrath. He that believeth not shall be d.a.m.ned. If we do not believe, yet G.o.d abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself.” The terms of acceptance with G.o.d are laid before us; the event depends on the choice we make. SUCH we conceive to be man's situation here: Such the ground of the applications made to him in the gospel, and the promises and threatening annexed to the proposals therein contained. On another, supposition do they appear rational. On no other can we account for our Savior's declaration that Sodom, had she enjoyed Capernaum's advantages, would have remained till his day. *
* Matthew xi. 23.
Divine benevolence is great; but it will not secure salvation to gospel despisers: They ”will wonder and perish.” As the first covenant had conditions annexed to it, so hath the new covenant. To pretend that there are none--that man hath no concern to secure the divine favor, is to charge folly on G.o.d, in all the overtures which are made to man in the gospel.
Life and death are now set before us. We may be saved, or we may perish. Which will be our portion depends on the effect which the proposals of grace have upon us. Today if ye will hear G.o.d's voice harden not your hearts. Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation. Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Beware lest you * destroy a soul for which Christ died; and lest you have occasion at last to take up that lamentation--”The harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved.”
* Romans xiv. 15.
SERMON XVIII.
Balak's inquiries relative to the service of G.o.d, and Balaam's answer, briefly considered.
Micah vi. 6, 7, 8.
”Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high G.o.d? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with, thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first born for my transgression; the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?--He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good: And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy G.o.d?”
As mankind are endowed with reason, and profess to be governed by it, their revolts from G.o.d are practical criminations of him: Therefore his expostulations with his people of old, when they forsook him and followed other G.o.ds--”What iniquity have your fathers found in me? O my people what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee?
Testify against me.” *
* Jeremiah ii. 5. Micah vi. 3.
Israel as a people were going away from G.o.d, and he condescended to reason with them, and show them their ingrat.i.tude and baseness. To this end, he reminded them of his past care of them, and kindness to them, as a nation, from the time of their deliverance from bondage in Egypt--”I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee from the house of servants”--After just glancing at that deliverance, he pa.s.ses over the wonders wrought for them at the red sea, and in the wilderness, and their numerous rebellions, while he was leading them as a flock, and supplying their wants by a series of miracles, and enlarges on an event which took place on the borders of Canaan, the attempts made by Balak, the king of Moab, to prevail with him to leave his people and go over to him, and help him against them, and his faithfulness to Israel on that occasion--”O my people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam, the son of Beor answered him from s.h.i.+ttim to Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.” *
* Numbers xxii. &c.
Balak's consultations, or inquiries, are contained in the two last verses of our text: Balaam's answer in the third. In Balak's inquiries we see the ideas which he entertained of G.o.d, and of the service which he supposed would be acceptable to Him, and engage, him to forsake his people, and deliver him from his fears on their account. Balaam's answer corrects Balak's mistakes, and discovers surprizingly just apprehensions of the true G.o.d, and true religion, though depravity prevailed, and caused him to counteract his convictions, by advising Balak to measures directly opposed to his sense of duty.
To open and explain this subject is the design of the following discourse.
It may be proper to premise that Israel did not make war either on Moab or Ammon. Those nations were descended from Lot, and Moses was forbidden to molest them in possession of the lands which G.o.d had given them. Moab might have had peace, and the friends.h.i.+p of Israel, but refused it, and joined the confederacy against them. When the tribes of Israel reached the borders of Moab, which lay in their way to Canaan, Balak and his people were intimidated by their numbers, and by their martial appearance. They did not therefore, sue for peace, but resolved to neglect no measures to subdue and conquer them.
It was an ancient custom among the heathen at their entrance on a war, to devote the enemy to destruction, and solicit their G.o.ds to forsake them. Balak thought this a matter of importance before he entered into a war with Israel. This ceremony was commonly performed by the priests, or ministers of religion. How this had been to Moab we are not informed; but on occasion before us, the affrighted sovereign of that people, sent to some distance for Balaam, a famous soothsayer or diviner, of whose prevalence with the powers above he had a high opinion, to be the agent in this business.