[Notwithstanding all that God did for Israel, yet would they " never believe his wordu." And it was this very thing which most of all provoked him to " swear, that they should never enter into his restx." And what has been our state in this respect ? We have had God's promises and threatenings set before us with all fidelity : but neither the one nor the other have been regarded : they have all appeared to us but as idle tales ; and have had no more influence upon us, than if they had been unworthy of the smallest credit. Every earthly vanity has been able to excite a hope or fear: but God's word has been altogether despised. Say, Brethren, whether this be not true ? Say whether the terrors of hell have been sufficient to keep you from sin, or the glories of heaven sufficient to stimulate you to a surrender of yourselves to God? With the exception of a few instances, wherein divine grace has wrought successfully upon this or that parti- cular individual, the whole mass of us have lived as " without God in the world," preferring our own will before his, and the gratification of ourselves before the honour of our God.
Such have been the circumstances under which our God has continued to load us with his benefits. " We have lacked nothing" that was conducive to our comfort : but he has lacked every thing that should promote his glory.]
See then, here —
1. What reason we have to admire the patience of our God —
[He complains that he has been " pressed under us, even as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves y :" yet has he borne with us even to the present hour; " many a time turning his anger away, and not stirring up all his wrath," to punish us, as we deserved2. Can you look back upon no season, Bre- thren, when God might well have cut you off; and have " got honour to himself " in executing upon you the most signal vengeance a ? I call upon you, then, to glorify his name ; and to acknowledge from your inmost souls, that " it is of his mercies that you have not been long since consumed, even because his compassions fail notV]
2. What need we have to humble ourselves before him —
[God's patience will come to an end. " His Spirit will not always strive with manc." He waits to be gracious unto us ; but it is to the penitent only that he will impart the full
u Ps. lxxviii. 22, 32. and cvi. 24. x Heb. iii. 18.
y Amosii. 13. z Ps. lxxviii. 38. a Exod. xiv. 17.
b Lam. iii. 22. c Gen. vi. 3.