1. You will say, perhaps, that You have no con- nexion with the Jews, and therefore may well be excused from all concern about them —
[But what had the Ammonites and Moabites to do with the Jews ? They were descended, not from Abraham, but from Lot, and had never had any intercourse with them. But this was no excuse for their neglect : nor can any similar excuse avail for us.]
2. You will reply, that it is God's work, and that it should be left to him to accomplish it in his own time and way —
[And might not the Ammonites and Moabites say the same ? God not only could, but did, supply their wants by miracle : but this was no justification of those who refused to them the proper offices of love. Nor will this be any justifica- tion of our neglect.]
Permit me, in conclusion, to bring two things to your remembrance :
1. That the Ammonites and Moabites had an excuse which you have not —
[They might have said, These Israelites are going to ex- tirpate the seven nations of Canaan : and we will not concur
r Judg. v. 23.
in such a work as this. But, in converting the Jews to Christ, we adopt the readiest and most certain way for the salvation of the whole world. If they, then, were excluded from the con- gregation of the Lord, even to the tenth generation, for their inhumanity, judge what tokens of God's displeasure await you for yours.]
2. That they were condemned for not coming forth, as volunteers, to " meet Israel with bread and water" —
[What shall you then be, who are thus entreated and solicited to concur with Jehovah in this good work, if you still refuse your aid, or give it with such indifference, as to shew that your heart does not go forth with your hands in the ser- vice of the Lord ? You remember, that when Nabal said, " Shall I take my bread and my water, and give them to those whom I know not whence they be ?" it well nigh cost him his life ; yea, it actually did cost him his lifes. And I tremble to think what judgments await you, if ye resist our importunity, and refuse to co-operate with God in the work proposed. But " I hope better things of you, my Brethren, though I thus speak ; " and I hope and trust that you will henceforth, each according to his ability, be workers together with God for the salvation of God's ancient people, and through them for the salvation of the whole world. And let me not be misun- derstood : I am far from intending to say that all who have neglected this sacred cause are equally obnoxious to God's displeasure ; for it is but lately that the attention of the Chris- tian world has been called to it : but I think you will agree with me, that it is now high time to exert ourselves for God, and to redeem, as far as possible, the time we have lost. The cause well deserves our most assiduous efforts : and we may be sure, that God, who so indignantly resented the supineness of the Ammonites, will richly repay all that we can do for the fur- therance of his gracious designs : for he has said, " Blessed is he that blesseth thee ; and cursed is he that curseth thee."]
s 1 Sam. xxv. 11, 21, 22, 37, 38.
ccxv.
god's care for his people.
Deut. xxiii. 5. The Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam : for the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.
TO those who are ignorant of the way of salvation, we preach Christ crucified : for " there is no other
215.1 god's care for his people. 397
name under heaven but his, whereby any man can be saved." But to those who are well instructed in the fundamental truths of our holy religion, we bring forward rather what relates to the life of godliness : having laid the foundation, we endeavour to build upon it a suitable superstructure. Now, a realizing sense of God's care and love, such a sense of his goodness as leads us to live altogether by faith upon him, is one of the sublimest attainments that can be made in this world. And to assist you in this, will be my endeavour at this time.