him : you have not willmgly entertained the thought of him in your minds: you have, in effect, " said to hiui, Depart from me ; I desire not the knowledge of thy v^^ays." About his favour you have felt but little concern : nor has it been a matter of any importance in your eyes, whether he was pleased or displeased, honoured or dishonoured. In vain has he called, invited, entreated, expostulated : you have had no disposition to attend to his voice, no heart to comply with his will : and when he has threatened you with his everlasting displeasure, you have set him at nought, and determined to go on in your own ways, whatever might be the consequence.
What now will be the result of this in the last day ? God will deal with you as you have dealt with him. " You would not have any tiling to do with me : I therefore will have nothing to do with you. You put me far from you : now I put you far from me. You preferred every thing before my favour : expect, therefore, no favour at my hands. It was a j)ain to you to come into my presence : you shall never be troubled with my presence more. You chose sin, with all its conse- quences, rather than me and my kingdom : take now, and take for ever, the portion you have chosen."]
2. Towards the Lord Jesus Christ —
[The Saviour has died to effect a reconciliation between God and sinful men ; and has offered to cleanse you in his own blood, and to clothe you in the spotless robe of his right- eousness, that you may stand before God without spot or blemish. But you would not come to him for his benefits : you have not approved of the offers he has made you : they have been too humiliating for your proud hearts. You have not liked to acknowledge your need of him : you have preferred being a Saviour to yourselves : and have chosen rather to stand or fall by your own righteousness than to submit to the right- eousness provided for you by him. In vain has he warned you against the danger of vmbelief : you would not see any danger attending it. If you have made any use of Christ at all, it has been rather to encourage a hope of salvation in a sinful and unconverted state than to obtain from him the grace of which you have stood in need.
And what will be the return made to you? " You have rejected my Son," God will say: " you shall therefore have no part in him. You would not submit to be washed by him from your sins : yoiu* sins, therefore, shall cleave unto you. You would not seek deliverance from condemnation through him: under condemnation, therefore, shall you lie. You would not take him as a Saviour in any one respect : therefore he shall be no Saviour to you. You made no use of him, but to war- rant and justify your continuance in sin : therefore you shall