[He does this by his tvord ; in which he bids us to look to him, and call upon him, and turn to him, and lay hold upon him ; and sends his ministers to invite and beseech us in his name. He does it, also, by his providence : all that he does for us in a way of mercy, is to stimulate us to love him ; and his chastisements are to awaken us to our duty, saying, " Hear the rod, and him that hath appointed it." He does it, also, by his Spirit ; for conscience is his voice within us, ■' his still small voice," whereby he whispers to us, and moves us, and " strives with us," and " draws us to himself." The whole creation, the heavenly bodies moving in their orbits, " the elements that fulfil his will," the " birds which know their season," and the beasts which acknowledge their Benefactor ; the occurrences of every day, even the most common and casual, as the going to a well for water'', or climbing up into a tree for the gratifying of curiosity"^; all subserve the same blessed end, to introduce us to the knowledge of his love, and to the enjoy- ment of his favour.]
But his invitations are almost universally " made light of "—
[Some treat them with contempt, " mocking his mes- sengers, and despising his words®" Others justify
their refusal of them by a variety of excuses, like those in the parable, who " had bought a field, and must go and see it; and a yoke of oxen, which they must go to try; or had married a wife, and therefore could not come." Every one has his plea : one is too old to change his ways; another too young to engage in such serious concerns ; and another too much occu- pied to be at liberty for such pursuits. Others profess a willingness to obey the call, but never realize their intentions. They say, " I go. Sir ; but they never execute their Father's will^:" they will, like Ezekiel's auditors, approve what they hear, but will never give themselves truly and unreservedly to Gods.]
Let us now proceed to shew, on the contrary,
II. The light in which they ought to be regarded —
David's example is precisely that which we should follow. There was in his bosom a chord in perfect unison with that which the finger of God had touched, and that vibrated to the touch. Thus, when God says to all the sinners of mankind, " Seek ye my face," there should be in every one of us a responding chord,
c John iv. 7, 10. ^ Luke xix. 4, 5. ^ 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16. f Matt. xxi. 30. s Ezek. xxxiii. 31, 32.