[He will " take away the candlestick" when we exclude or abuse the light ". Or if he cause not " a famine of the word," he will make his Gospel " a savour of death to us rather than of life"."]
3. He will expose us to the heaviest calamities —
[We may easily conceive how the wild boar of the field will desolate a vineyard, when its fences are all removed ;" and we know, from the instances of Peter and of Judas, what Satan will effect, if he be suffered to execute his will upon us ; yet we can expect nothing but to be " delivered over to Satan for the destruction both of our bodies and souls," if we " bring forth only wild grapes" after all the culture bestowed upon us p.]
Application —
What reason have we all to be ashamed of our un- fruitfulness, and to tremble lest God should execute upon us his threatened vengeance !
[iVo tvords can more forcible/ express his fixed determina- tion to execute it, than the concluding words of our text. Let us be thankful that the execution of it has been so long delayed; let the " forbearance exercised towards us, lead us to repent- ance i;" and let us henceforth seek to resemble the primitive Christians'^.]
And what reason can be assigned that shall justify our bringing forth only ** wild grapes" under such circumstances ?
[Has there been any want of care on the part of the hus- bandman ? Has there been any thing defective in the means he has used ? Could he, consistently with his plans of govern- ment, have done more for us than he has done ? Can we at all excuse ourselves, and cast with propriety the blame on him ? "Judge ye" whether the fault be not entirely in yourselves?]
" Luke viii. 18. Rev. ii. 5. » 2 Cor. ii, 16.
P Heb. vi. 7, 8. Luke xiii, 7. and John xv. 6. i Rom. ii. 4.
"" Rom. vi. 22.