in them," they were satisfied with no change however great, no profession however confident k. The commission given to them all, was to "say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God1!" and this they all fulfilled, saying to their people from time to time, " Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world"1!"]
To this also must the effect be traced in the expe- rience of all —
[Who that hears a perverted Gospel, is ever brought effectually to God by it? We may represent the Gospel as a kind of remedial lata, that supersedes the necessity of perfect obedience, and requires only sincere obedience in its stead ; or we may represent the Gospel as proposing a salvation partly by Christ's righteousness, and partly by our own ; but we shall never see such effects produced as are described in our text. Let this matter be scrutinized ; and the more it is scrutinized, the more the truth of it will be confirmed. It is notorious, that in some persons, and some places, agreat change is wrought: and it will be found to be owing to this one thing, that " Christ is preached," and he is received into the heart as" All in all"." The people are made to " see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God ;" and therefore do they rejoice, and consecrate themselves to the service of their God and Saviour. Hence also is their stability ; for they would rather die a thou- sand deaths, than renounce their hope in Him ; and hence also their fertility, for they think they can never do enough for him, who has done and suffered such things for them. And this is expressly declared by the Apostle : " We, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord °."]
Observe,
1. What encouragement is here for those who minister in holy things —
[Ministers, especially when invited to labour among un- enlightened heathens, are apt to draw back, under an idea that they can never hope to reap a crop in such a soil. But if God has promised that " the wilderness shall rejoice and blossom as the rose," why should we despond ? Is not his word as quick and powerful as ever ? and can he not, by whomsoever, or to whomsoever it is delivered, make it " sharper than any two- edged sword," so that it shall be " the power of God to the salvation of men ?" Only let " his Spirit be poured out from on high, and the wilderness shall be a fruitful field, and the
k Gal. iv. 19. ' Isai. xl. 9. m John i. 29.
" Col. iii. 11. p 2 Cor. iii. 18.