" they forsook the Lord, and forgot his holy moun- tain," where they ought to have worshipped him: and " offered sacrifices to a whole troop" of worthless idols. In this respect we, through mercy, stand on higher ground than they. Yet, though free from gross idolatry, we have acted altogether on the same rebellious principle as they, in that,
1. We have followed, every one of us, our own evil ways —
[We have not all acted in precisely the same way : some have run into the grosser sins of drunkenness and uncleanness, whilst others have been more decorous in their habits of life : but we have all neglected to choose the things wherein God did delight, and have " chosen the things wherein he delighted not." To fear him, to love him, to serve him, to glorify him, these are the things which God would have approved : but how
far have they been from being the objects of our choice !
A life of carelessness and indifference, of worldliness and vanity, and of an idolatrous attachment to the things of time and sense, this is hateful in the sight of God : and this has been our habit from our youth up even until now ]
This we have done notwithstanding God's incessant endeavours to reclaim us —
[How constantly has he spoken to us in his blessed word ! With what warnings, and invitations, and promises, and ex- postulations has he followed us all our days ! How often has he spoken to us in his providential dealings, and how often by his Holy Spirit in our own consciences ! yet all in vain : we have turned a deaf ear to every admonition ; " we have pulled
away the shoulder; we have refused to return " Our
Lord may well complain of us, " How often would I have gathered you, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not ! "
Now all this has greatly aggravated our guilt. As our blessed Lord said of the Jews, " If I had not come unto them and spoken unto them, they had not had sin ; but now they have no cloak for their sin," so it may be said of us : indeed of us it may be said in a peculiar manner, because of the plainness and fidelity with which the whole counsel of God has been for so many years declared unto you : verily we have in that respect been distinguished as Capernaum of old ; and may expect to be distinguished also like that city in our punishment, if we continue to abuse the privileges with which we are so highly favoured.]