god's invitation to his people.
Jer. iii. 12 — 15. Go, and proclaim these words toivard the north; and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord ; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you : for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ivays to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord ; for I am married unto you : and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion : and I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
IF we would see the Divine character exhibited in the brightest possible colours, we need go no fur- ther than to the passage before us, with the preceding and following context. Let any one read the second and third chapters, with the two first verses of the fourth chapter, and he will be perfectly amazed at the condescension and kindness of God; who, having ex- postulated with the Jews on account of their multiplied transgressions, urges them, by every argument that
d2
can be devised, to give up themselves unto him : and when no consideration that he can offer appears to affect them, he determines to take to him his great power, and, by an act of sovereign and Almighty grace, to constrain them to return unto him : " Thou shalt call me, My Father; and shalt not turn away from mea." In this way he prevails over them : Behold, we come unto thee ; for thou art the Lord our God b." No sooner does God behold this purpose formed in the minds of his rebellious people, than he says, " If thou wilt return, O Israel, return unto me." But I shall confine myself to the passage which I have read ; which is, in fact, an epitome of the whole : and I shall consider it, I. As addressed to God's ancient people —
They are here addressed as a "backsliding"people —
[This is a metaphor taken from oxen, which refuse to draw in the yoke that is put upon themc. God had taken them to him as his people, and nourished them for his own ; but they rebelled against him, and would never execute his commands'1.]
Yet he sends to them messages of mercy, and not of judgment —
[" Go," says he to his chosen servants, " go, and proclaim to them these words ; Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord." Well might he have cast them off utterly. But he delighteth in mercy, and " willeth not the death of any sinner, but rather that he turn from his wickedness and live." By many prophets did he thus invite them to return e, whilst they even " wearied him" with their obstinacy f.]
One thing only he requires ; namely, that they shall humble themselves before him —
[" Only acknowledge thine iniquity." This was indis- pensable. God could not, consistently with his "own honour, receive them, whilst they continued to harden themselves in their wickedness. They must call to mind their offences, which had been of such enormous magnitude : they must spread them before the Lord with penitential sorrow, and im- plore mercy at his hands. This was all that God expected of them. To compensate for their wickedness was impossible ; but to confess it, and to humble themselves on account of it,
a ver. 19. b ver. 22. " Hos. iv. 16.
d Isai. i. 2, 3. e 2 Chron. xxxvi. 15. t Isai. xliii. 24.
1033.1 god's invitation to his people. 37
was necessary, before they could hope for pardon from their
God.]
To prevail upon them, he urges the most affecting considerations :
1. The merciful disposition which, notwithstanding their iniquities, he felt towards them —