But these obstacles, however formidable, shall be surmounted —
[God had before expressed his earnest desire for their restoration to him ; " Wilt thou not at this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youthc ?" And now he determines to effect it by his own Almighty power : " Thou shalt call me My Father ; and shalt not turn away from me." This will overcome every obstacle : for, " if God will work, who shall let it?" Vain was the resistance of Pharaoh: vain the obstructions of the sea, the wilderness, and the united na- tions of Canaan. As God spake the universe itself into exist- ence, so will he, in his own appointed time, form that " new creation" to which my text refers, when " all the nations" (of Jews certainly, and possibly, in part, of Gentiles also) " shall be gathered to Jerusalem*1;" and, together with all the tribes both of Israel and Judahe, become one fold under one Shep- herdf."]
From hence we may see, II. How alone the difficulties in the way of our sal- vation also can ever be overcome —
There are immense difficulties in the way of our salvation —
[The extent of our wickedness equals, and perhaps ex- ceeds, that of the Jews. What evil was committed by them which does not also, to a fearful extent, obtain amongst us 1
• And if they crucified the Lord of Glory, have not we
also "crucified him afresh g," by our neglect of his Gospel,
and our contempt of his salvation ? The Jews of our
Lord's clay were more criminal than Tyre and Sidon ; yea, and even than Sodom and Gomorrha ; because they sinned against greater light than those idolatrous cities : and, when we reflect on the advantages which we enjoy, we have reason to fear that a still heavier condemnation will come on us, for our abuse of them Indeed, it should seem almost im- possible that a God of justice and holiness and truth should ever receive to his bosom those who have so " trodden under foot his dear Son, and done such despite to the Spirit of his grace h ]
But these shall be overcome, even as those which obstruct the restoration of the Jews —
[If we looked to ourselves only, our salvation would be altogether hopeless. But God directs us to look to Him, with
c ver. 4. d ver, 17. e ver. 18
f Ezek. xxxiv. 23. and John x. 16. with Isai. lxv. 17, 18.
e Heb. vi. 6. h Heb. x. 29.