Hos. xiii. 9. 0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself ; but in me
is thine help.
THE great mass of nominal Christians need to be informed respecting their state by nature, and the means by which they are to be delivered from it ; and they who have a theoretical acquaintance with these things, yet need to be put frequently in remem- brance of them, in order that they may be more abidingly influenced by the consideration of them. In the words of our text, all mistakes on these points are clearly rectified ; and we are told on the authority of God himself, that,
I. Man's destruction is of himself —
Whatever we may imagine to the contrary, there are multitudes of the human race eternally destroyed a. Their destruction too is altogether of themselves: for,
1. They will walk in the way that leads to it —
[God has told them plainly that eternal misery must be the fruit of sin and impenitence b. Yet men will continue to disregard the warnings of God, and to practise the things which are displeasing to him ! What then must become of them, if there be any truth in the word of God ? Or whom must they blame, when they feel the judgments which they would not fear ? The man, who by a poisonous draught, or by any other means, puts a period to his life, is not more the author of his own death, than these are of their own destruction.]
2. They will not use the means which God has prescribed for their escape —
[God has graciously opened a way for the salvation of a ruined world : he has sent his only dear Son to die for sinners, and his good Spirit to instruct and sanctify them. But men will not seek to be washed in the Redeemer's blood : they will not pray for the influences of the Holy Spirit : they will not cordially accept the salvation offered them. They are so in- tent on their worldly business or pleasure, that they will not afford time for spiritual employments. Is it not then utterly their own fault if they perish ? A man, who having taken a poisonous draught, whether intentionally or not, would be justly considered as the author of his own death, if he obstinately refused an antidote that was tendered to him : and so must they be considered as destroying themselves who neglect the means which God has provided for their escape.]
3. They make use of every thing ultimately to ensure their own destruction —
[Whether they look upwards to God, or around them to the world, or within them to their own experience, they turn every thing into an occasion of fostering their own delusions, and of lulling themselves asleep in a fatal security0 ]
a Matt. vii. 13, 14. b 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. Luke xiii. 3.
c This truth will be seen in the most striking point of view, by the following concise statement. Men take this occasion, 1 . From God himself —
From his perfections —
From his sovereignty ; " If he will not give me his grace, how can I help myself?"
From his mercy ; " God is too merciful to condemn any man."