suggested any that were more suited to the neces- sities of men, or more satisfactory to their minds, than those recorded in our text.
In the words before us, we see, not merely our general warrant for returning to the Lord, but more particularly,
I. What petitions to offer —
[What would any one who felt the burthen of sin, and a restoration to the Divine favour, desire ? What but a full remission of all his sins, and a free communication of all spi- ritual and eternal blessings ? He would wish for pardon to be complete; because if so much as one sin were left upon his soul, it would inevitably plunge him into everlasting perdition
He would also wish for his reception to be perfectly
gratuitous, because he can never do any thing to merit it at
the hands of God Behold then, it is precisely in this
way that we are directed to pray; " Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously." And let it be remembered, that this address is not put into the mouths of those only who have contracted a less measure of guilt than others, but of all, to whatever extent " their iniquities" may have abounded, and to whatever depth they may have " fallen" by them. If only we have a desire to " return to the Lord our God," we are the persons invited and commanded to return in this way.']
In our text, we are further told,
II. What promises to make —
We must not imagine that we can make to God any adequate return for his mercies towards us ; nor must we presume to offer any thing to him as an inducement to exercise mercy towards us : nor in any point of view whatever must we promise any thing in our own strength. But his mercies undoubtedly call for the best return that we can make ; and they lay us under an obligation to do our utmost to please and serve him. Whatever tribute we can render to him, we should : and he here tells us what he will accept at our hands, namely, the tribute of,
1. A grateful heart —
[The blood of bulls or " calves" is no longer required of us : there are other and better sacrifices which he expects us to offer, namely, " the calves of our lips," or the sacrifices of