pardon," and multiply his pardons above all the multitude of their sins1.]
My text leads me to notice another most important truth ; namely,
II. That the weakness we feel may be urged by us as a plea —
The state of Israel at that time seemed indeed to be very desperate : for " God had already begun to cut them short." But the prophet, instead of de- sponding, twice urged this very circumstance as a plea with God to grant him his request : " O Lord God, forgive, I beseech thee ! by whom shall Jacob arise ? for he is small." And each time the success of his plea is mentioned, " The Lord repented for this : it shall not be, saith the Lord8."
Now such may be our plea before God —
[We are ready to make our weakness a ground of de- spondency before God : " How can I turn to him ? How can I effect a reconciliation with him ? How can I hope ever to emancipate myself from my cruel bondage ? " " There is no hope :" ' I may as well continue as I am : I can but perish at last*.' But all this is wrong : for God often delays his inter- positions for this very end, that he may bring us to see how destitute we are of help or hope in ourselves : nor is he ever better pleased, than when, with a total dereliction of all hope in ourselves, we cast ourselves wholly and unreservedly on him. Let us once be brought to say with king Jehoshaphat, " We have no might ; but our eyes are unto thee ;" and we may be sure that our deliverance is nigh at hand". The prophet succeeded thus.]
And such success shall we also obtain —
[I have said that God orders his dispensations, for the most part, so as to bring us to self-despair. Hear his own words : " The Lord shall judge his people, and repent him- self for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or leftx. If there were any power in ourselves, we should be ascribing our deliverance to our own arm: but when we see how destitute we are of all strength, then are we willing to give God the glory of all that he effects in our behalf. See this in the Apostle Paul. He was assaulted with some grievous temptation, which he calls " a thorn in his
r Isai. lv. 7. The margin. s Compare ver. 2, 3, and 5, 6.
* Jer. iii. 25. u 2 Chron. xx. 12. x Deut. xxxii. 36.