What encouragement to come continually to Christ does such a prospect afford thee !]
One would suppose that, with such prospects, all should be pressing toward the Saviour with their whole hearts. Let us then proceed to inquire,
II. Whence it is that any fall short of these blessings? The reason assigned in the text is the most just and most humiliating of any. There is no unwilling- ness in Christ to save us, but we are unwilling to go to him for salvation.
1. We are indifferent about life —
[We consider all pretensions to a new and spiritual life as enthusiasm, and therefore disdain to apply to Christ for it. As for eternal life, we do not wish to hear any thing about it. If the prospect of temporal advancement be held out to us, we can cheerfully and intensely bend our minds to the attainment of it ; but if heaven and all its glory be offered us, we slight it utterly. We choose to talk of any subject rather than religion, and universally agree to banish that from our conversation. If at any time the thought of eternity be obtruded upon us, we turn from it with disgust ; and are uneasy till some other topic be brought forward. Even in the house of God we hear of heavenly things as if they were fabulous and unworthy of our attention. We love our own ways, though they will end in death ; and will not endure to be told of heaven, because we cannot reconcile our minds to the way that leads thither. To this effect is that declaration of Christ, " They that hate me, love death e."]
2. We are averse to the way in which alone it is to
be obtained —
[We will not come to Christ for life : this appears to be too humiliating. If we could obtain life by any works of our own, we would gladly do them ; but we cannot bear to be so entirely indebted to another. We do not choose to acknow- ledge ourselves lost and undone. We hope to establish some righteousness of our own. Hence we neither do, nor will, come to Christ for life and salvation. Besides, this way to life is too strict: as we do not like to come with humility, and faith, so neither do we feel that love which will instigate us to devote ourselves unreservedly to his service. We think that less religion will suffice, and are determined to perish, rather than endure such drudgery. In every ungodly sinner are the
e Prov. viii. 34 — 36. It is Christ who speaks here, ver. 22 — 31.