1. By his providence —
[All the dispensations of Providence, whether relating to the world at large, or to ourselves in particular, have a voice which may be heard with ease, and interpreted with certainty. Whether they be of a more painful or pleasing nature, they may alike be regarded as calls to turn from sin, and to seek our hap- piness in God. And if we had been as attentive to the dictates of reason as the chickens are to the impulse of their natural instinct, we should long since have turned at God's reproofs, " and been led by his goodness to repentance."]
2. By his word —
[What are all the warnings, the invitations, the promises of the Gospel but so many expressions of that tender regard which Christ bears to his people ''? Surely, if we be not more deaf than the adder, we cannot but acknowledge, that in all these Christ is speaking to us, and entreating us to flee from the wrath to come. Moreover, whenever the ministers of the Gospel have spoken to us in the name of Christ, our adorable Saviour has addressed us by their mouth.]
3. By his Spirit —
[There is no man so obdurate, but he has felt, and perhaps still occasionally feels, some convictions and remonstrances within his own bosom, some secret admonitions to repent and turn to God. We call these properly ' the voice of conscience ;' but they are also the ' voice of Christ,' that " small still voice" whereby he invites us to seek his face. And in them, no less than in the written word, we have a demonstration of the concern which Christ has for the welfare of our souls, and of his solicitude to gather us under the shadow of his wings.]
But these efforts, instead of being requited as they ought, afford us only an occasion of contemplating,
II. The unrelenting obstinacy of man —
In the midst of all these overtures of mercy, man continues insensible, and,
1. Denies that any danger exists —
[The Saviour beholds the law denouncing its curse against us, and justice unsheathing its sword to enforce its awful sanctions, and hell opening to swallow us up quick, and the fallen angels, as ministers of God's vengeance, ready to concur in executing upon us the punishment we deserve. Of these things he warns us : but we, like the inhabitants of Sodom, laugh at the impending judgments, and, because we do not
« Prov. i. 22, 23. Isai. Iv. 1—3. John vii. 37- 39.
1394.] Christ's compassion and man's obstinacy. 525
see them with our eyes, deny their existence. How lament- able is it, that we should be more stupid and incredulous than the brute creation ; and that our conduct, instead of being , suited to the nobler faculties we enjoy, should be in perfect contrast with theirs !]
2. Contents himself with false refuges —
[When we can no longer deny the existence of danger, we then look out for such refuges as will be most congenial with our natural feelings, and will leave us most at liberty to follow our own ways. Many speedily present themselves to our view. Some repentance, some reformation, some alms- deeds, some religious observances, afford, as we imagine, ample security for our souls, while yet they require no great exercise of self-denial in fleeing to them. But in choosing these refuges of lies, we renounce the Saviour : we turn from that adorable " Shiloh, to whom the gathering of the people must be;" and expose ourselves to inevitable, everlasting destruction.]
3. Prefers temporal and carnal pleasures to those which are spiritual and eternal —
[When the necessity of fleeing to Christ for refuge is not acknowledged, the vanities of the world are suffered to stand in competition with our duty to him, and are preferred before the security which he offers. Thus the Saviour's calls are disre- garded. The chickens, however occupied in picking up their food, will not disregard their parent's call : but sinful man is obstinately bent on the prosecution of some favourite pursuit ; and the complaint in the text is fully verified, " How often would I, but ye would not !"]