Prodigal, "I have sinned," you will be in a hopeful way for meeting with the Prodigal's welcome to a Father's arms. 2. By faithfully accepting the free Reconciliation which he offers. Dream not of making satisfaction thyself! Say not, "Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all!" Do you know what that all amounts to? It must be something equal in value to Jesus Christwith all his holy obedience, all his atoning agonies, all his meritorious work. All these were required, for the salvation of even a single sinner : and, therefore, if thou must needs make amends for thy own offences, thus much must be done, suffered, and merited by thee. Who does not at once perceive, that the redemption of his soul, on these terms, is impossible? "it ceaseth for ever."1 Be content, then, to accept freely what is freely offered by thy Lord. "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace with me."2 That strength of the Lord is Christ-Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God."3 "Believe in him, and thou shalt be saved." 994 Believe that he is able, and thou shalt find that he is willing, "to save even to the uttermost them that come unto God by him." 5 Take Christ in thine hand, "whiles thou art in the way" with thine adversary; and for his sake God will "receive thee graciously, will love thee freely, and his anger will at once be turned away from thee." 6 The Reconciliation will be complete: and from that blessed hour thou wilt walk with him as a friend, cordially consenting to his service, and delighting in his ways. Do you hesitate? Are you too proud-too unbelieving-too much in love with sin? Then hear, secondly, 1 Psalm xlix. 8. 4 Acts xvi. 31. 2 Isaiah xxvii. 5. 31 Cor. i. 2, 4. II. THE FEARFUL CONSEQUENCES OF REFUSING AN IMMEDIATE COMPLIANCE. Even if no explicit declaration of those consequences had been made, yet, knowing the Adversary to be our offended Creator, we must have trembled at the thought of rejecting this agreement for "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!"-But in fact, we are not left to form our own anticipations. He here forewarns, that The Adversary will deliver thee to the Judge.When God knows that the mercy of his gospel is finally rejected, he puts his warrant into the hands of Death, to bring the criminal before his bar; and the warrant is instantly executed. With that man, the day of grace is at an end. He must now answer for his offences, before a Judge, whom none can deceive or escape. Do you ask his name? It is He, who once appeared as a Saviour, and for whose sake God was desirous of being reconciled: but now, "He hath given him authority to execute judgment also." 2 And he "will render unto every man according to his deeds." 993 Do you ask, • When?" It will be at some time, certainly and the text says, that it may be at any time; this week-this night-this moment! The Judge will deliver thee to the officer. For, at his command," the Angels shall come forth, and shall sever the wicked from among the just."4 Equally prompt are they, whether as heralds of mercy, or ministers of wrath. No hesitation will be found on their part; no reluctance, no pity ;-and such power! Remember that, in a single night, one of these officers "went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand men! 5 3 Romans ii. 6. 52 Kings xix. 35. Thou shalt be cast into prison—the prison of hella place of woe and torment unknown; "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." -Hopeless bondage! for Thou shalt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing: which is all one with saying, NEVER! for the penalty of sin is eternal; and will therefore be always paying, never paid off. Our state even on earth would be equally desperate, but for the mercy set before us in the gospel. There however, his mercy will be " clean gone for ever." 2 No more invitations, to those who slight the present warnings! no more sermons-convictions-strivings of the Spirit! only "blackness of darkness for ever!" 3 And remember HE IS FAITHFUL, who speaketh this word: it is the Son of God himself; and he enforces it with his own solemn “ Verily !" HE IS STRONG, who executeth this word: for "who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?" Yet once more, HE IS MERCIFUL, who delayeth this word: not "slack," indeed, "concerning his promises" or his threatenings, as some men count slackness; but he is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." "Therefore also, now saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart! "6 1 Mark ix. 44. 4 Mal. iii. 2. 2 Psalm 1xxxvii. 8 5 2 Peter iii. 9. 3 Jude 13. 6 Joel ii. 12-14. SERMON III. 1 CORINTHIANS X. 4.-For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ. THE Apostle is here making a comparison between certain points in the history of the Jews, and certain general privileges of the Christian Church. For instance the Israelites began to be a separate people, when, on leaving Egypt, they passed through the Red Sea this the Apostle calls, in allusion to the first Christian Sacrament, being "baptized unto Moses." Again, they had some things resembling the other Sacrament: they were fed with manna; they drank water from a rock.1 These things were not only a relief of bodily wants, but also representations of Christian privileges" spiritual meat," "spiritual drink." And the design of St. Paul's remarks on the subject was, to shew the Corinthian Christians, that neither their baptism, nor their participation in the Lord's Supper, would avail them anything, without a true, penitential, godly faith in that Saviour, whom the Sacraments represent. On the present occasion, I would call off your attention awhile from the Apostle's general reasoning, to the single expression in my text-"That Rock was Christ." 1 Read the history-Exodus xvii. 1-7. In what respects did the rock at Horeb represent Christ? I. IT FOUND THE PEOPLE PERISHING WITH THIRST. Only a few days probably were gone by, since the overthrow of their enemies in the Red Sea. Six hundred thousand fighting men, beside women and children, had now to begin the journey to Canaan ; when behold, the road they have to pass is found to be a mere desert! No corn-fields-no springs-nothing but a vast, sandy, howling wilderness. The consequence, if not prevented, was obvious; they must soon be famished and die, from hunger and thirst. Now this is a just emblem of our spiritual condition by nature. We are thus destitute of all that can sustain, refresh, or satisfy the soul.-The mass of mankind know not, indeed, what it is that can alone satisfy their thirst; but they do not the less feel its torment. They are driven this way and that way, by "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye"1-ever seeking some satisfaction, which they never effectually find—trying to deceive themselves with the name and form of happiness, but still conscious that the thing itself is an undiscovered blessing.-A few, by God's mercy, discern the true reason: they are taught to thirst for his pardoning and converting grace-they see that this is what they want, and they cannot rest without it. But even they, for a while, know not where or how to seek it; till at length their very soul fainteth within them. This, this is their daily cry, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God! My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" 2 Have you this sense of spiritual thirst? do you 11 John ii, 16. 2 Psalm xlii. 1, 2. |