...《�ར་བར་་ counted as a strange thing." By others of his holy prophets, the Lord speaks with great emphafis and energy on this head, "My covenant they brake, though I was an hufband unto them." When the church is compared to a vineyard, it is afked, "What could have been done more to my vine, yard that I have not done unto it? Wherefore, when I looked that it fhould bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? This ftrongly expreffes God's tender care of his people, and their unworthy return to his goodness. mate * If you, into whofe hands these papers may fall, have thus requited the Lord, let the following pointed addrefs take hold of your confciences, and fink deep into your hearts. I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espoufals, when thou wenteft after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not fown. Ifrael was holiness to the Lord, and the firft-fruits of his increase. What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, t and have walked after va Wherefore brought it forth poisonous berries? He that put away his wife was to give her a bill of divorcement, declaring the caufe of his feparating himself from her. Thus the Almighty condefcends to བ》《རར་ vanity, and become vain? O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Teftify against me." Have you any teftimony to bring against the Lord? Has he not always. dealt with you in great mercy? And yet you have treacherously and ungratefully departed from him. Let your repentings be kindled, and your hearts be grieved within you, that you have thus requited your kind and compaffionate Father. The fins of the ungodly world bring down the wrath of the Almighty upon them. But the fins of God's people grieve him at his heart, speaking after the manner of men. They vex his Holy Spirit, and provoke his fatherly displeasure. He looked, fo to fpeak, that it should be otherwise with those to whom he had manifefted fo much love. all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence faved them: in his love and in his pity "In he to expoftulate with us, and afks what evil we can charge upon him, his government, or his dealings with us, that we forsake him. But here we must be filent, and lay our hands upon our mouths. No more caufe can be given, than why cattle feeding in a fweet and rich pafture, through their unruly difpo fition, break down the hedge to get into a dirty lanej or a barren wilderness, where nothing is to be had to fatisfy hunger. he redeemed them ;-but they rebelled, and vexeď his Holy Spirit." He complains that he is broken with their unfaithful conduct, and preffed with their fins, as a cart is preffed with fheaves. Among men it is very grievous, when a child, or a friend, on whom we have beftowed many favours and kindneffes, behaves in a base, ungrateful and unworthy manner. We are ready to say, “If it had been an enemy, I could have borne it." Thus the Lord, in the paffages introduced above, addreffes us in a way which is very familiar and moving, and of which we are capable of judging by our own feelings. T When Cafar faw Brutus, on whom he had conferred, innumerable favours, engaged in the confpiracy against his life, he could refrain no longer, but cried out, " And thou too, Brutus!" So may the great Head of the church, the Father of his people, fay to us, "What thou too, my fon, my child, whom I have taken into so near a relation to myfelf, on whom I have beftowed bleffings without number; to whom I have manifested myself repeatedly, as I do not to the world, with whom I have dealt familiarly, and from whom I expected returns of love, of honour, and of grateful obedience; doft thou deal treacherously with me; doft thou withdraw thy affections from me, ...།་་ར་ me, give thy heart to another, and trample on my laws and commands? Is this thy kindness to thy Father and thy Friend! I fay concerning others, I will eafe me of mine adverfaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; but what fhall I fay to thee? My thoughts, towards thee are thoughts of peace, and not of evil. Oh Ephraim, what fhall I do unto thee? O Judah, what fhall I do unto thee? Do you thus requite me, O foolish people and unwife? "I have made use of gentle means and methods with you. I have fought to win your love, and gain your hearts. But any kindness is difefteemed, and my love flighted. Behold I will melt thee, and try thee; for how fhall I do to the daughter of my people? I will hedge up her way with thorns, and make a wall that the shall not find her paths. I have seen her ways and I will heal her. I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.” Let this view of the favour and loving-kindness of the Lord towards you, and of your own unkindnefs towards him, affect your hearts as it ought to do. What hath the Moft High God, the poffeffor of heaven and earth, that he with-holds from you? The fun, the moon, and the stars are ordained to give you light. The treafures of the fea and the land 》《→རར land are for your ufe. The angels are fervants to your heavenly Father; they difdain not to minifter to your comfort. They afford you protection by day, and watch round your beds in the night feafon. God has given his only begotten Son to redeem you, and his blessed Spirit to guide and sanctify you. Nay, he gives himself to you. He is your Father, your Portion, your Husband, and your Friend. You fhall, by and by, dwell in the fame heaven where he refides. You fhall be fed at his table, and drink of his cup. "Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures." O what an honour is this! And yet no part of it is obtained by your works, or beftowed for your deferts. It is all freely given, through the meritorious death of him who hung upon the tree. member, that the tribute of grateful obedience is due from you. The Lord expects this at your hands. He has formed you for this very end. "This people have I formed for myself; they fhall fhew forth my praife." You are his work. manfhip, not only as men, but as chriftians, created in Chrift Jefus, unto good works, which God hath before ordained that you should walk in them. You are bleffed with exiftence, and with an intereft in Chrift Jefus, that you may be to him a But re name |