Precepts, Promises, and Pleas
“Text — “‘lncline your ear, and come unto Me: Tee and your soul shall live; and I will make an ere ing covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”
Loa. 55 + 3.
A BROAD INVITATION. — OBJECTIONS MET. — I. TWO SAVING PREx CEPTS. — INCLINED EARS. — LISTENING AND CONSIDERING. — THE PEOPLE IN LUCKNOW LISTENING FOR, THE BAGPIPES. — COM.. ING ENJOINED. — HOW TO COME. — II. TWO SAVING PROMISES. — LIFE AND COVENANT. — WHAT DAVID’S MERCIES ARE. — MER-. CIES TO A MAN OF MANY FAULTS. — III. THE SAVING PLEAS. — . PERSONAL. — URGENT. — MAGNANIMOUS. — POWERFUL. — EFFEC-TIVE.
Tuts very memorable chapter may be called God’s.
own Gospel-sermon. In reading it we forget Isaiah, and only remember Jehovah. He speaketh not here a by the prophet, but in the first person. God Himself saith, “Incline your ear, and come unto Me.” Now: oi ‘ we value every single word of Holy Writ, but espe- — Pe ae cially those words which come direct from the mouth of God Himself; not so much spoken for Him as dy Him. Take heed that ye turn not away from Him Boy that speaketh from heaven. These are not my words, but the words of the living God; it is not I that invite your attention to myself; but your Maker, your God, saith to you, “Incline your ear, and come unto Mengs
‘eae is very on the this chapter is a ovineicans with sinners: it is a lifting of stumbling- blocks, and a a
CLEARING AWAY OBJECTIONS. Perhaps some one laments thus: ‘“‘ Who am I, that I should come to God? Iam a poor, penniless sin-
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ner.” The Lord forestalls the lament by saying, “He that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, — come, buy wine and milk without money and without
price.” If you have no merit, if you have no claims, still come. Free grace sounds its golden harp, and mercy sings i? it these words, “Without money ane without price.”
If you stand back because you look upon your past life with sorrow, and you say, ‘Alas, my God, I have wasted much time in another service!” He tells you — that He knows your past folly, and He calls you to cease from it, saying, ‘Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?” He bids you now —
‘receive the substantial gifts of His grace; for these
will satisfy the soul. If there are any who feel timorous in the presence of
such astonishing grace, and are ready to cry, “Lord,
we cannot think that Thou wouldest give so great a
- salvation to us, for we deserve destruction and wrath,”
see how He meets that doubt by the fourth verse. The highest proof of God’s love to men is this, “God given Him!” What further proof of divine love do you require?
Still, there may be some who say, “We feel ourselves to be strengthless and incapable.” The gracious Lord meets you there by laying upon you no heavy yoke; the precepts which He puts before you are simple and easy. He has given you ears, and He
bids you use them, saying, “Incline your ear and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live.”
I. Here are
TWO SAVING PRECEPTS,
“which are pressed upon you at this time; for the Holy
Spirit saith in all His commands, “To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” These precepts are of simple character. The first is, “Incline
- your ear.” This is placed in another form. ‘Hearken diligently unto Me; hear, and you shall live.” You have ears to hear with, therefore hear. Some of you would hear fast enough if the faintest jingle of a
guinea should invite you to gain it. Oh that you would now hear the voice of God! What does it mean — this “Incline your ear”? It means, Consider, and think upon eternal things. It is the fault and folly of worldlings that they reckon eternal things to
be. second-rate and unworthy of their immediate
thought. The soul-winner has to think of all sorts of
‘ te Boies to His dear oon wie says, ‘ holc ete 21 five given Him! In the manger, behold, I have given Him; on the cross, in the sepulcher, in His resurrection, in His enthronement, behold, I have ways ty wich to draw men’s attention “to that which is
THEIR CHIEF BLESSING. They are taken up wholly with their farm and en merchandise; any petty piece of news in the daily
this event which nearly concerns them is forgotten.
‘when we speak of heaven and hell they will not hear, charm we never so wisely. May the God of all grace this morning arrest the careless one, and constrain him to incline his ear!
i, as”
.; be wise disdain to be taught by the revelation of God,
but they elect to follow the conjectures of their own’
minds. They will not follow the Bible, but their own brains, such as they are. They endeavor to make for themselves a chart of a sea they have never sailed over. God has spoken, we need not conjecture: God hath revealed it. Would you be wise? This Book is inspired by Him; bend your powers towards this
infallible record.
HOW TO HEARKEN,
Furthermore, remark that this attention to eternal things, this hearkening to what God the Lord will speak, must be hearty, honest, continual, earnest, and believing. ‘Incline your ear,” as men do when they: reach forward to catch every syllable, fearful lest they shall miss the meaning. ‘“Hearken diligently.” Not
For passing pleasure they have ears enough; but
paper will win their thought and excite their talk; but
But when you read, “Incline your ear,” it means, Think about divine matters as God sets them before you. In these days those who judge themselves to
) tor’ Brciveriaoe How the Scotch woman rejoic when she heard, or thought she heard, the sound of ie at the Highlanders’ bagpipes in the distance! Ah mel?gaas the bare hope of rescue from ferocious foes made them very quick of hearing. Beloved, give hen Gospel your best hearing. Hearken diligently; be -attent and intent. When your mind has been attentive during the discourse, let it be retentive afterwards, Try to catch God’s meaning in His Word, and see am what Christ would show to you. The second precept grows out of the first: “Incline
— your ear, and come unto Me.” This is to be the outoe come of your inclining your ear. ee) “HOW CAN I COME TO GOD?”
saith one. Come to Him at least by thinking much of Him. At present God is not in all your thoughts. “Some of you are busy just now with sight-seeing, but a you seek not a sight of God; should it be so? Others; of you are busy in money-making; you go out to 4 business early, and come home late, and all those; hours you are as little mindful of heaven as if there be were no God at all. We have not much doctrinal atheism abroad, but we are drenched with practical atheism. The nations forget God. The Lord bids you turn your face Godward, and seek after Him. Consider eternity, and how you will spend it, and what it must be for you if you pass into it without God. ies When you have come to Him in thought, then
to be reconciled to God, long to become His child, to taste of His love. This is a true coming.
lived hitherto without Him; confess that neglect. - You have thought that repentance and faith might safely be put off to a more convenient season, and thus you have given your God a contemptuous putting-off. Confess the wrong you have done in this. You have violated the law, for you have not loved the Lord “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.” Besides this,
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as Saree tere
vA you have broken every command. Thus have you
insulted your Maker; yet come to.Him with filial sorrow, and say, “Father, I have sinned.”
Come to Cod in humble, believing prayer; ask Him
to save you, and believe that He that asketh, receiveth.
What! Will you not do that? He that will not ask
when the blessing is to be had for the asking, how
% can I excuse him, how can I pity him, if he shall-
/ perish of want? Come to the Lord by prayer, and let it not be said, “Ye have not, because ye ask not.” These are the two precepts — ear and come.
II. To encourage you in this, I come to my second
head, sich deals with
TWO SAVING PROMISES.
4 ae me e by: your Recs ‘The son in the far-off seine began to return to his father’s house, where there was bread enough and to spare, before he had put a foot on the ground to go hither; his heart was on the road before his feet. If you feel as if you could not come a to God anyhow else, come by desire at least; desire.
Come so God by confession of sin. You have — ee hearken, and incline your ear, and the promise given
Pier are two promises corresponding to the two. precepts. You are bidden, in the first precept, to”
is this: ‘“Your soul shall live.” What! Live through hearing? Yes, live as the result of hearing; for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” If any man would give himself diligently to the study of the revelation of God, to the searching of the Word of God, and to the hearing of loving, earnest, truthful, spiritual preaching, he would not fail to find life for his soul. There is such a power about the Word of God dee when it comes into contact with the heart which is seeking eternal life it breathes eternal life into it. I will try to sketch the manner of its operation. The man is an earnest hearer, and he says to himself, * How I wish I could meet with the salvation of God!” While listening he feels a tenderness stealing over him; perhaps a tear trickles down his cheek. He gets absorbed in the truth to which he listens, and — becomes serious, anxious, and impressible. There will follow upon this feeling a measure of hope in the word. At the first it will be as a mere spark. By and by hope will rouse the soul to pleading. You, who first of all heard the Word carelessly, then heard it attentively, feelingly, and hopefully, will commence to; pray that it may be fulfilled to you. I think I hear you crying, “O God, bless Thy Word to me! I am
A TURNING-POINT, Lord, lead me in the right way. Oh, that Thou ih ae ft
gr. wouldest quicken me to run therein!” This eee =. wall continue to rise within the heart, and will never
cease till it is heard, and the soul is made to live unto God. Before you know it, you will find yourself
trusting in the great sacrifice for sin. I do not know. the manner in which faith is created by the Spirit in the human mind. In many it comes very gradually. — Who can tell when the first light of the morning broke over this city? They that were wearily watching by the sick saw a gray light glide over the sky; but the sun was not yet risen. Then the light becomes clearer, and yet more clear; but if there were clouds in the east, even the watchers could not tell exactly when the sun was above the horizon, and the day had really dawned. The light came by degrees, but it came in truth.
With that little faith will come gleams of joy; or if the faith be stronger, a full day will burst in upon the soul, lighting up the whole nature with heavenly brightness. Oh that the Lord would give you joy and peace through believing at this very moment! I pray it may be so! I am glad that you are hearing the Word. ‘Hear, and your soul shall live.”
Now consider the second promise, which is something very wonderful: “I will make an everlasting covenant with you.” This joins on to the second pre-
cept — ‘ Come unto Me.” The soul cries, “Lord, if I
were to come, wouldest Thou receive me?” ‘Receive
you!” saith the Lord, “I would enter into a covenant
with you.” If you come to God, simple as that coming seems, it shall involve infinite results; for the aN ee you seek or even think. Tek to ae Sromieen a you that are willing to hear God’s Word; and pray the Lord to fulfil it to you. eh God is ready to enter into y. A BINDING CONTRACT up Gh you. Do you inquire into the tenor of that contract? Well, I cannot tell you all about it this morning, for time would fail me; but it runs somewhat in this fashion: “I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more forever. A new heart also will I ‘give you, and a right spirit will I put within you. I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. The mountains shall depart, «and the hills shall be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath j mercy on thee.” Be You see, we liken what He gives to the sinner to ee what He did to David. The aged David lies dying; his strength is gone, he is a worn-out man, he will soon be in eternity. It is interesting to watch him. Tears are in his eyes as he thinks of Absalom, and the rest of his wayward family, and he exclaims, “Although my house be not so with God; yet”” — blessed “yet”! — “yet He hath made with me aneverlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure.” 4 That is the kind of covenant which God will make ‘a with you. - The Lord says to you, “I will make an ie everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies
Vinee Gewese Vie
oe bal ANG you come to ps ‘ hope you may have the faults of David to confess; but I trust — you may have his covenant to fall back upon. Iam a thankful that David was not a perfect man by along way, because I can now take comfort from his ‘CON ay tes dence. He was full of infirmities and sins, and yet he could rejoice in the covenant of grace; and I also, with all my faults, may venture to do the same. I, too, can say, ee He hath made with me aneverlasting covenant.” fie ‘III. Our third work is to urge aa THE LORD’S SAVING PLEAS. These are not to be mine, but the Lord’s. I keep to the chapter. The first plea for which I would beg a hearing is, that God Himself speaks to you. It is He that says, “Incline your ear, and come unto Me.” ‘Can you realize for a moment the presence of God? Oh that He would make Himself apparent to you! I do not ask for thunder or lightening, to make you feel the terror of His majesty; but may you know of a surety that the Lord is here! Suppose you were to hear a strange, mysterious voice from yonder dome, saying, “Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live,” I am afraid that the sole result would be that you would be startled rather than - -savingly impressed. But, indeed, it is the Lord God Almighty that saith, “Incline your ear, and come unto - Me.” I beseech you, refuse not Him that speaketh - from heaven. - Furthermore, the Lord pleads with you by the fact that your day of mercy is not ended. Read the sixth verse: “Spek ye cs ord while ite may be i call ye upon Him while He is near.” God may gee
found. What a blessed fact! Hast thou been a *
drunkard? Yet God may be found. Wert thou last
night in evilcompany? Yet thouart not yet shut up in — *
hell, and the Lord of Love may yet be found. Are
you very old, and have you long despised your Saviour? He has not yet closed the gate of mercy; He may be found. Seek Him at once, while the search can be successful. “Call ye upon Him while He is near.” God is still within call, He is not far from or any of you. Even though you speak not, He will hear the pulsings of your heart. Oh men and women, call upon your God while His ear is inclined toward sh you! ‘ah - The Lord very graciously mentions yet another fact, which should lead you to come to Him, namely,
that He is ready and willing to forgive the whole of your past offences. ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let — him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy
upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” I do not know what you think of those last
- words, ‘abundantly pardon,” but to me they are so sweet that I would set the whole orchestra of the Handel Festival to the singing of them. ‘“Abundantly pardon! Abundantly pardon!” You have abundant sin; fatally abundant! But here is abundant pardon. You mourn your abundant hardness of heart! Yes,, but abundant pardon WILL DISSOLVE STONE.
Then comes in the great persuasive of the magnaaf fmianity of God. Hear the words: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the ee For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts,” No man here knows what great things God designs for him.
Did I hear one cry, “I feel so dull and stupid; I cannot come as I could wish”? Very well, come
back to that first precept — “Hear, and your soul shall
live.” “JI have long been a hearer,” says one. Have you been an earnest attentive hearer? Have you heard the Word of God as sure and infallible truth?
Then be a more believing hearer. Expect the Word
to bless you. Hear
; HOW THE LORD PLEADS
the power of His Gospel: “My Word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I
please, and it shall prosper in that thing whereunto
sent it.” Hearken to God’s voice, and let it enter your heart; then it will quicken and save you as surely
as the snow and the rain water the earth. Snow does not melt at once, but it turns to water before long,
and is then doubly effectual in watering the soil.
The devil tempts you to give up hearing the Gospel. Do not hearken to him. Hear with double diligence; for if he does not want you to hearken, it is because he is afraid of loosing you. Hearken
diligently, and believe steadfastly, and before long
you shall be as much saturated with the power of grace as the earth is moistened with the snow and eo an which fall from nee but — ih thither.. Remember, it is God’s Word, and fact lies your hope of getting life by it. Lastly, the Lord persuades men to come to Him by ‘S telling them of the joy they will obtain in coming. I — know that I am addressing seeking souls who coli miserable and even despairing. ‘ Alas!” cries one, “J shall soon go out of the reach of hope.” “No,” a says the Lord, “you shall go out with joy.” “Alas! ae you sigh, “I shall be led forth to execution.” “Nay,”! - saith the Lord, “you shall be led forth with peace.” These are no words of mine! these are the veal words of the living God, Hitherto the world has seemed to be as dull as you are; but it shall brighten up. Listen to this promise. Believe it, and you shall find it true. You shall enter upon a new life, and the k world shall be a new world to you. ae Ah!” says one, “God will never make much of me.” This 1s
WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO; with you: “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle-tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” es That thorny temper of yours shall become gentle and va generous. That briery malice shall give place to — Mg forgiveness and compassion, Blasphemy shall yield to devotion, vice to holiness, falsehood to truth, and pride to lowliness. That sin of drunkenness, which has been such a thicket of thorns to you and your wife and family, shall give place to sobriety, industry, thrift, ons tes so great will be the change. NY His sweet Spirit gently lead you to Himself! ane 1 ( be so, “it shall ee to the Lord for a name.”
Bed, and na ae EIA ale and rip ties in the heavenly places shall see in you a monu- — . ment ie grace, a trophy of all- eae love.