glorycloud's Diaryland Diary

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

whether they will consent to be delivered from the wrath to come

"III. I come now very briefly to present to you some motives that ought to induce you with all your hearts to draw nigh unto God.

1. And first, consider the graciousness of the invitation. By looking at the context you will find that it is addressed to "adulterers and adulteresses." To those who are puffed up with a notion of their own goodness, this will be no recommendation; but, if there be one poor and contrite and broken-hearted sinner among those whom I am now addressing, this will be felt to be exactly such an invitation as he needs. Yes, ye adulterers and adulteresses, if such there be here-ye drunkards, ye profane, ye wicked and abominable of every description, ye vilest of the vile, the invitation of the text is addressed even to you. Ye may have added iniquity unto iniquity, and sin to sin-ye may, by your wickedness, have made yourselves the offscourings of the earth, and a hissing and a byword to your neighbors and acquaintance but here is good news here, here is joyful tidings for you. The God of heaven and earth, who has all glory and blessedness in himself, who needs not the services of men or of angels, looks down upon you with an eye of the most tender compassion: he invites, he entreats, he beseeches you to draw nigh unto him, that you may have life, that you may have holiness and everlasting salvation. And that he is in earnest in the invitation, intensely in earnest, has been abundantly demonstrated by the fact, that he spared not the son of his love, but hath freely given up to the death, the accursed death of the cross, that the very chief of sinners, the most abandoned of the ungodly, might have pardon, and peace, and the love of God shed abroad in their hearts. He gave up the well-beloved of his heart, the Elect in whom his soul delighted, to be baptized with the baptism of wrath, that sinners such as you might be baptized with the sanctifying and comforting grace of the Holy Ghost. Ah! my friends, if the love of God in the gift of his Son, and his gracious invitation to you, to all to partake of that love, will not move you to return unto him, what is there that can possibly influence your hard and obdurate hearts?

Now, while God offers you his unspeakable gift-while Christ offers you himself, how do you treat the offer? Can you not find in your hearts to accept of it? Then, hear, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth! the High and Holy One comes down from the throne of his glory, to this world of sin and sorrow, bears in his spotless soul the curse of the broken law in the room of fallen man, and now invites and beseeches sinners, by the agonies of the garden and the cross, to be reconciled to God. And yet, men, whose breath is in their nostrils, who are every moment in danger of eternal perdition, can doubt-and consider-and hesitate-whether they will accept of a full and free salvation, whether they will consent to be delivered from the wrath to come.

Now, whoever heard of infatuation like this? Can you possibly so sin against your own souls, as to put away from you so great salvation? Can you resist the mercy of a crucified and beseeching Saviour? Oh! the blessed angels of God are amazed at your blindness and obduracy. The very spirits of darkness, that tempt and cheat you, are laughing you to scorn for your inconceivable madness." pg. 176, 177 Rev. Alexander Hislop Sermon CIX Communion With God "Free Church Pulpit" Volume III

1:57 p.m. - 2013-02-10

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

previous - next

latest entry

about me

archives

notes

DiaryLand

contact

random entry

other diaries:

oct0ber
browndamask
koorikaze
mal-adjusted
weatethesea
lobo21
tobehis
raven72d
newschick
msjessica
jondavid2010
journey2one
freakyouout
realthoughts
trapeze-act
fragilegirl8
fan4