February 18

Ready to perish. - Isaiah 27:13.

HERE we have the condition of those to whom the gospel is addressed. “Outcasts,” and “ready to perish.” This is the figure; and what is the fact? “Remember,” says Paul, “that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” It speaks of them as “sitting in darkness,” as being “in the region of the shadow of death.” One thing is allowed on all hands:-“Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” Happiness does not result from the excellence of the object possessed, but from its adaptation to the feelings of the persons possessing it.

Nothing will make us happy which does not relieve our wants, and fulfil our hopes, and satisfy our desires. Oh, say some, we are not heathens: but let these turn to Scripture, and they will find that they are “all by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” “In us,” says the apostle, “that is, in our flesh, dwelleth no good thing.” We are cursed because we have not “continued in all things written in the book of the law to do them.” “There is but a step between us and death.” Is a sheep ready to perish in the midst of wolves? Is a diseased man ready to perish, who from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot is covered with wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores? Is a traveller ready to perish who is fast asleep on the edge of one of the highest cliffs of Dover? Is a criminal ready to perish on whom the judge has pronounced sentence, and who is left for execution to-morrow? Is an infant ready to perish that is cast out into the open field on the day that it is born, and whom there is no eye to pity, none to have compassion?

But none of these are so ready to perish as sinners under the gospel are; the destruction of none of these is so great as their perdition, and from this state they are by no means able to help themselves. No hope of relief can be found but in the boundless grace of God. And why should they be ashamed that their state should be known? It is desirable that they should know it; to this, their condition, the whole gospel refers, and on this the whole of it is founded. It is also necessary that they should know it, else the gospel will be a repulsive system to them.

It will be like offering alms to the wealthy, or announcing liberty to those who are free, or entering a house to couch the eye of a man who can see,-unless they choose to strip the gospel of its fine character, as suited to sinners; unless, as some have done, they would reduce the gospel to a system of moral ethics. But is such a meagre representation the gospel? Does it come up to this representation?-“The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Or does it come up to this language? -“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”