He will impart to us a divine nature — He will transform us into the very image of our God-] Our lives alfo may be holy [A change takes place in the whole of a believer's con duct 'cent" -1. Nor need any despair of attaining the fame privilege II. The greatest finners may attain to it Many, being already pure in their own eyes, neglect to feek it° 1 But all who feek it with humility, may attain it This appears throughout all the Scriptures [The invitations to accept it extend to all The promifes are unlimited, either with respect to perfons*, or fins There are examples of the most abandoned profligates having attained it Thofe for whom God expreffed fuch folicitude were idol aters The voice of God by the prophet may be applied to all "-] APPLICATION 1. To those who are under the guilt and power of fin [Such are they who are not cleanfed by Chrift, and renewed by the Spirit "How long" then fhall it be ere this proffeted mercy be accepted? Why should any wifh to defer the pursuit of it one hour?Let it be fought inftantly and with our whole hearts-] 2. To those who are longing for innocency To the question in the text, fome through defpondency may anfwer, "Never" But let not any fancied impoffibilities difcourage our application to God for this rich mercy God God is as able and as willing to beftow it on us, as on others Let us, however, beware of feeking it in our own firengthIf we look to Chrift he will "fave us to the uttermoft ". -] 3. To those who have attained it [The beft have reafon to be ashamed that they were so long before they fought the Lord Nor have they now any ground for pride and felf-fufficiency They would foon be what they once were, if God should leave them one moment They may rejoice, however, that their innocence is not deftroyed by the unavoidable infirmities of fallen nature Let them then feek to have this innocency maintained in them Let them ftudy to manifeft it in their temper and conduct-] LXXXI. CONSOLATION FOR THE DESPONDING. Ifai. xli. 17, 18. When the poor and needy feek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Ifrael will not forfake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land fprings of water. THE word of God is an inexhauftible source of inftruction and comfort There are paffages in it fuited to perfons in all states and conditions- But it is calculated more especially for the afflicted and contrite The paffage before us is peculiarly adapted to a desponding foul In its primary fenfe it is an encouragement to the Jews to truft in God In its fpiritual meaning it extends to the church of God in all ages I. An a God, in ver. 8. reminds his people of his relation to them, affures them of his prefence, and promifes them ftrength, ver. 1o. victory, ver. 14, 15. ("thou, a worm, fhalt threth the mountains,") and triumph, ver. 16. Not that they are to expect a continued feries of profperity: they may be reduced to great firaits; but in their lowest ftate they fhall still have ground for the richest confolation. 1. An afflicted cafe described The people of God are for the moft part in a low and afflicted state [All men, if they knew their ftate, are indeed "poor and needy" But the generality think themfelves "rich and increafed with goods" God's people, however, feel their poverty and need They are deeply fenfible how deftitute they are of wisdom, ftrength, &c.] They ardently defire to be erdued with holinefs and comfort [Water, as having a cleaning and refreshing quality, may well be understood to mean holiness and comfortAnd these are the chief objects of a Chriftian's pursuit— They long to be "delivered from the body of fin and death"- They defire to be walking always in the light of God's Countenance They leave no means untried for the accomplishing of their wifhes-] But they often feem to be labouring in vain; "they feek water, and find none [They ftrive for victory, but the conflict remainsCorruptions ftill at times harafs and defile their foulsDeadnels and darknefs ftill occafionally return upon them-And the bleifednefs they pant after feems as diftant as ever-] Their frequent difappointments create much dejection of mind; "their tongue faileth," &c. ["Hope deferred maketh their heart fick ". They faint, as a traveller after a long and fruitless fearch for water They begin to conclude that God will not hear their prayers They fear that he has forfaken and forgotten them". Such diligence, difappointment, and defpondency were not unknown to David -] b But in the text we have II. Suitable confolation adminiftered A defponding perfon could not dictate more fuitable matter of confolation-in Pf. xlii. 1, 2, 3, 7, 9. and Pf. lxxxviii. 1, 3, 6, 7, 14. The The character here given of God is not without great force [The defponding perfon thinks his cafe too hard to be remedied, and his fins too heinous to be forgiven He is here reminded what a God he has to deal withGod is "the Lord" with whom nothing is impoffible, whofe mercy is infinite 4, and whofe love is unchangeable e He is "the God of Ifrael," who, however long he may try his people, will certainly blefs them at laft f Thus do thefe titles of God juftify that confoling declaration — The promises here made by God are exactly fuited to the cafe ["I will hear :" what an encouragement to continue in prayer! "I will not forfake thee:" what can the fainting foul defire more1? "The moft difcouraging circumftances fhall be no bar to my favours" "Apparent impoffibilities fhall be furmounted by me *" "Nor fhall my communications to you be either finall or tranfient1"-] Every one who relies on thefe promises fhall experience confolation from them d Exod. xxxiv. 6. Mal. iii. 6. [David c Jer. xxxii. 27. f This title is very fignificant: it is as though God faid "Remember my fervant Jacob, to what a diftrething ftate he was reduced, how he wrestled with me all night in prayer, and yet did not prevail: remember, how I made as though I would leave him; yea, how I lamed him, and thus apparently increafed his calamity. But he would not let me go, unless I bleffed him. I therefore not only bleffed him, but changed his name, and conferred a fingular honour upon him by calling my church after his name. Thus did I thew myfelf his God; and thus will I be, yea, thus I am the God of all who call upon me after his example." Or perhaps it refers rather to Exod. xvii. 1—6. where his fupplying of Ifrael with water is mentioned. 8 Lam. iii. 32. The fubject of the foul's complaint is the very fubject of God's promafe. The foul laments "God will not hear me; he has utterly forfaken me; it is abfurd for me to cherish an hope; I might as foon expect to find rivers on a lofty mountain, as to poffefs grace and peace in my foul." Here is a particular reference to the promife made to Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 15. which he afterwards pleaded with God, Gen. xxxii. 12. and which is renewed to us, Heb. xiii. 5. Though the heart be as a dry and barren wilderness, it fall be refreshed, "I will open rivers in high places." They fhall be plenteous as " pools and rivers," and inerant as fprings and fountains." vain [David bears his teftimony that his cries were not in And all who plead like him, shall find reafon to make his acknowledgments -] ADDRESS 1. Those who are unconcerned about the bleffings of falvation [The generality know but little of spiritual troublesBut their exemption from them is by no means to be defired They at the fame time have no intereft in thefe precious promifes They tafte not the rich confolations of the gospel And how will "their tongue fail for thirst" in the eternal world! Let all then feek to know their fpiritual wants Let them obey the invitation of our bleffed Lord — Let them take encouragement from that gracious offer ----2. Those who are fainting for want of them [Many, eminently pious, have been in your stateBut none ever waited upon God in vain Thefe promifes cannot poflibly fail of being accom plished From them, as "from wells of falvation, you may draw water with joy They fhall certainly be fulfilled to you, both here, and for ever -] Pf. xxxiv. 6. ▸ Rev. xxii. 17. " Pf. xxx. 8-11. • John vii. 37, 38. LXXXII. CHRIST PRECIOUS TO BELIEVERS. 1 Pet. ii. 7. Unto you therefore who believe, he is precious. THERE is a great difference between the views of natural and fpiritual men This exifts even with respect to things temporal; much more in those which are spiritual and eternal It appears particularly with refpect to Chrift Hence St. Peter reprefents him as difallowed of fome, but chofen by others- Ii 3 This |