of God. Our modern objectors to this truth in like manner appear more jealous for their own narrow system of divinity, than anxious about the salvation of sinners; and it is very remarkable that such persons generally accuse those who differ from them, of representing God as too merciful. This was the cause of Jonah's peevishness, God was more merciful than he, and repented him of the evil which he had threatened.

Is there such a man here present, a man who is so fond of a part of the Bible, that his feelings are hurt by hearing another part of it? Allow me affectionately to ask you, Doest thou well to be angry? Search the scriptures whether these things be so. You will say the scripture represents God as unchangeable, admitting of no variableness neither shadow of turning, knowing the end from the beginning, and executing all his sovereign pleasure. True, all true, we know and bow before the glorious truth, the everlasting unchanging love, the infallible predestinating purpose of Almighty God. But why? Why do we thus? Because it is written in the scriptures. And, my dear friend, so is this other truth also written in the scriptures; that when God sees the works of repenting sinners that they turn from the evil of their way, God

repents of the evil that he had said he would do unto them, and he does it not.

And not in those scriptures only which I have quoted to you this morning; but in sundry places the book of God bears testimony to this truth. In the history of the Israelites we read, that on the occasion of one of their idolatrous rebellions, the Lord said to Moses, "Go get thee down; for thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto and said, these be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people; now, therefore, let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, for mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath,

and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever." Observe this remarkable language.

God commands Moses to let

him alone, that his wrath may wax hot, and that he may consume the people; implying the efficacy of the intercession of Moses if persevered in. Moses, in the eagerness of his compassion towards the people, and knowing that God was a merciful God, reiterates his prayer. As Jacob had said before, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me ;" so now Moses, does, as it were, say; I will not let thee alone, except thou spare this people and as it is written of Jacob, that he "had power with God and prevailed;"* so here, Moses proved completely successful, and "the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." David commenting upon this, and other parts of their history, says, many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless he regarded their

* Gen. xxxii. 24-28.

66

+ Exod. xxxii. 7—14.

affliction, when he heard their cry: and he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies."* A remarkable instance is recorded in the history of King Hezekiah. "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos, came unto him, and said unto him, thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and said, remember now O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight: and Hezekiah wept sore." Then did God repent of the threatened evil : his revealed purpose concerning the king was changed: Hezekiah (as well as Jacob and Moses) experienced the prevailing efficacy of fervent prayer: for, "then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, go and say to Hezekiah, thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father; I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria and I will defend this city." Jeremiah the prophet also plainly declares this

* Psalm cvi. 43, 44, 45.

+ Isaiah xxxviii. 1—6.

truth. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it it; if that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I had thought to do unto them." It is worthy of observation, that this passage stands in immediate connexion with a most remarkable exhibition of God's sovereign power. Uncontrollable in sovereignty, undoubtedly he is, and this is the merciful use he makes of his absolute authority. "Thus saith the Lord, stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah which come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them, diminish not a word: If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. Therefore, now amend your ways, and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you." ""* In Hosea also God saith "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall

* Jeremiah xviii. 7, 8 ;---xxvi. 2, 3, 13.