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I. WHAT IS IT FOR SINNERS TO COME TO GOD?

1. A relinquishing of everything that is contrary to God, and keeps us at a distance from Him.

2. A making use of Christ as the way to God.

(1) There would have been no place for repentance if Christ had not interposed with His blood.

(2) There never would have been any principle or exercise of repentance if Christ did not produce it by His Spirit.

3. A giving up of ourselves to God, and resting in Him as our end.

II. HOW SHOULD SINNERS COME TO GOD, IN OBEDIENCE TO THE PRECEPT, AND UPON THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE PROMISE?

1. How must they come in obedience to the precept?

(1) Sinners are to come to God humbly; and that in consideration of the command of God, upon two accounts. All acts of obedience to God are to be performed with humbleness of mind. Returning to God after former acts of disobedience requires special humiliation.

(2) We are to come to God readily. When God is so kind to admit your return, there is no reason that He should wait for it.

2. How must they come upon the encouragement of the promise?

(1) Sinners are to come to God believingly, with regard to the promise: for these two reasons, —

(a) If faith be not the spring of all our motions towards God, they cannot be acceptable to Him.

(b) The promise does encourage such a faith, as much as we need or can desire. Besides His gracious entreaties, affectionate offers, importunate pleadings, you have His positive assurances that He will receive you if you return (2 Corinthians 6:17).

(2) Sinners must come joyfully to God. The promise is ground of rejoicing, as well as of hope and trust; and God never designed that our sorrow for sin should be so extreme as to stifle or drown the joy of conversion. God who makes the promise rejoices in the performance (Zephaniah 3:17; Luke 15:15). We who have the benefit of the promise must needs be still doubtful of it if we do not rejoice in it. If we had faith suitable to the faithfulness of God, it would transport the soul into an ecstasy, that we who have lifted up our heels so oft against God should be taken into His arms.

III. WHEREIN LIES THE BLESSEDNESS OF THIS?

1. When a sinner comes back to God he is brought out of a most miserable, wilderness condition, wherein if he had remained he must have perished.

2. When a sinner comes to God salvation comes to him.

3. When a sinner comes home to God, all his fellow creatures shall be some way or other serviceable to him, either willingly and gladly, or by constraint and over-ruling necessity.

4. When a sinner is come to God he must visit God by prayer in all his necessities, and be sure of sufficient relief.

5. A sinner that is come to God may sweetly walk and converse with God, through the residue of his life; and the benefit and sweetness of such communion is not to be imagined by those that have it not; they that are far from God can be no judges of the blessedness of those that are near unto Him.

6. A sinner that is come to God may go to Him with comfort and confidence at death, whether sooner or later.

IV. USE.

1. This shows that they who will not come to God are not come to themselves (Luke 15:17).

2. Ministers will have a dreadful and unpleasing account to give of those whom they leave unpersuaded.

3. God will be justified in their condemnation, to whom His precepts and promises avail nothing.

4. The devil can lay no blocks in our way against our coming unto God but what we may easily remove or courageously leap over, if we look no further than this text.

5. How unreasonable would it be if any of the storms we meet with in our way to God should ever drive us back, or shipwreck our faith!

6. How happy would it be if the efficacy of this doctrine were equal to the concernment of it! It extends to all that are born into the world, and therefore should operate upon all.

(T. Cruso.)

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KJV: A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

WEB: A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping [and] the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Yahweh their God.