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These are words that carry a great deal of dread in them: tremendous words as any in the Book of God. It is the true Church of God that speaks these words. They were "all as an unclean thing," and their "holiness all faded away as a leaf" (Isaiah 64:6). Yet faith maintains a sense of a relation to God; therefore they cry, "Doubtless thou art our Father," etc. (ver. 16). And if God would help us to maintain, and not let go our interest in Him as our Father by faith, we should have a bottom and foundation to stand upon. Observe, here, the condition of the Church at that time.

1. It was a time of distress and oppression (ver. 18).

2. A time of deep conviction of sin (Isaiah 64:6, 7). Well, then, suppose it be a state of great oppression, and a state of great conviction of sin . what is the course that we should take? We may turn ourselves this way and that way;, but the Church is come to this, to issue all in an inquiry after, and a sense of God's displeasure, manifesting itself by spiritual judgments.

I. WHAT IS IT TO ERR FROM THE WAYS OF GOD? The ways of God are either God's ways towards us, or our ways towards Him, that are of His appointment. God's ways towards us are the ways of His providence. Our ways towards God are the ways of obedience and holiness. We may err in both. The ways that God hath appointed for us to walk in towards Him are these here intended. Now we may err from thence —

1. In the inward principle.

2. In the outward order.

II. WHAT IS IT TO HAVE OUR HEARTS HARDENED FROM THE FEAR OF GOD?

1. There is a total hardening.

2. A partial hardening.

III. HOW IS GOD SAID TO CAUSE US TO ERR FROM HIS WAYS, AND TO HARDEN OUR HEARTS FROM HIS FEAR?

1. God is said to do that (and it is not an uncommon form of speech in Scripture) whose contrary He doth not do, when it might be expected, as it were, from Him. If there be a prophet that doth prophesy so and so, "I the Lord have deceived that prophet" (Ezekiel 14:9), that is, I have not kept him from being deceived, but suffered him to follow the imaginations of his own heart, whereby he should be deceived." God may be said to cause us to err from HIS ways, and to harden our hearts from His fear merely negatively, in that He hath not kept us up to His ways, nor kept our hearts humble and soft in them.

2. God hardens men judicially, in a way of punish-meat. This is a total hardening.

(1) The first thing God doth, when He hardens men's hearts penally, is to give them over to their own lusts (Romans 1:24).

(2) Then He gives men up to Satan to blind them and harden them, for he is "the god of this world that blinds the eyes of men.

(3) God doth judicially give up men to hardness of heart by supplying therein His providence with opportunities to draw out their lusts.

(4) In pursuit of all these, God gives them over to "a reprobate mind" (Romans 1:28), i.e. a mind that can neither judge nor approve of anything that is good.

3. God may be said to cause men to err from His ways, and to harden their hearts from His fear, by withholding, upon their provocation, some such supply of His Spirit, and actings of His grace, as they have formerly enjoyed to keep up their hearts to the ways and in the fear of God. That is the hardening here intended.

IV. WHY DOTH THE HOLY GOD DEAL THUS WITH A PROFESSING PEOPLE?

1. What provokes God to it.

(1) Unthankfulness for mercy received (vers. 8-10).

(2) Inordinate cleaving to the things of the world at a most undue season.

(3) Our unprofitableness, and unsuitableness to the means of grace we have enjoyed.

2. What does God aim at in such a dispensation?

(1) To awaken us unto the consideration of what an all-seeing God He is, with whom we have to do.

(2) To awaken us.

V. WHAT WAY SHALL WE TAKE NOW FOR RETRIEVING OUR SOULS OUT OF THIS STATE AND CONDITION? One way is prescribed here. It is by prayer: "Return, O Lord." The arguments here given are peculiar to the case; and we may plead them.

1. Sovereign mercy and compassion (ver. 15).

2. Faith. fulness in covenant (ver. 16).

( John Owen, D. D.)

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KJV: O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

WEB: O Yahweh, why do you make us to err from your ways, and harden our heart from your fear? Return for your servants' sake, the tribes of your inheritance.