17 Direction and Comfort

Direction and Comfort

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6-7

All our misery is the consequence of our sin — and our sin is only chargeable on ourselves. We have sinned — we have done wickedly. We have destroyed ourselves. We are afar off from God — and living and dying thus, we are eternally undone. "Those who are far from you shall perish." But the Lord calls us to him. He says, "Seek me — and you shall live." His servants re-echo the exhortation, and say, "Seek the Lord while he may be found!" He may be found now. He is not far from every one of us. But if he is found — he must be sought. Every one of us should begin this moment to seek God. We should do so . . .
because he bids us,
because we need him,
because our happiness is involved in it,
because we must either seek him — or perish!

"Call you upon him while he is near." He is now on the throne of grace. That throne is everywhere, it is near to us. He is so near that he can hear . . .
the weakest call,
the feeblest whisper,
the movement of the heart toward him.

Let us then call upon him, and let us call until he answers us; let us seek — until we find, embrace, and enjoy him. Let us call upon him in private — from the bottom of our hearts, exercising faith in his word. Let us call until we become acquainted with him, and enjoy his presence and his love. This is the acceptable year of the Lord, it is the year of Jubilee. This is the day of salvation, the great day of atonement. God is near to us in Jesus, reconciling the world unto himself. He is on the mercy-seat, and he speaks to us by the gospel, in the most tender, inviting, and winning strains. Let us then know and improve our opportunity. But may anyone seek the Lord? Are all addressed in this way? Yes. "Let the wicked forsake his way." The word means the openly, the grossly wicked. The most hardened. The most depraved. The most desperate characters. It takes in the liar and the thief; the robber and the murderer; the profane and the prostitute; the drunkard and the swearer. It includes all classes of sinners — it excludes none — however depraved the heart, or ungodly the life; however degraded the character, or criminal the conduct!

Wicked man, God calls you to return unto him! He knows the worst of you. He has seen all that you have done. He has heard all that you have spoken against him. But . . .
though you have been notoriously wicked,
though your fellow-man may shun you,
though conscience may severely accuse you,
though Satan may suggest there is no hope for you
— your God calls upon you to return unto him! You have been restless in yourself, troublesome to others, and offensive to God; you have done as much evil as you could — still, God says, "Return unto me."

"Let the wicked forsake his way." Your course has been just the opposite to that marked out by God’s holy law. You have seared your conscience, closed your eyes to the truth, rushed on in the path of folly and crime, and have deserved the hottest Hell. Your crimes have been provoking to God, they have merited the severest punishment, and if God had dealt with you as he justly might, you would at this moment be in endless torments! But now turn your back on your former courses. Turn from your companions in sin. No longer seek pleasure or satisfaction in the course of this world — but turn to your God.

"Let the evil man forsake his thoughts." There must not only be change of conduct — but a change of mind. You have been thinking wrong — as well as acting wrong. Your thoughts of sin have been wrong — you have thought sin to be a small matter — but it is the most serious evil; of all evils it is the most disgraceful and the most dangerous! Your thoughts of the world have been wrong; you thought it was worthy your affections and efforts, that it could satisfy and give you real pleasure; but it is empty, void, and waste. Your thoughts of God have been wrong; you have thought him to be very much such a one as yourself; but he is holy, just, and good.

Exchange your own thoughts for God’s thoughts upon all serious subjects. Turn to the bible, and from thence learn what God thinks of people, courses, and things.

Perhaps you have thought, that salvation was in whole or in part, by works and sufferings of your own; but it is alone of grace through faith. You may have had unworthy thoughts . . .
of God,
of his beloved Son,
of his blessed Spirit,
of his holy law,
of his just government,
of his glorious sovereignty,
or of his gracious gospel —
if so, give up all these thoughts, nourish them no longer — do not allow them not to keep you from God. He is love. He is ready to pardon. Your present thoughts are injurious to yourself. They give Satan power over you. They will fill you with gloom. They lead either to presumption, or despair. They keep you from God. Therefore give them up, and endeavor to think as the bible directs you. Your own thoughts will harden your heart, they will lead you to limit the mercy and grace of God, they will fill you with confusion and distress. Return, return unto the Lord, listen to the inducements which are presented to you.

"He will have mercy upon him." What! upon that degraded sinner! Upon that degraved wretch! Yes! He will mercifully . . .
listen to his confessions,
receive his prayers,
accept his person, and
confer salvation upon him as a free gift.

He will have mercy upon him. His mind is made up to that. He will find pleasure in doing so, for he delights in mercy. He has had mercy upon the greatest sinners, and he will still do so. He had mercy on Jerusalem sinners — who mocked his servants, resisted his Spirit, and murdered his beloved Son! He has said he will have mercy — and shall he not do it? He has given us his word — and shall he not make it good?

Reader, if you are the greatest sinner in existence — if you return unto the Lord, then he will have mercy upon you. For your sins, the blood of Christ shall avail; for your salvation, the intercession of Jesus shall succeed. He will blot out your sins as a cloud, and your iniquities as a thick cloud; he will receive you graciously and love you freely.

"He will abundantly pardon." Apply to him in Jesus — for God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. Apply to him for pardon — for the pardon of all your sins, for pardon in Jesus’ name — and as far as the east is from the west, so far will he remove your transgressions from you. He will freely pardon, his pardon shall extend to the utmost limit of your sins. He will multiply pardons, he will pardon again and again, until pardon can he no longer needed. He will pardon like a God — perfectly, freely, forever! The moment you confess your sins and exercise faith in Jesus — from that moment every sin is pardoned. You are accepted of God in Jesus, with as much cordiality and love — as though you had never sinned! You will be henceforth treated as a child — a restored and beloved child. Every promise of the gospel will be yours. Every blessing of the better covenant yours. The fullness of Jesus yours! The kingdom of glory yours. God will be merciful unto your unrighteousness, and your sins and iniquities, he will remember no more. In the righteousness of Jesus — you will be justified from all charges;
by the grace of God — you will be supported in all your trials; and
by the Holy Spirit — you will be conducted from grace to glory.

Sinner, seek then the Lord!

Wicked man, forsake your way, and return unto the Lord!

Unrighteous man, forsake your thoughts, and return unto God!

He is pledged to have mercy upon you. He will without doubt, instantly, freely, and forever — pardon all your sins. His ways are not as our ways, nor are his thoughts as our thoughts: but as the Heavens are high above the earth — so are his ways above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts!