1. How far a man may go engaging the Lord and still be trifling
1. How far a man may go engaging the Lord and still be trifling
We are, then, to show how far a man may go in transacting with, and engaging himself to the Lord, and yet after all he may be but trifling. Upon this head we observe,
1.1. That a person may formally and expressly covenant with God, to be the Lord's, and yet after all be but trifling with God. So did this people, verse 27, (quoted above). A person may make a covenant with God, both by word and writ, when there is no such heart in him, and the heart goes not along either with tongue or pen. It is an easy thing to say unto the Lord, that he shall be our God, but not easy to say it with the heart. The tongue is not always a faithful interpreter of the heart, especially in these things. — We observe,
1.2. That a person may make a very full covenant with the Lord, and yet after all be but trifling. What exception was there in this, verse 27, "All that the Lord our God shall speak unto you, we will hear it and do it." How large a promise was this, Matthew 8:19, "Master, I will follow you wherever you go." No doubt, had their hearts kept pace with their words, they had engaged to purpose. Had there been as few secret as there were open reserves, they had dealt honestly. — We observe,
1.3. That persons may even be morally serious in all this, thinking and resolving in the time to do as they say. It was not a season for gross dissimulation, nor to make a jest of transacting with the Lord anent soul-concerns, when the Lord was speaking out of the darkness and fire to them. Persons in this case are like those who trifle with merchants, in offering to bargain for their wares, out of mere simplicity and ignorance as to the worth of these wares, who, if they had matters set in their due light, would never once propose again so to bid for them. The foolish virgins saw not their lamps out until it was past time. — We observe,
1.4. That persons may do all this from a sense of their need of a Mediator. Thus did they in the text. What was it that brought this people to this? Why, they had formerly engaged with a whole heart to be the Lord's: Exodus 19:8, "And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord has spoken, we will do." But now they fall more solemnly and seriously to work. God sets the mountain on fire for a tribunal of justice; there is a trumpet whose voice waxes louder and louder; by all which God does, as it were, summon them to appear before him. There are dreadful thunderclaps to carry the sentence of death to their hearts; there are lightnings, by the glancings of which they read the wrath of God against sinners. Yet they must not touch the mountain, lest they be consumed, to teach them how sin had laid the bar as to access to God. This fills them with terror and fear of death, and now they feel the necessity of a mediator; Exodus 20:19, "And they said unto Moses, Speak you with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." And yet, after all, "O that there were such an heart in them!"