Jeremiah 14:7

DISCOURSE: 1051
GOD’S NAME THE SINNER’S PLEA

Jeremiah 14:7. O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake.

PRAYER is both our duty and our privilege: and God often suffers trials to come upon his people, in order to stir them up to prayer, and to manifest himself to them in a more conspicuous manner as “a God that heareth prayer.” On some occasions, indeed, he has forbidden his people to intercede with him; as when he said to Moses, “Let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against these idolaters, and that I may consume them.” But, in such cases, the prohibition has not been considered as absolute, but rather in a qualified sense; as intimating only, that any petitions offered under those particular circumstances could scarcely be expected to prevail; yet as implying a permission to the person to make the attempt. Certainly Moses understood it thus; for he, notwithstanding the prohibition, besought the Lord for Israel, and enforced his petitions with the most powerful pleas; and never ceased from urging his requests, till he obtained an answer of peace [Note: Exodus 32:10.]. The Prophet Jeremiah, in like manner, was repeatedly forbidden to intercede for Judah and Jerusalem: “Pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee [Note: Jeremiah 7:16; Jeremiah 11:14.].” Yet the prophet could not forbear; but urged his pleas with all imaginable tenderness and compassion [Note: ver. 7–9.]. He acknowledged, that the sins which had provoked God to anger were great and undeniable: but though he could find no excuse for Israel, he could find a plea in the very character of God: and therefore he entreated him to do, for his own sake, what he could not venture to ask for theirs.

In respect of outward circumstances, we at this day do not resemble the Jews; yet, as sinners, we need to make the same acknowledgments, and to offer the same pleas, as are recorded in our text.

Let us then, with a more immediate application of the passage to our own case, consider,

I. The sinner’s acknowledgment—

The prophet’s confession is precisely such as befits the world at large—
[Verily, their iniquities do “testify against them, even to their face [Note: Hosea 7:10.].” Their whole lives shew that they have not the fear of God before their eyes. It is impossible to see their conduct, and not feel the force of this melancholy truth [Note: Psalms 36:1.]. If it be said, that “they cannot serve the Lord;” I reply, “They will not frame their doings to turn unto the Lord [Note: Hosea 5:4.].” There is much which they might do, and yet will not do. They might abstain from many things which they wilfully commit; and might perform many duties which they wilfully neglect. They might put themselves into the way of receiving good to their souls, by reading the Scriptures, and other religious books, in private; by a more diligent attendance on public ordinances; and by conversation with persons capable of instructing them in the things of God. But their contempt of all religious advantages, and the determined preference given by them to the things of time and sense, clearly prove the language of their hearts to be, “Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.”]

With too great reason, also, may it be adopted, even by the best of men—
[There is doubtless an immense difference between the godly and the world at large: for whilst the world are willing slaves of sin and Satan, the godly resist to the uttermost their spiritual enemies, and maintain, on the whole, a successful warfare against them. But though “the Spirit in them lusts against the flesh, the flesh still lusts and fights against the Spirit; so that they neither do, nor can do, the things that they would [Note: Galatians 5:17.]” I would ask of all, Whether their consciences do not bear testimony, that yet there is much amiss within them; and that they have yet much to deplore, in respect of commission, and especially in sins of omission and defect? Who amongst us have not reason to confess, that, on some occasions, through impatience or inadvertence, they have been betrayed into tempers which were unbecoming their holy profession? And who, through weakness and infirmity, have not given way to sloth and negligence in the secret exercises of the closet? And who, if they compare their very best duties with the holy requirements of the Law, and the boundless obligations of the Gospel, have not reason to blush and he confounded before God? Verily, the very best amongst us may well say with the prophet, “Our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and, as for our iniquities we know them [Note: Isaiah 59:12.].”]

But are we, therefore, without hope? By no means: for, together with these acknowledgments, we are free to offer,

II.

The sinner’s plea—

The particular request which the prophet offered is not specified: but, in accordance with the subsequent part of his address, we may suppose it to have been for the restoration of God’s favour. For this we also may ask, not indeed on that is in us, but solely for the sake of God’s honour, and for the glory of his name.
This plea is open for all—
[God’s honour is deeply involved in his dealings with us. His justice and his holiness require him to manifest his abhorrence of sin, and his indignation against it: but his mercy inclines him to receive the mourning penitent, and to pardon his transgressions, however greatly they may have been multiplied against him: and if he were to spurn from his footstool a repentant sinner, he would consider himself as acting in a way that was unbecoming his divine character. He esteems the exercise of mercy as his highest glory, and his chief delight. And, when he can find nothing in his creatures to call forth, or even to justify, his kindness towards them, he takes the motive from within his own bosom, and shews mercy towards them for his own name’s sake. It was from this motive only that he brought his people out of Egypt, and conducted them in safety to the Promised Land. “Not for any righteousness of theirs” did he display his mercy towards them [Note: Deuteronomy 9:5.] but, as he repeatedly tells them, “he wrought for his name’s sake [Note: Ezekiel 20:9; Ezekiel 20:14; Ezekiel 20:22.].” Seeing, then, that he has shewn such a regard for his own honour, it cannot be, but that he should be pleased when he sees a similar concern in us, and hears us urging it with him as our only plea. But that we may not found this on mere conjecture, let me refer you to an instance wherein this plea was urged exactly in the way that was most pleasing to God. On an occasion wherein God had appeared to have forsaken his people, Joshua addressed him in these memorable words: “O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? For the Canaanites, and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name [Note: Joshua 7:8.]?” Here then we see, that, however much we may have provoked God to anger, and whatever reason we may have to fear that he is become our enemy, we may still approach him with this plea, and entertain a good hope that we shall find acceptance with him.]

This plea shall never be urged in vain—
[In the instance just mentioned, it was attended with good success. The Lord immediately answered Joshua, “Get thee up: wherefore liest thou upon thy face? Israel hath Sinned [Note: Joshua 7:10.];” and on the putting away of their sin, I will return in mercy towards them. A yet more striking instance we have in the intercession of Moses for Israel, when God had determined to consume them on account of their worshipping of the golden calf. Moses pleaded with him the oath by which he had bound himself to Abraham and his seed; and immediately “the Lord repented of the evil which he had thought to do unto them [Note: Exodus 32:9.].” Will not, then, the same plea be efficacious still; or rather, I should say, be, if possible, far more efficacious, now that we can plead the name of Jesus? Hear what Jesus himself has said: “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it [Note: John 14:13.].” Here is no limitation, no exception: nay more, the very glory of God is pledged for the fulfilment of this promise, and shall be advanced in its accomplishment.]

The passage, thus opened, affords me a peculiarly fit occasion to declare,
1.

What should be the effect of sin upon the soul—

[That it should humble us, will be universally acknowledged. But to many it appears as if it were a proper ground for dejection and despondency; and more especially when it has been committed by one who has been numbered with the Israel of God. But I would wish the terms of my text to be very particularly noticed; for in them the plea is urged in the very face of all the iniquities that had been committed: “Though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake.” Here you will see that conviction of sin is, not to keep us from God, but to bring us to him. We must on no account give way to discouragement, as though our sins were too great to be forgiven, or as though it were presumptuous in such sinners to draw nigh to God. Presumptuous it would be, if we were to seek any plea from ourselves: but it cannot be so when our plea is derived from God alone. One or two passages of Scripture will place this matter in a clear and beautiful light. David prays, “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity: for it is great [Note: Psalms 25:11.].” And again, “Iniquities prevail against me: but as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away [Note: Psalms 65:3.].” Here he makes the greatness of his sins a reason for his more earnest application to God, and for his more entire affiance in him. Let us then learn a truth but little known, and a truth on which our spiritual welfare most essentially depends; namely, That sin is a just ground for humiliation, but not for discouragement. In our first conversion to God, we must come as the chief of sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe in him as both able and willing to save us to the uttermost. And is there any other way for us to come to God at a subsequent period? I know of none. Whether our sins be many or few, we may come as sinners, and we must come as sinners; founding all our hopes, not on any righteousness of our own, but on the multitude of his tender mercies [Note: Psalms 51:1.]. The mercy of God is our only hope, from first to last: and though we may have changed, He changeth not: nor is the way of access to him through the Son of his love closed against us. Let me not be misunderstood, as if I meant by these observations to speak lightly of sin; for sin, indulged and unrepented of, will infallibly destroy the soul: but we must be aware of a legal spirit; and guard against the idea, that the possession of any personal worthiness entitles us to God’s favour, or that the want of it is a barrier to our acceptance with him. From first to last our hope is in Christ alone; and his name, as it is our only plea, so shall it be effectual, if it be urged in humility and faith. Let this, then, be remembered by every mourning soul, that sin is a ground of humiliation, but not of discouragement. It is not possible for us to be too deeply humbled: but, on the other hand, it is not possible to hold fast too strongly our hope and confidence in God.]

2. What shall surely be effectual to remove it from the soul—

[Prayer, fervent and believing prayer, shall infallibly succeed at last. Where do we find an instance of a weeping penitent spurned from the footstool of the Lord? Never, never did a repenting sinner pour out his cries in vain. Only we must remember the requisites of acceptable prayer. It must be humble and contrite. We must “acknowledge our iniquity,” and our desert of God’s judgments on account of it [Note: Jeremiah 3:12; Jeremiah 3:25.]. It must be fervent and persevering, like that of Daniel: “O my God, incline thine ear, and hear! for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken, and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God [Note: Daniel 9:18.]!” It must be offered solely in dependence on God’s promised mercies in Christ Jesus: “We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake; do not disgrace the. throne of thy glory, remember, break not thy covenant with us [Note: ver. 20, 21.].” The truth is, that God has solemnly engaged that “he will not cast out one who comes to him in his Son’s name [Note: John 6:37.];” and sooner shall “heaven and earth pass away, than one jot or tittle of his word shall fail.”]