![]() She said, ‘I’ll run after my lovers and sell myself to them for food and drink, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil.'” The Lord there lays open the sins that a soul, even a gracious soul, is capable of committing what it does and ever will do when not restrained by his powerful grace-”For their mother is a shameless prostitute and became pregnant in a shameful way. ![]() We cannot, however, well understand these dealings of God with the souls of his people unless we first cast our eye upon the preceding part of the chapter. Thirdly, what he does to them when he has brought them there-he speaks comfortably unto them gives them their vineyards from thence and opens in the valley of Achor, a door of hope.įourthly, what is the blessed fruit and effect of these gracious dealings of God with them in the wilderness-that “they sing there as in the days of their youth, and as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt.” Secondly, where he brings them by means of these allurements-”into the wilderness.” This full accomplishment will take place in those times of which the apostle Peter speaks in the Acts of the Apostles, as, “The times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:21.)Īs it is the spiritual and experimental interpretation which chiefly concerns the Church of God, and that from which we are to draw our supplies of instruction and consolation, I shall this morning chiefly confine myself to that signification and, in so doing, I shall, with God’s help and blessing, bring before you the Lord’s words in our text, and thus divide them by showing you:įirst, the way in which God allures his people-by the drawings of his grace. Until, therefore, that period arrives, very much of the prophetical scriptures must lie buried in obscurity. Secondly, there is the spiritual and experimental interpretation, which the Holy Spirit has couched in the letter for the edification of the Church of God in all times.Īnd, thirdly, there is the future or prophetical interpretation, when these prophecies shall be accomplished in their full meaning, and every jot and tittle of them receive a complete fulfillment. To explain my meaning more distinctly, let me observe that the interpretation of the prophetical books of the Old Testament is frequently, if not universally, of a three-fold nature-įirst, there is the literal and historical interpretation, which was suitable to the time, place, and circumstances under which the prophecy was first and originally delivered. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.” (Job 28:6, 7, 21.)īut, besides these inherent difficulties of the prophetical scriptures, an additional hindrance arises to the right understanding of them from this circumstance-that people either do not know, or do not bear sufficiently in mind-that they are open to various kinds of interpretation. For it is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. ![]() Thus we may say of this mine, as Job speaks of another no less deep and valuable, “The stones of it are the place of sapphires-and it has dust of gold.” But we may add, with him, “There is a path which no fowl knows, and which the vulture’s eye has not seen. But though the mine is so rich, it is proportionately deep though the ore is so precious, it is locked up in its darkest recesses. The prophetical books of the Old Testament contain, stored up in them, a rich mine of instruction and edification for the Church of God. ![]() ![]() “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.Īnd I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.” ![]()
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