AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON,

ON LORD’S-DAY EVENING, MAY 20, 1883.

“They shall be as though I had not cast them aside.”

Zechariah 10:6.

YOU all know how God did, for a time, cast off His ancient people. Both Israel and Judah, after long provocation of

Jehovah, were carried away captive into the land of their enemies. God forsook His Temple and that glorious sanctuary

was laid in ruins. The whole land was given up to be the prey of the cruel foe and the inhabitants, themselves, were carried

into captivity beyond the rivers of Babylon. And they were sorely afflicted. They had greatly sinned and heavy was

their punishment. But now, by the mouth of the Prophet Zechariah, God talks to them of mercy and, as a choice note in

the message of mercy, He says that He will restore them to their old estate—and they shall be as though He had never

cast them aside. It is a wonderful promise! I pray that it may sound like heavenly music in the ear of many a backslider.

In commencing my sermon, I draw your attention to the preceding clause of the verse—“I will have mercy upon

them.” Learn from this that the only terms upon which God can deal with guilty men are terms of mercy—“I will have

mercy upon them.” Therefore, my Friend, if you would be saved, do not try to deal with God upon the footing of

justice.

If you do, you will first have to say that you have never sinned and that would be a lie. You will not be able to prove that

assertion—your lips, your eyes, your heart, your hands, your whole conduct will all be witnesses against you! You must

admit that you have

sinned. It may be that you will then try to find some excuse for your sin. You say, perhaps, that you

could not help it. But you might have helped it—you ought to have helped it. Or, possibly, you will try to make out that

your sin is very little. But your conscience knows that it is not little. If any one sin has been little—and I do not think

that is possible—you have added so many other evils to these grains of sin that you cannot count them, and your transgressions

are multiplied upon you! No, you will never make out a good case if you appeal to God’s justice, for Justice will

try you, condemn you, and cast you aside. God will not deal with you on those terms. Confess that you are guilty! Ask

Him, for His mercy’s sake, to pass over your guilt. Plead with Him, for His dear Son’s sake, to blot it out and He will

yield to such pleading as that—and He will deal with you in the way of mercy.

From the clause which follows my text I learn another lesson. The Lord says, “They shall be as though I had not cast

them aside: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them.” From these words I gather that one of the surest tokens

that mercy is about to be received is

prayer—“I am the Lord their God, and will hear them.” But God would not hear

them if they did not pray, so, if you wish to know whether God is about to bless you, answer this question—Do you feel

that you need to pray? Is your heart beginning to cry to God, even now? Then He will hear you and, hearing you, He will

have mercy upon you! I care not what else there is about you that seems hopeful, if it cannot be said of you, “Behold, He

prays,” there is no solid ground for hope. But if, bowing your head in the pew at this moment, or even sitting still just as

you are, you are saying in your heart, “Lord, have mercy upon me! Lord, save me!” this is a blessed token that the angel

of mercy is close at hand! I trust, before this service is over, you will be saved, and have cause to praise and magnify the

Lord for His great mercy toward you!