Wesley Corpus

10.) “There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst of her, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls.” (Ezekiel xxii. 25.) “Thus saith the Lord, Feed the flock of the slaughter; whose pos sessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: And they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: And their own shepherds pity them not.” (Zechariah xi, 4, 5.) II. 1. Such is the general account which the Scriptures give of the Jews, the ancient Church of God. And since all these things were “written for our instruction,” who are now the visible Church of the God of Israel, I shall, in the next place, appeal to all who profess this, to every one who calls himself a Christian, how far in each instance the parallel holds, and how much we are better than they. And, first, Were they discontented? Did they repine at the providence of God? Did they say, “Is the Lord among us or not?” when they were in imminent danger, or pressing want. and saw no way to escape. And which of us can say, “I am clear from this sin: I have washed my hands and my heart in innocency?” Have not we who “judge others, done the same things; ” murmured and repined times without number; yea, and that when we were not in pressing want, nor distressed with imminent danger? Are we not in general, (our own writers being the judges,) have we not ever been from the earliest ages, a “repining, murmuring, discontented people;” never long satisfied either with God or man? Surely in this we have great need to humble ourselves before God; for we are in nowise better than they. But “Jeshurun forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” And did not England too?