Agree with thine adversary.
Reconciliation with God
1. Man by his sin has made God his adversary.
2. God has opened a way by which sinners, though they have thus grossly offended, may be brought back into a state of reconciliation with Him.
3. To show you that it is man’s duty and interest to avail himself of the opportunity of coming into agreement with God.
I. Who are the persons that may rightly apply to themselves the motives by which i shall urge the business of agreement with God. God is the adversary of any child of Adam who has not availed himself of pardon, the man of private virtue as well as his profligate neighbour.
II. Motives by which this business is urged won you.
1. Consider what it is I am endeavouring to enforce upon your attention. No trifle, agreement with God.
2. What would be the blessings that would result if you were thus reconciled to God.
3. What will be the consequences if you are not reconciled?
4. Let me remind you of the interest others take in your reconciliation with God.
III. Begin that reconciliation immediately “Whiles thou art in the way.”
1. God is now waiting to come to agreement with you.
2. What reason have you to advance why you should not.
3. Consider the uncertainty of life.
4. All the opportunities of agreement are confined to this present life.
5. The results that in another world will follow a want of reconciliation with God in this, are indescribably dreadful.
6. The punishment will be inevitable and eternal. (J. A. James, D. D.)
Agree with thine adversary quickly
1. The Lord warns us to make our Christian peace in time.
2. To take care that our sacramental offering of charity and forgiveness be not delayed.
3. Lest our adversary be no more in the way with us; lest, among the many partings of this world, we lose sight of him for ever.
4. And that on the ground of God’s awful judgment.
5. For to Him the unreconciled quarrels of this world must be referred.
6. He will exact the uttermost farthing of His own incalculable debt from those who have been unkind and unforgiving to their fellow-servants. (G. Moberley, D. C. L.)