nding repeated rejections, His mercy
had continued its pleadings. With more than a father's pitying love for
the son of his care, God had "sent to them by His messengers, rising up
betimes, and sending; because He had compassion on His people, and on His
dwelling-place."(12) When remonstrance, entreaty, and rebuke had failed,
He sent to them the best gift of heaven; nay, He poured out all heaven in
that one Gift.

The Son of God Himself was sent to plead with the impenitent city. It was
Christ that had brought Israel as a goodly vine out of Egypt.(13) His own
hand had cast out the heathen before it. He had planted it "in a very
fruitful hill."(14) His guardian care had hedged it about. His servants
had been sent to nurture it. "What could have been done more to My
vineyard," He exclaims, "that I have not done in it?"(15) Though when He
"looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild
grapes,"(16) yet with a still yearning hope of fruitfulness He came in
person to His vineyard, if haply it might be saved from destruction. He
digged about His vine; He pruned and cherished it. He was unwearied in His
efforts to save this vine of His own planting.

For three years the Lord of light and glory had gone in and out among His
people. He "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of
the devil,"(17) binding up the broken-hearted, setting at liberty them
that were bound, restoring sight to the blind, causing the lame to walk
and the deaf to hear, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, and
preaching the gospel to the poor. To all classes alike was addressed the
gracious call, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest."(18)

Though rewarded with evil for good, and hatred for His love,(19) He had
steadfastly pursued His mission of mercy. Never were those repelled that
sought His grace. A homeless wanderer, reproach and penury His daily lot,
He lived to minister to the needs and lighten the woes of men, to plead
with them to accept the gift of life. The waves of mercy, beaten back by
those stubborn hearts, returned in a stronger tide of pitying,
inexpressible love. But Israel had turned from her best Friend and only
Helper. The pleadings of His love had been despised, His counsels spurned,
His warnings ridiculed.

The hour of hope and pardon was fast passing; the cup of God's
long-deferred wrath was almost full. The cloud that had been gathering
through ages of