02.08.a. London's Lamentations contd
God inflicts great and severe judgments upon men, and upon cities and countries—that they may cease from sin, receive instruction, and reform and return to Him.
God’s corrections should be our instructions, His lashes should be our lessons, His scourges should be our schoolmasters, His chastisements should be our admonishments.
God, by fiery afflictions, and by burning up our comforts round about us—awakens us, and brings us to Himself. When iron grows rusty, we put it into the fire to purify it; and so when the people of God grow rusty, then the
Lord brings them under fiery trials to awaken them, and to purify them.
God has several special ends that he aims at by all the fiery trials and sharp providences that He exercises His people with. He intends a further and a fuller discovery of their sins. In standing waters you cannot see the mud which lies at the bottom of the pond; but when once the water is drawn away—then it appears. Just so, in times of prosperity there is a great deal of mud—a great deal of unbelief, discontent, murmuring, impatience, passion, pride, etc.—which lies at the bottom of men’s hearts, undiscovered. Oh, but when God shall once empty them of their estates, and burn up all their outward comforts, and set them with Job upon the ash-heap—
In times of fiery trials, you may say with the psalmist, "My sins are ever before me!" My pride is ever before me, my unbelief is ever before me, my frowardness is ever before me, my murmuring is ever before me, my discontent is ever before me, my impatience is ever before me, etc.
Godly men never come to know how bad they are, until they come to be exercised with severe and sharp trials. It was the speech of a holy man in a great sickness, "In this disease I have learned how great God is, and what the evil of sin is!" Afflictions are a Christian’s mirror, in which they may run and read the greatness of God, and the vileness of sin!
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This scepter must be kissed and submitted to, or else fire and sword, desolation and destruction, will certainly follow.
Many times judgments work—where mercies do not win. The world is so intractable, that God’s frowns will do more with them than God’s smiles.
The the power, justice, and sovereignty of God shines most gloriously in the execution of His judgments upon the world.
God’s greatest severity is to prevent utter ruin and misery!
There is a knowledge of God by His works as well as by His word; and by His judgments as well as by His mercies. In His dreadful judgments everyone may run and read—His power, His justice, His anger, His severity and indignation against sin and sinners.
It is the highway to atheism and profaneness, to imagine to ourselves, a God made up all of mercy, to think that God cannot be angry and wrathful with sinful men.
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"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify Him!" "Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify Him!" Mat 27:22-23
"Him . . . you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain!" Acts 2:23
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!" Acts 2:36
O, since their crucifying of the Lord of glory—
A learned writer tells us that the Jews call Christ, "a bastard;" and his Gospel, "the Volume of Lies," or "the Volume of Iniquity;" and us Christians "heathen". When they greet a Christian, they call him, "Devil". They hate all Christians—but none so much as those who are converted from Judaism to Christianity, and all this after so great a burning and desolation that the Lord has made in the midst of them!
"As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said—If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you." Luk 19:41-44
It is certain that the majority of the Jews are under woeful blindness and hardness to this very day!
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"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Mat 12:36
There are many idle talkers. An idle word is a profuse or needless word, used rashly or unadvisedly, lacking a reason of just necessity, bringing neither honor to God nor edification to others, nor conducing to any profitable end.
And as there are many idle talkers, so there are many over-talkers; and they are such who spend a hundred words when ten will serve the turn.
And as there are many over-talkers, so there are many who are only-talkers, who can do nothing but talk.
And as there are many who are only talkers, so there are many who are unprofitable talkers. "The beginning of the words of their mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is mischievous madness," Ecc 10:13.
And as there are many unprofitable talkers, so there are many unseasonable talkers, who place one word where another should stand. "A wise man discerns time and judgment," Ecc 8:4.
And as there are many unseasonable talkers, so there are many rash talkers, who speak first and think afterwards, Ecc 5:2.
God has set a double bar about the tongue—the teeth and the lips—that men should not speak rashly. Words once spoken cannot return. A man who thinks before he speaks, seldom repents of what he speaks. Silence is far better than rash speaking, or than vain speaking, etc.
O sirs, the tongue is the true revealer of the heart. If there is piety or iniquity at the bottom of your hearts, your tongues will reveal it.
A man’s heart may sometimes be seen at his tongue’s end.
Many a man’s tongue has cut his throat; that is, it has been his ruin.
The Holy Spirit shows the mischief of the tongue, by the several characters by which he brands it. He calls it the flattering tongue, the double tongue, the deceitful tongue, the lying tongue, the perverse tongue, etc., Psa 52:2; Pro 18:21; Ecc 10:12; Psa 19:4, and Psa 73:9; Mat 28:13, Mat 28:15.
The tongue is often like a sharp razor, that, instead of shaving the hair, cuts the throat. If a man does not look well about him, he may every day be in danger of dying by his tongue. "Life and death," says Solomon, "are in the power of the tongue," Pro 18:21.
Ah, how good had it been for many that they had been born dumb! The tongue can easily travel all the world over, and wound men’s names and credits in this country; and that in this city and that in this town, and that in this family, and that in an instant run from one place to another: here it bites, and there it tears: in this place it leaves a blot, and in that it gives a wound; and therefore you have cause to watch your tongues on every day.
O sirs, how many men and women are there who are discriminating about what they eat, who are not discriminating about what they speak; who are particular about the food which goes into their mouths, lest it should hurt or poison them, who are not particular about the words that go out of their mouths, lest they should hurt or poison others!
Of all the members in the body, there is none so serviceable to Satan as the tongue.
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"Oh, how I love Your law!
We are to meditate upon blessed truths that we read in Scripture, such as . . .
the holiness, greatness, and graciousness of God; the person, natures, offices, excellencies, beauties, glories, riches, fullness, and sweetness of Christ; our own emptiness, nothingness, baseness, vileness and unworthiness; the works of God—creation, providence and redemption; our spiritual needs; that eternal rest which is reserved for the people of God.
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"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Php 4:11-12.
In these words you have first the vicissitude of Paul’s outward condition: at one time he abounds, at another he is abased: at one time he is full, and at another time he suffers need.
You have the sweet and gracious composure of his spirit, and this is expressed in two singular acts. The first is his contentment of mind in all conditions. The second is his prudent and pertinent behavior with his present condition.
You have the way how he attained this contentment of mind in all conditions: "I have learned," says he, "I am instructed;" this lesson of contentment he did not learn at the feet of Dr. Gamaliel—but in the school of Jesus Christ.
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"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned
Those whose houses have been burnt up in the great fire of London, must be contented with their present condition. When a man’s mind is brought down to his means—all is well. Contentment in a man’s present condition—will yield him a little heaven in the midst of all the great hells which he meets with in this world. Contentment is a hidden treasure, which the believer will carry with him to the eternal heaven, where an exceeding weight of glory and contentment, with full satisfaction to his desires, will be added to that little stock of contentment that he has obtained in this world. Contentment in every condition, is no other but the house of God! God dwells in a contented heart, and a contented heart dwells in God. Contentment is that porch wherein the believer waits for an entrance into a house not made with hands—but one eternal in the heavens!
As
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44
Satan is the father of all sins, as well as the father of lies. By lying, he first brought sin into the world. Satan began his kingdom by a lie, and by lies he still labors to uphold it. He is the inventor and author of all the lies which are in the world. "The devil’s breasts," says Luther, "are very fruitful with lies." Liars are the devil’s children by imitation. There are none who resemble him so much to the life, as liars do! They are as like him as if they were spit out of the his very mouth. Lying is a part of the devil’s image. Other sins make men like beasts; but this sin of lying makes men like devils.
Such as truly fear the Lord, they hate lying. Psa 119:163, "I hate and abhor lying." Pro 13:5, "A righteous man hates lying." Lying is
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"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Gal 6:7
Sin and punishment are
"When the time comes for Me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." Exo 32:34
"I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging." Psa 89:32
"He will punish your sin and expose your wickedness." Lam 4:22