[b]If you attempt to enthrone the creature![/b]

("The Mute Christian Under the Smarting Rod"
or, "The Silent Soul with Sovereign Antidotes"
by Thomas Brooks, 1659, London.)

O Christian! God has removed one of your sweetest mercies,
comforts, or enjoyments! It may be you have over-loved them,
and over-prized them, and over-much delighted yourself in
them. It may be they have often had your heart--when they
should have had but your hand. It may be that care, that
concern, that confidence, that joy--which should have been
expended upon more noble objects--has been expended
upon them!

Your heart is Christ's bed of spices--and it may be
you have bedded your mercies with you--when Christ
has been made to lie outside! You have had room for
them--when you have had none for Him! They have
had the best--when the worst have been counted good
enough for Christ!

It is said of Reuben, that he went up to his father's bed,
Gen. 49:4. Ah! how often has one creature comfort, and
sometimes another--been put in between Christ and
your souls! How often have your dear enjoyments gone
up to Christ's bed! Your near and dear mercies have
come into Christ's bed of love--your hearts!

Now, if you take a husband, a child, a friend--into that
room in your soul which only belongs to God--He will
either embitter it, remove it, or be the death of it.

If once the love of a wife runs out more to a servant, than
to her husband--the husband will remove that servant;
though otherwise he was a servant worth gold.

Now, if God has stripped you of that very mercy with which
you have often committed spiritual adultery and idolatry--
have you any cause to murmur?

There are those who love their mercies into their graves--
who hug their mercies to death--who kiss them until they
kill them! Many a man has slain his mercies--by setting too
great a value upon them! Many a man has sunk his ship of
mercy--by overloading it. Over-loved mercies are seldom
long-lived. The way to lose your mercies is to indulge them!
The way to destroy them is to fix your minds and hearts
upon them. You may write bitterness and death upon that
mercy first--which has first taken away your heart from God.

Christian! Your heart is Christ's royal throne, and in this
throne Christ will be chief! He will endure no competitor!
If you attempt to enthrone the creature--be it ever
so near and dear unto you--Christ will dethrone it! He
will destroy it! He will quickly lay them in a bed of dust
--who shall aspire to His royal throne!

"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate
my sanctuary--the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight
of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and
daughters you left behind will fall by the sword!" Ezekiel 24:21

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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon