Chapter. 19. To see the misery of being always unfit for service. To teach us to long for Heaven.
impact. Strive to bring those truths to mind and present them fresh before your hearts with as much force as possible. Keep them constantly in view and meditate upon them, allowing them to penetrate your heart. Although the flesh may feel numb, with rubbing and exercise, strength will come. In the same way, if you present those soul-quickening truths before your heart again and meditate on them, they will infuse some strength and vitality into your heart.
Lastly, examine your current condition and engage in the appropriate duties that align with your present circumstances.
Chapter 19:
The Fifth Use - Recognising the Misery of Always Being Unfit for Service and the Sixth Use - Cultivating a Longing for Heaven.
Now, moving on to the next point: If God's people experience such a difference within themselves, where sometimes their spiritual state is far from ideal, then it becomes evident how wretched it is to be constantly downcast and unfit for service. This is not typically the condition of God's servants. Although there are times when their hearts may be low compared to other times, to be consistently downcast and unserviceable is a sad and miserable state. It is as if you have never felt the power of God upon your hearts, never experienced the breath of the Holy Spirit, and never sensed the stirring of God's grace within you. You come and listen to the Word,
encountering soul-quickening and warming truths that stir others, yet your heart remains motionless like a log submerged in water for seven years without being stirred. It is akin to a vessel in a house that lies unused, decaying and deteriorating, never being employed or made ready for any service. Can such vessels be considered vessels of honor? In 2 Timothy 2:21, the Scripture speaks of vessels in a great house designated as vessels of honor. It describes them as cleansed, prepared for the master's use, and ready for every good work. Now, if a vessel continually decays and deteriorates, never being put to use, it is destined for the fire and not for use. Likewise, hearts that perpetually decay and deteriorate, never being fit for service, should fear that they are vessels of dishonor and destined for the fire.
Objection: Some may say, "I fear that I am a vessel for the fire because I cannot recall a time when my heart was fit for any service that God called me to."
Answer: Firstly, a heart that is aware of its unfitness and humbles itself before God because of it does not possess the unfitness that would designate it for the fire.
Secondly, it may be your ingratitude that leads you to claim that you are never fit for service because you are not fit to the extent you desire. You fail to recognise the work of God's grace in the present.
Thirdly, it could be that you are currently being shaped and prepared for service. If you are undergoing a process of fitting and preparing, it is a sign that you are not destined for the fire. If a vessel is designated for the fire, there is no attempt to mend it. However, if the master of the house calls for a vessel, orders it to be cleansed and washed, and engages in some work concerning it, it is an indication
that it is not destined for the fire. Similarly, perhaps God is fitting and preparing you for service.
Fourthly, it is possible that you are misunderstanding your work.
You do not comprehend the specific work to which God is calling you. You may consider yourself unfit for certain tasks, but that may not be the work God is calling you to in the present. God may be summoning you to a work of humility, dependence on Him, seeking
His face, and exercising patience. Do not conclude that you are unfit for the Master's use simply because you are not suited for a particular task. Perhaps the time has not yet come for the specific work that God intends for you to engage in.
USE 6.
Finally, if there is such a disparity between the hearts of God's people, it should inspire us to long for heaven. In heaven, our hearts will always be uplifted, and the difference from our current state will surpass our imagination. Moreover, there will be no fear of losing that elevated state. Mr. Brightman makes an observation on Revelation 19:11, comparing it with Revelation 4. In Revelation 4:1, it is mentioned that a door was opened in heaven, whereas in Revelation 19:11, it states that heaven itself was opened. Here on earth, the condition of God's people varies. Sometimes they experience a glimpse of heaven through a small door, and at other times, the heavens open up to them. However, there will come a time when the heavens will not only be opened for them, but they will be filled with the saints. The greatest glory of heaven will be the presence of the saints, and in that state, we will not need to exert effort to keep our hearts uplifted. It would be ideal if our hearts were always uplifted, even if it required great effort. In that future time,