A Consolation in Affliction
Christ said of his suffering on the cross, "It is finished!" But sinners shall never say of their sufferings in hell—that they are finished. No! if the damned had lain in hell as many thousand years as there are drops in the sea—eternity has yet to begin!
First use: INFORMATION.
This may inform all wicked men that, no matter how blind they are now—yet at last the veil shall be taken from their eyes! They now count themselves the only happy men, and look upon the people of God with derision. They load them with invectives and curse them with their slanders. Well, the time is not far off—when the wicked shall clearly discern who belong to Christ—and who belong to the devil. As Moses said to Korah and his company, "Tomorrow the Lord will show who are his" (Num. 16:5), so at the day of judgment the Lord will show who are his—and who are not. Nay, sooner than that: at the day of death the wicked shall see how it will be with them for eternity!
Oh, that the eyes of sinners may be speedily opened—that they may see the difference of things, the beauty which is in holiness, and the astonishing madness that is in sin!
Second use: Consolation to the righteous.
Though at present they are slighted, and have the odium of the world cast upon them—yet shortly God will make a visible difference between them and the wicked. As it was with Pharaoh's two officers, the butler and the baker; at first there seemed to be no difference between them—but in a short while there was difference made. The chief butler was advanced to honor—but the chief baker was executed (Gen. 40:21-22). So though now God's people are low and
despised, and the wicked treat them with boastful insolence—yet when the critical day comes, there shall be a final separation made between the righteous and the wicked. The one shall be dignified— the other damned! "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life!" (Matt. 25:46).
Be encouraged therefore, saints of God—to persist in a course of holiness. Though now you seem to be lowermost—yet in the resurrection you shall be uppermost: "The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning" (Psalm 49: 14). That is, they shall have dominion over the wicked in the morning of the resurrection. They shall then laugh the wicked to scorn (Psalm 52:6).
"Then you will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."
Malachi 3:18
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The Great Gain of Godliness by Thomas Watson, Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
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