The Quotable Matthew Henry
God: His Omniscience intents of the heart, but His judgment we are sure is accordof the senses; but God sees every thing truly. His sight cannot be deceived for he tries the heart, and is a witness to the thoughts and intents of that. Eyes of flesh discover things gradually, and when we gain the sight of one thing, we lose the sight of another; but God sees every thing at one view. Eyes of flesh are soon tired, must be closed every night that they may be refreshed, and will shortly be darkened by age and shut up by 'death;but itheskeeper eor Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, nor does his sight ever decay. God sees not as man sees, that is, he does not judge ing to truth.
2 Samuel 24
If we be ever so industrious to justify ourselves before men and to preserve our credit with them — if we keep our hands ever so clean from the pollutions of gross sin, which fall under the eye of the world — yet God, who knows our hearts, can charge us with so much secret sin as will for ever take off our pretensions to purity and innocency, and make us see ourselves odious in the sight of the holy God. Paul, while a Pharisee, made his hands very clean; but when the commandment came and discovered to him his heart-sins, and made him know lust, that plunged him in the ditch. as man judges, at the best secundum allegata et probata — according to what is alleged and proved, as the thing appears rather than as it is, and too often according to the bias of the affections, passions, prejudices, and interest; but we are sure that the judgment of God
Job9
1. He is sure that God does not discover things, nor judge of them, as men do: He has not eyes of flesh (v. 4), for he is a Spirit. Eyes of flesh cannot see in the dark, but darkness hides not from God. Eyes of flesh are but in one place at a time, and can see but a little way; but the eyes of the Lord are in every place, and run to and fro through the whole earth. Many things are hidden from eyes of flesh, the most curious and piercing; there is a path which even the vulture's eye has not seen: but nothing is, or can be, hidden from the eye of God, to which all things are naked and open. Eyes. of flesh see the outward appearance only, and may be imposed upon by a deceptio vista — an illusion is according to truth, and that he knows the truth, not by information, but by his own inspection. Men discover secret things by search, and examination of witnesses, comparing evidence and giving conjectures upon it, wheedling or forcing the parties concerned to confess; but God needs not any of these ways of discovery. He sees not as man sees.
2. He is sure that as God is not short-sighted, like man, so he is not short-lived (v. 5): 'Are thy days as the days of man, few and evil? Do they roll on in succession, or are they subject to change, like the days of man? No, by no means.' Men grow wiser by experience and more
God: His Omniscience knowing by daily observation; with them truth is the daughter of time, and therefore they must take time ffor their searches, and, if one experiment fail, must try another. But what company we walk with, what end we walk towards, and therefore what ways we walk in... 'He not only sees, but takes notice; he counts all my steps, all my false steps in the way of duty, all my by-steps into the way of sin.' God takes a more exact notice of us than we do of ourselves; for who ever counted his own steps? Yet God counts them. Let us therefore walk circumspectly. it is not so with God; to him nothing is past, nothing future, but everything present.
Job 10
This knowledge is hidden in God, as the apostle speaks, (Eph. 3, 9.) Known unto God are all his works, though they are not known to us (Acts 15,
Jobst
He knows things truly and not by their colours — thoroughly, and not by piecemeal. To His knowledge there is nothing distant, but all near — nothing futureswabute ally (present? nothing hid, but all open. We ought to acknowledge this in all His wondrous works, and it is sufficient to satisfy us in those wondrous works which we know not the meaning of that they are the works of one that knows what He does.
18). There are good reasons for what he does, though we cannot assign them (v. 23); God understands the way thereof. Men sometimes do they know not what, but God never does. Men do what they did not design to do; new occurrences put them upon new counsels, and oblige them to take new measures. But God does all according to the purpose which he purposed in himself, and which he never alters. Men sometimes do that which they cannot give a good reason for, but in every will of God there is a counsel: he knows both what he does and why he does it, the whole series of events and the order and place of every occurrence. This knowledge he has in perfection, but keeps to himself.
Job 37
They please themselves with an atheistical conceit that God Himself takes no notice of their wicked practices: They say, 'Who shall see them?' A practical disbelief of God's omniscience is at the bottom of all the wickedness of the wicked.
Job 28
Psalm 64
It is a great truth that God's eyes are upon all the ways of Mens (Prova wos f 20s 21) but Job here mentions it with appli-
The gods of the heathen had eyes and saw not, ears and heard not; our God has no eyes nor ears, as we have, and yet we must conclude He both sees and hears, because we have our sight and hearing from Him, and are accountable to Him for our use of them. cation to himself and his own actions: Doth not he see my ways? O God! thou hast searched me and known me. God sees what rule we walk by,
God: His Omniscience
The flowing of the streams is a certain sign of the fulness of the fountain. If all knowledge is from God, no doubt all knowledge is in God. Psalm 94 upon, but God cannot. He not only searches the heart with a piercing eye, but he tries the reins, to pass a judgment upon what he discovers, to give everything its true character and due weight. He tries it, as the gold is tried whether it be The wise God is never put upon new counsels, nor obliged to take new measures, either in His laws or in His providences. standard or no, as the prisoner is tried whether he be guilty or no.
God knows more evil of us than we do of ourselves, which Psalm 111 is a good reason why we should not flatter ourselves, but always stand in awe of the judgment of God.
He does not cast an eye upon men's ways now and then, but they are always actually in his view and under his inspection; and darest thou sin against God in His sight, and do that wickedness under His eye which thou durst not do in the presence of Jeremiah 17
The fixing of the time during which the captivity should last would be of great use, not only for the confirmation of the prophecy, when the event (which in this particular could by no human sagacity be foreseen) should exactly answer the prediction, but for the comfort of the people of God in their calamity and the encouragement of faith and prayer. Daniel, who was himself a prophet, had an eye to it (Dan. 9:2). Nay, God himself had an eye to it (2 Chron. 36: 22); for therefore He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, that the word spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished. 'Known unto God are a man like thyself?
Proverbs 5
Those that do so shall find it remembered to their praise, as (according to our reading) it is here remembered to the praise of the land of Tema that they did bring water to the thirsty and relieved even those that were on the falling side.
Isaiah 21
There is the work of the heart as well as the work of the hands. As thoughts are words to God, so designs are works in His account.
Isaiah 32 all His works from the beginning of the world', which appears by this, that, when he has thought fit, some of them have been made known to His servants the prophets and by them to His church.
I the Lord search the heart'. This is true of all that is in the heart, all the thoughts of it, the quickest, and those that are most carelessly overlooked by ourselves — all the intents of it, the closest, and those that are most artfully disguised, and industriously concealed from others. Men may be imposed
Jeremiah 25
Ebed-melech gained his point, and soon brought Jeremiah the
God: His Omniscitence
He, by his omniscience, cuts up the sacrifice we bring to him, that it may be presented to the Father. Now as the high priest inspected the sacrificed beasts, cut them up to the back-bone to see whether they were sound at heart, so all things are thus dissected, and lie open to the piercing eye of our great high priest. And he who now tries our sacrifices will at length, good news; and it is observable how particularly the manner of his drawing him out of the dungeon is related (for God is not unrighteous to forget any work or labour of love which is shown to his people or ministers, no, nor any circumstance of it) (Heb. 6:10.)
Jeremiah 38
Sinners that are resolved to go on in sin are well enough pleased with gods that 'neither see, nor hear, nor know', for then they may sin securely; but they will find, to their confusion, that though those are the gods they choose those are not the gods they must be judged by, but One to whom as Judge, try our state
Hebrews 4
Foreknowledge may be taken in two ways: First, for mere prescience, foresight, or understanding, that such a thing will be, before it comes to pass. Thus a mathematician certainly 'all things are naked and open'. foreknows that at such a time there will be an eclipse. This sort of foreknowledge is in God, who at one commanding view sees all things that ever were, Or are, or ever will be. But such a prescience is not the cause why any thing is so or so, though in the event it certainly will be so, as the mathematician who foresees an eclipse does not thereby cause that eclipse to be. Secondly, foreknowledge sometimes signifies counsel, appointment, and approbation. (Acts 2:23), 'Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.' The death of Christ was not only foreseen, but fore-ordained, as Daniel 5
Christ not only foresaw that Judas would betray him though he only in heart designed it, but he foresaw that Peter would deny him though he did not design it, but the contrary. He knows not only the wickedness of sinners, but the weakness of saints.
John 13 'He chargeth his angels with folly' (Job 4:18), and much more the wisest among the children of men. 'His understanding is infinite' (Ps. 147:5). There can be no more comparison between his wisdom and ours than between his power and being and ours. There is no common measure by which to compare finite and infinite. And much more v. 20. Take it thus here; so the sense is, 'elect according to the counsel, ordination, and free grace of God.'
1 Peter 1 is the wisdom of man foolishness with God when set in competition with his.
God: His Patience
1 Corinthians 3 114
He came into the garden, not
God: His Righteousness
Israel's manner in the wilderness (Acts 13:18). How mildly did God reason with Elijah, when he was upon the fret (1 Kings 19:46), and _ especially with Jonah, whose case was very parallel with this here, for he was there disquieted at the repentance of Ninevah, and the mercy shown to it, as the elder brother here. descending immediately from heaven in their view, as afterwards on Mount Sinai .. . but he came into the garden, as one who was still willing to be familiar with them. He came walking, not running, not riding upon the wings of the wind, but walking deliberately as one slow to anger, teaching us, when we are ever so much provoked not to be hot nor hasty, but to speak and act considerately and not rashly. He came in the cool of the day, not in the night when all fears are doubly fearful, nor in the heat of the day, for he came not in the heat of his anger. Nor did he come _ suddenly upon them; but they heard his Voice at some distance, giving them notice of his coming and probably it was a still, small voice like that in which he came enquiring after Elijah. Some think they heard him discoursing with himself concerning the sin of Adam and the judgment now to be passed upon him; perhaps, as he did concerning Israel (Hosea 11: 8, 9) — 'How shall I give them up?' Or, rather, they heard him calling for them and coming toward them.
Luke 15
God: His Righteousness
To be just is to render to all their due; now we do not render to God his due, nor are we just to him; if we do "not acknowledge his equity and kindness in all the dispensations of his providence towards us, that he is righteous in all his ways and that, however it be, yet he is good.
Job 33
The law revealed that righteousness of God by which all sinners stand condemned, but _ the Gospel reveals that by which all believers stand acquitted.
Tsaiah 56
He fell on his face, and cried, not in fear for himself (he was one of those that were marked), but in compassion to his fellowcreatures. Those that sigh and cry for the sins of sinners cannot but sigh and cry for their miseries too; yet the day
Genesis 3
As he went to meet the younger son, so now he goes to court the elder, did not send a servant out with a kind message to him, but went himself. Now, this is designed to represent to us the goodness of God; how strangely gentle and winning he has been towards those that were strangely froward and_ provoking. He reasoned with Cain, is coming when all this concern will be entirely swallowed up in a full satisfaction in this, that God is glorified; and those that now fall on their faces, and cry, Ah! Lord God, will lift up 'Why art thou wroth?' He bore
God: His Righteousness their heads, and sing, Hallelujah (Rev. 19:1, 3). thee as a threshing instrument if he pleases. (Isa. 41; 15).
Exodus 8
Ezekiel 9
God sometimes makes sin to be
It is fit that God, who by his Providence, gives us all we have, should, by his law, direct the using of it. its Own punishment, and yet is not the author of sin; and there needs no more to make men miserable than to give them up
Deuteronomy 26 to their own vile appetites and passions. Let them be put into the hand of their own counsels, and they will ruin themselves and make themselves desolate. And thus God makes them KHOWethateene ism thessl Lord, and that he is a righteous God, which they themselves will be compelled to own when they see how much their wilful transgressions contribute to their own desolations. Note, those who will not acknowledge God as the Lord their ruler shall be made to acknowledge him as the Lord their judge when it is too late.
Abimelech intended hereby to punish the Shechemites for their slighting him now but God intended to punish them for their serving him formerly in the murder of Gideon's sons, thus when God makes use of men as instruments in his hand to do his work he means one thing and they another (Isa. 10:6, 7). They design to maintain their honour but God to maintain his.
Judges 9
If any good appear to be in our own hearts or in the hearts of others, we must own it was God that put it there and bless him for it; for it is-he' that worketh in us both to will and to do that which is good. When princes and magistrates act for
Ezekiel 20
God: His Sovereignty
The policies of the Church's enemies aim to defeat the promises of the Church's God but in vain God's counsels shall stand . . . Hell and earth cannot diminish those whom heaven will increase. the suppression of vice and the encouragement of religion, we must thank God that put it into their hearts to do so as much as if they had granted us some particular favour.
Exodus
Ezra 7
The dust of the land became lice. Out of any part of the creation God can fetch a scourge with which to correct those that rebel against him. He has many arrows in his quiver, even the ~dusts. of ithe; cearth obeys him. Fear not then thou worm, Jacob, for God can use
If he make a change in nations, in families, in the posture of our affairs — if he shut up in prison, or in the net of affliction (Ps. 66:11) — If he seize any creature as a hunter his prey, he will gather it (so bishop Patrick) and who shall force him to restore? Or if he
God: His Sovereignty
gather together as tares for the
But God has an incontestable sovereignty; his will is so perfectly pure and right that it is highly fit he should pursue all fire, or if he gather to himself man's spirit and breath (ch. 34: 14), then who can hinder him? Who can either arrest the sentence or oppose the execution? Who can control his power or arraign his wisdom and justice? its determinations. And he has an uncontrollable power. None can stay his hand. Whatever the Lord pleased that did he (Ps. 135:6), and always will, for it is always best. li' -he'*that"made all "out of nothing think fit to reduce all to nothing, or to their first chaos again — if he that separated between light and darkness, dry land and sea, at first, please to gather them together again — if he that made unmakes, who can turn him away, alter his mind or stay his hand, impede. or impeach his proceedings.
Job 23
We are here told what God designed in doing all this for Cyrus. What Cyrus aimed at in undertaking his wars we may easily guess, but what God aimed at in giving him such wonderful success in his wars we are here told.
Job 11
Isaiah 45
When Jacob by a fraud got the blessing the design of God's grace was served; when Ahab was drawn by a false prophecy into an expedition that was his ruin the design of God's justice was served; and in both the deceived and the deceiver were It is good to see how the counsel and decree of God are pursued and executed in the devices and designs of men, even theirs that know him not (Isa. 10:6, 7)... It was not that they might fulfil God's counsels, but that they might fill their own treasures, at his disposal. See (Ezek. 14:9f). God would not suffer the sin of the deciever, nor the misery of the deceived, if he knew not how to set bounds to both and bring glory to himself out of both. Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent thus reigns; and it is well he does, for otherwise there that they were thus eager; yet God thereby served his own purposes.
Jeremiah 6
God has both an incontestable authority and an_ irresistible ability to form and _ fashion kingdoms and nations as he pleases, so as to serve his own purposes. is so little wisdom and so little honesty in the world that it would all have been in confusion and ruin long ago.
Jeremiah 18 job 12
God has the sovereign command of all the hosts of men, even of those that know him not, that own him not, and they are all made to serve his purposes. He directs their marches, their counter-marches, their What his soul desires or designs even that he does, and nothing can stand in his way or put him upon new counsels. Men desire many things which they may not do, or cannot do, or dare not do.
Diy
God: His Sovereignty appear in defence of him, God made even those that were strangers and enemies, to speak in his favour; when Peter denied him, Judas confessed him; when the chief priests pronounced him guilty of death, Pilate declared he found no fault in him; when the women that loved him stood afar off, Pilate's wife, who knew little of him, showed a concern for him. Note, God will not leave himself without witnesses to the truth and equity of his cause, even when it seems to be most spitefully run down by its enemies, and most shamefully deserted by its friends. retreats, their returns, as it pleases him; and furious armies, like stormy winds, in all their motions are fulfilling his word. His word.
Jeremiah 37 'Even so Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight'. Christ here subscribes to the will of his Father in this matter; 'Even so'. Let God take what way he pleases to glorify himself, and make use of what instruments he pleases for the carrying on of his own work; his grace is his own, and he may give or withhold it as he pleases. We can give no reason why Peter, Matthew 27 a fisherman, should be made an apostle, and not Nicodemus, God has wicked men in a chain, and, whatever mischief they would do, they can do no more than God will suffer them to do. The malice of persecutors is impotent even when it is most impetuous, and, when Satan a Pharisee, and a ruler of. the Jews, though he also believed in Christ; but 'so it seemed good in God's sight'. Christ said this in the hearing of his disciples, to show them that it was not for any merit of their own that they were thus dignified and_ distinguished, but purely from God's_ good pleasure; he made them to differ. fills their hearts, yet God ties their hands.
John 7
He is the prince of the kings of the earth; from him they have their authority; by him their power is limited and their wrath restrained; by him their counsels are over-ruled, and to him they are accountable. This is good news to the church.
Matthew 11
There are those to whom this knowledge is not given, and a man can receive nothing unless it be given him from above (John 3:27); and be it remembered that God is debtor to no man; his grace is his own; he gives or withholds it at pleasure
Revelation 1 (Rem? .11:35)3: the: difference must be resolved into God's sovereignty, as before (Ch. 11: 25526), Matthew 13
God: His Transcendence
Sin is said to be against God because so the sinner intends it and so God takes it, and it is an injury to his honour; yet it cannot do anything against
When his friends were afraid to
God: His Wrath him. The malice of sinners is impotent malice: it cannot destroy his being or perfections, cannot dethrone him from his power and dominion, cannot diminish his wealth and possessions, cannot disturb his peace and repose, cannot defeat his counsels and designs, nor can it derogate from his essenbrethren ... he had in his exile headed a rabble . . . One would not have thought that this abandoned youth was intended to be Israel's deliverer and judge but God often humbles those whom he designs to exalt and make that stone the head of the corner which the _ builders refused, so Joseph, Moses and David, the three most eminent of the shepherds of Israel, were tial glory.
Job 35 all thrust out by men before they were called of God to their great offices.
The streams of being, power and perfection should lead us to the fountain. God is great, infinitely
Judges 11 so — great in power, for he is omnipotent and independent — great in wealth, for he is selfsufficient and all-sufficient — great in himself — great in all his works — great, and therefore greatly to be praised — great, and therefore we know him not. We know that he is, but not what he is. We know what he is not, but not what he is. We know in part, but not in perfection. This comes in here as a reason why we must not arraign his proceedings, nor find fault with what he does, because it is speaking
Even the infirmities and mistakes of those whom God employs are overruled by infinite wisdom and made serviceable to his purposes.
1 Samuel 3
It was in the fifth year of the captivity that Ezekiel was raised up among them, and not before. So long God left them without any prophet, till they began to lament after the Lord and to complain, that they saw not their signs and there was none to tell them how long (Ps. 74:9), and then they would know how to value a prophet and God's discoveries of himself to them by him would be the more acceptable and comfortable. evil of the things that we understand not and answering a matter before we hear it. . . This is a good reason why we should not prescribe to him, nor quarrel with him, because, as he is, such are his operations, quite out of our reach.
Ezekiel
God: His Wrath
Job 36
Whatever men may think to the contrary, the executions of providence will fully answer the predictions of the word, and God will appear as_ terrible against sin and sinners as the scripture makes him; nor shall
God: His Ways
Jephthah lay under three disadvantages — he was the son of a harlot ... he had been driven from his country by his
Ged: His Wrath
Godly Fear the unbelief of men make either his promises or his threatenings of no effect or of less effect than they were thought to be of. The contempt of the prophecies is here the sin charged upon them, Happy is the man who always keeps up in his mind a holy awe and reverence of God, his glory, goodness and_ government, who is always afraid of offending God and _ incurring his displeasure, who keeps conscience tender and has a dread of the appearance of evil, who as the procuring cause of this judgment.
Jeremiah 19
As to the body of the people, is always jealous of himself, distrustful of his own. sufficiency, and lives in expectation of troubles and changes, so that, whenever they come, they are no surprise to him. He who keeps up such a fear as this will live a life of faith and watchfulness, and _ therefore happy is he, blessed and holy. it shall not be a correction in love, but he will execute judgments in anger, and in fury, and in furious rebukes (v. 15), strange expressions to come from a God who has said, 'Fury is not in Me', and who has declared himself gracious, and merciful, and slow to anger. But they are designed to show the malignity of sin, and the offence it gives to the just and holy God. That must needs be Proverbs 28
Good Works a very evil thing which provokes him to such resentments, and against his own people too, that had been so high in his favour.
'Art thou come hither to torment us — to cast us out from these men, and to restrain us from doing the hurt we would do?' Note, to be turned out, and tied up, from doing mischief, is a torment to the devil,
Ezekiel 5
I will send my anger upon thee. Observe, God is Lord of his anger; it does not break out but when he pleases, nor fasten upon any but as he directs it and gives it commission. all whose comfort and. satisfaction are man's misery and destruction. Should we not then count it our heaven to be doing well, and reckon that our torment, whether within, or without, that hinders us from welldoing?
Ezekiel 7
Matthew 8
The wrath of God is not like our wrath, a heat and passion; no, fury is not in him (Isa. 27:4): but it is a righteous judgment, his will to punish sin, because he hates it as contrary to his nature.
Gospel: Above Reason
He was to the Greeks foolishness. They laughed at the story of a crucified Saviour, and despised the apostles' way of Romans 2
Greed telling it. They sought for wisdom. They were men of wit and reading, men that had cultivated arts and sciences, and had, for some ages, been in a manner the very mint of knowledge and learning. There was nothing in the plain doctrine of the cross to suit their taste, nor humour their vanity, nor gratify a curious and wrangling temper: they entertained it therefore with scorn and contempt. What, hope to be saved by one that could not save himself! And trust in one who was condemned and crucified as a malefactor, a man of mean birth and poor condition in life, and cut off by so vile and opprobrious a death!
the repetition of them.
1 Chronicles 20
The good names of the greatest lie much at the mercy even of the meanest.
Ecclesiastes 7
Neither the innocence of the dove, no, nor the prudence of the, serpent, to help out, can secure men from unjust censure and false accusation.
Jeremiah 20
Gratitude
Let those who have good done to them look upon it as a just debt they owe to their protectors and benefactors to bless them and give witness to them, to use their interest on earth for their honour and in heaven for their comfort, to _ praise them, and pray for them. Those are ungrateful indeed who grudge these small returns.
The thing preached was foolishness in the eyes of worldly-wise men. Our living through one who died, our being blessed by one who was made a curse, our being justified by one who was himself condemned, was all folly and inconsistency to men blinded with self-conceit and wedded to their own prejudices and the boasted discoveries of their reason and philosophy.
Job 29
Greed
Though the subterraneous wealth is thus hard to obtain, yet men will have it. He that loves silver is not satisfied with 1 Corinthians 1
Gossip silver, and yet is not satisfied without it; but those that have much must needs have more... See how foolish man adds to his own burden. He is sentenced to eat bread in the sweat of his face; but, as if that were not enough, he will get gold and silver at the peril of his life, though the more is gotten the less valuable
Now, as the relating of the sin David fell into is an instance of the impartiality and fidelity of the sacred writers, so the avoiding of the repetition of it here when there was a fair occasion given to speak of it again, is designed to teach us that though there may be a just occasion to speak of the faults and miscarriages of others, yet we should not take delight in it is. In Solomon's time silver was as stones.
Job 28
Greed
It is a sin, when corn is dear and scarce, to withhold it, in hopes that it will still grow dearer, so' to keep up and advance the market, when it is already so high that the poor suffer by it; and at such a time hand, made no impression upon them when they apprehended that they should hereby lose money.
Acts 16
Growth it is the duty of those that have stocks of corn by them to consider the poor, and to be willing to sell at the market-price, to be content with moderate profit, and not aim to make a gain of God's judgments. It is a noble and extensive piece of charity for those that have stores wherewithal to do it to help to keep the markets low when the price of our commodities grows excessive.
Where God gives true grace he will give more grace. God's trees shall grow higher, like the' cedars, the 'tall "¢edars in Lebanon; they shall grow nearer heaven, and with a holy ambition shall aspire towards the upper world; they shall grow stronger, like the cedars, and fitter for use.
Psalm 92
Proverbs 11
Grumbling
It was folly for him to hoard up what he had, and then to think
When we murmur against those who are instruments of any uneasiness to us whether justly or unjustly, we should do well to consider how much _ we reflect upon God by it. Men are but God's hand. Those that quarrel with the _ reproofs and convictions of the word and are angry with their ministers when they are touched in a tender part know not what they do for therein they strive with their Maker. Let this for ever stop the mouth of murmuring for it is daring impiety to murmur at God, because he is God and gross absurdity to murmur at men because they are but men. it well bestowed. There will I bestow it all; as if none must be bestowed upon the poor, none upon his family, none upon the Levite and _ the stranger, the fatherless and the widow, but all in the great barn.
Luke 12
If the preaching of the gospel ruin the craft of the silversmiths (ch. 19:24) much more the craft of the soothsayers; and therefore here is a great outcry raised, when Satan's power to deceive is broken: the priests hated the gospel because it turned men from the blind service of dumb idols, and so the hope of their gains was gone. The power of Christ, which appeared in dispossessing the woman, and the great kindness done to her in delivering her out of Satan's
Exodus 16
When we consider how their camp was guided, guarded, graced, etc . we may ask 'What could have been done r22
Guidance more for a people to make them easy?' and yet they complained. Those that are of a fretful, dis-
The words signify, Groan not one against another, that is 'Do not make one another uneasy by your murmuring groans at what befalls you, nor by your contented spirit will always find something or other to quarrel with though the circumstances of their outward condition be ever so _ favourable. .. We read of their murmurdistrustful groans as to what may further come upon you, nor by your revengeful groans against the instruments of your sufferings, nor by your envious groans at those who may be free from your calamities: do not make yourselves uneasy and make one another uneasy by thus groaning to and grieving one another.' ings several times when they came first out of Egypt (Ex. 15; 16; 17), but we don't read of any plagues inflicted on them for their murmurings as there were now; for now they had had great experience of God's care of them and, therefore, now to distrust him was James 5 so much the more inexcusable.
Guidance
Numbers 11
They did not stir a step till Joshua ordered them to move and Joshua did not order them out of Jordan till God directed him to"do so: (v.215=.47) 085 How low a condition soever God may at any time bring his priests
They tempted God — tempted his Power whether he could help them in their straits; his goodness whether he would and his faithfulness whether his promises would be _ performed, : They ~ tempted: his justice whether he would resent or people to, let them patiently wait till, by his Providence, he shall call them up out of it as the priests here were called to come up out of Jordan and let them not be weary of waiting while they have the tokens of God's Presence with them, even the ark of the Covenant, in the depth of their adversity. their provocation and punish them or not. They tempted him and in effect challenged him.
Numbers 14
Those resist the Prince who resist those that are commissioned by him for alas, says Moses, 'What is Aaron that you murmur against him?' If murmurers and complainers would consider that the instruments they quarrel with are but instruments whom God employs and they are but what he makes them and never more nor less, better nor worse, they would not be so bold and free in their censures and reproaches as they
Joshua 4
God will, some way or other, direct the steps of those who acknowledge him in all their ways and seek unto him for direction with full purpose of heart to follow it.
1 Samuel 14
To those who understand aright, who depart from evil (for that are.
Numbers 16
Guidance is understanding), the knowledge of God and of his will is easy. who are transformed by the renewing of their mind.
Proverbs 14
A good wit can dispute and distinguish about the will of God; while an honest, humble heart, that has spiritual senses exercised, and is delivered into the mould of the word, loves it, and practises it, and has the relish and savour of it.
If men devise their way, so as to make God's glory their end and his will their rule, they may expect that he will direct their steps by his Spirit and grace, so that they shall not miss their way nor come short of their end.
Romans 12
Proverbs 16
Happiness
'You shall have more knowledge on a sudden than hitherto you have had by diligent attendance.' They had asked some ignorant questions (ch. 9:2), some ambitious questions (Matt. 18:1), some distrustful ones (Matt. 19:27), some impertinent sronesbe(ch: 21:21), some curious ones (Acts 1:6); but, after the Spirit was poured out, nothing of all this. In the story 'of the apostles' Acts' we seldom find them asking questions, as David, 'Shall I do this?' Or, 'Shall I go thither?' For they were constantly under a divine guidance. In that weighty case of preaching the 'gospel to Faint desires of happiness without a right choice at the end and a right use of the means deceive many into their own ruin. Multitudes go to hell with their mouths full of good desires.
Genesis 27
This was he, who having tasted of these enjoyments, wrote a whole book to show the vanity of all worldly things and the vexation of spirit that attends them, their insufficiency to make us happy and the folly of setting our hearts upon them, and to recommend to us the practice of serious godliness as that which is the whole of man, and will do infinitely more towards the making of us easy and happy than all the wealth and power that he was master of, and which through the grace of God, is within our reach, when the thousandth -part of Solomon's greatness is a thousand times more than we can ever be so vain as to promise ourselves in this world. the: «gentiles',. Péter -went, 'nothing doubting' (Acts 10:20). Asking questions supposes us at a loss, or at least at a stand, and the best of us have need to ask questions; but we should aim at such a full assurance of understanding that we may not hesitate, but be constantly led in a plain path both of truth and duty.
John 16
Those are best able to prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God, 1 Kings 10
Hardness of Heart
When it is said, 'Blessed are the
prosecuted by the prince, had undefiled in the way, blessed little or no effect upon the people. It was with reluctancy that they parted with their is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked' etc., the design is to show the characidols. Still they were in heart joined to them and wished for ters of those that are blessed; but when it is said, 'Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven', the design is to show what that blessedness is, and what is the ground and foundathem again.
2 Chronicles 34
See how wretchedly the hearts of sinners are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Persecution was one of the sins for which God was now contending with them, and yet Zedekiah persists in it even now that he was in the depth of distress. No providences, no afflictions, will of themselves part between men and their sins, unless the grace of God work with them. Nay, some are made worse by those very judgments that should make them better. tion of it. Pardoned people are the only blessed people.
Romans 4
Observe, what a growing increasing happiness the happiness of the saints is: 'Not only so'. One would think such peace, such grace, such glory, and such a joy in hope of it, were more than such poor' undeserving creatures as we are could pretend to; and yet it is 'not only S00; Jeremiah 32
Romans 5
Those who are not acquainted with the divine speech have reason to fear that they are strangers to the divine nature. Christ spoke the words of God
Our establishment in the ways of God is a likely means in order to comfort; whereas, if we are wavering in faith, and of a doubtful mind, or if we are halting and faltering in our duty, no wonder if we are strangers to the pleasures and joys of religion. What is it that lies at the bottom of all our uneasiness, but our unsteadiness in religion?
(Ch. 3:34) in the dialect of the kingdom of God; and yet they, who pretended to belong to the kingdom, understood not the idioms and properties of it, but like strangers, and rude ones too, ridiculed it. And the reason why they did not understand Christ's speech made the matter much worse: 'Even because you cannot hear my word', that is, 2 Thessalonians 2
Hardness of Heart
'You cannot persuade yourselves to hear it attentively, impartially, and without prejudice, as it should be heard.' The meaning of this 'cannot' is an obstinate
Josiah was sincere in what he did but the generality of the people were averse to it and hankered after their idols still so that the reformation, though well designed and well 'will not'; as the Jews could not hear Stephen (Acts 7:57) nor Paul' (Acts 22:22): Note, the
Hardness of Heart have to do with him. The fat denotes the best and choicest which must always be devoted rooted antipathy of men's corrupt hearts to the doctrine of Christ is the true reason of their ignorance of it, and of their errors and mistakes about to God who has made for us a feast of fat things. it. They do not like it nor love it, and therefore they will not understand it; like Peter, who pretended he 'knew not what the damsel said' (Matt. 26:70), when in truth he knew not what to say to it.
Leviticus 3
We must not think that doing much in religion will be accepted if we do not do it well and after the manner that God _ has appointed.
Numbers 29
John 8
The Spirit of the Lord had departed from him yet he kept up his observance of the holy feasts. There may be the remains of external devotion where there
Harvest
Harvest time is busy time; all hands must be then at work; every one must work for himself, that he may reap of the graces and comforts of the Gospel: ministers must work for God, to gather in souls to him. Harvest time is opportunity, a short and _ limited time, which will not last always; and harvest work is work that must be done then or not at all so the time of enjoyment of the Gospel is a particular season, which must be improved for its proper purposes; for, once past, it cannot be recalled. is nothing but the ruins of real virtue.
1 Samuel 20
David who pitched a tent for the Ark and continued steadfast to it did far better than Solomon who built a temple for it and yet in his latter end turned his back upon it. The Church's poorest times were its purest.
1 Chronicles 16
Those who have the New Jerusalem in their eye must have the ways that lead to it in their heart, must mind them, their eyes must look straight forward in them, must ponder the paths of them, must keep close to them, and be afraid of turning aside to the right hand or to the left. If we make God's promise our strength, we must make God's word our rule, and walk by it.
John 4
Heart Religion
Now the burning of this fat is supposed to signify the offering up of our good affections to God in all our prayers and praises. God must have the inwards for we must pour out our souls and lift up our hearts in prayer and must bless his name with all that is within us. It is required that we be inward with God in everything wherein we
Psalm 84
We make nothing of our religious performances if we do
Heaven not make heart-work of them if at nothing but that they should be good men, and live good lives for their own good, and the ceremony of honouring him with sacrifices was one of the smallest matters of his law; whereas the false gods required that only; let their priests and altars be regaled with sacrifices and offerings, and the people might live as they listed. What fools were those then that left a God who aimed at giving his worshippers a new nature, for gods who aimed at nothing but making themselves a new name! that which is within us, nay, if all that is within us, be not engaged in them. The work requires the inward man, the whole man, and_ ll little enough.
Psalm 103
Some of the psalms of praise are very short, others very long, to teach us that, in our devotions, we should be more observant how our hearts work than how the time passes and neither overstretch ourselves by coveting to be long nor overstint ourselves by coveting to be short, but either the one or the other as we find in our hearts to pray.
Hosea 6
Heart Searching
Psalm 105
What we have done amiss we should be very desirous to come to the knowledge of. 'That which I see not teach Thou me and show me wherein I have erred' are prayers we should put up to God every day that though through ignorance we
For who hath engaged his heart, made a covenant with it, and brought it into' bonds, to approach unto me? How few are there that do so! None can do it but by the special grace of God causing them to draw near. Note, whenever we approach God in any holy ordinance we must engage our hearts to do it; the heart must be prepared for the duty, employed in it, and kept closely to "dtecbhes heart. sis the main thing that God looks at and requires; but it is deceitful, and will start aside if a great deal of care and pains be not taken to engage it, to bind this sacrifice with cords. fall into sin, we may not through ignorance lie still in it.
Leviticus 4
Heaven
What anew world did Israel now come into. Most of them were born and had lived all their days in a vast howling wilderness where they knew not what either fields or cities were, had no houses to dwell in and neither sowed nor reaped and now, of a sudden, to become masters of a country so well built, so well husbanded, this made them amends for their long waiting and yet, -it"swas? ) but sathe
Jeremiah 30
Perhaps this is mentioned here to show a difference between the God whom they deserted and the gods whom they went over to. The true God aimed
Heaven come, something behind the curtain, that will outshine all. 'Shall be revealed in us'; not only revealed to us, to be seen, but.-revealed in us, to be enjoyed.
earnest Otmuea deal
great
more.
Deuteronomy 2
The clusters of grapes that meet us in this wilderness should make us long for the full vintage in Canaan. If a day in his courts be so sweet, what then will an eternity within the veil be! If this be heaven, O that I were there!
Romans 8
Song of Solomon 8
wAl vy i+ ' ' Z g
The far better half is to think of going to the Father, to sit down in the immediate, uninterrupted, and everlasting enjoyment of him. Those who love God cannot but be pleased to think of coming to him, though
Colossians 3
They are happy in their employment, for they serve God continually, and that without weakness, drowsiness, or weariness. Heaven is a state of service, though not of suffering; it is a state of rest, but not of sloth; it is a praising delightful rest. it be through the valley of the shadow of death. When we go, to be 'absent from the body', it is to be 'present with the Lord', like children fetched home from school to their father's house. Now come I to thee whom I have chosen and served, and whom my soul thirsteth after; to thee the fountain of light and life, the crown and centre of bliss and joy; now my longings shall be Revelation 7
Heavenly-Mindedness
Jesus Christ was not of this world; he never had been of it, and least of all now that he was upon the point of leaving it. This intimates, First, his state; he was none of the world's favourites nor darlings, none of its princes nor grandees; worldly possessions he had none, not even 'where to lay his head'; nor worldly power, he was no judge nor divider. Secondly, his satisfied, my hopes accomplished, my happiness completed, for 'now I 'come ;to thee'.
John 17
In our present state we come short, not only in the enjoyment, but in the knowledge of that glory (1 Cor. 2:9; 1 John 3:2): it shall be "revealed. It surpasses all that we have yet seen and known: present vouchsafements are sweet and precious, very precious, very sweet; but there is something to spirit; he was perfectly dead to the world, the prince of this world had nothing in him, the things of this world were nothing to him; not honour, for
Hell he 'made himself of no reputaon the worst of malefactors, which can only kill the body. Note, 1. Hell is worse than the depth of the sea; for it is a bottomless pit, and it is a burning lake. The depth of the sea tion'; not riches, for 'for our sakes he became poor', not pleasures, for he 'acquainted himself with grief'. See (ch. 8: 236 John 17 is only killing, but hell is tormenting. We meet with one that had comfort in the depth of the sea, it was Jonah (Ch. 2:2, 4,9); but never had any the least grain or glimpse of comfort in hell, nor will have to eternity. 2. The irresistible irrevocable doom of the great Judge will sink sooner and surer, and bind faster, than
Hell
The damnation of Hell (as our
Saviour calls it) is the fire of God's anger fastening upon the guilty conscience of a sinner to its inexpressible and everlasting torment.
a millstone hanged about the neck.
Deuteronomy 32
Matthew 18
The fire of God's wrath will consume them (v. 9); they shall not only be cast into a furnace of fire (Matt. 13:42), but he
Though we cannot make a full satisfaction for it, it will be continually demanded, 'till the last mite be paid', which will not be to all eternity. Christ's sufferings were short, yet the value of them made them fully satisfactory. In the sufferings of damned sinners, what is wanting in value must be made up in an endless duration. shall make them themselves as a fiery oven or furnace; they shall be their own tormentors; the reflections and terrors of their own consciences will be their hell. Those that might have had Christ to rule and save them, but rejected him and fought against him, shall find that even the remembrance of that will be enough to make them, to eternity, a fiery oven to themselves: it is the worm that dies
Luke 12
He desires a drop of water to cool his tongue. He does not say, 'Father Abraham, send for me to thy bosom, to lie where Lazarus lies.' Unsanctified souls do not, cannot, truly desire the happiness of heaven; nay, he does not say, 'Father Abraham, order me a release from this misery, help me out of this pit', for he utterly despaired of this; but he asks as small a thing not.
Psalm 21
There it was that they sacrificed some of their children, and dedicated others to Moloch, and there they should fall as victims to divine justice.
Jeremiah 7 as could be asked, a drop of water to cool his tongue for one moment.
The sin is so heinous, and the ruin proportionably so_ great, that he had better undergo the sorest punishments inflicted
Luke 16
Heresy
Heresy unmuddied. The heart must be kept pure from fleshly lusts, all unchaste thoughts and desires; and from worldly lusts; covetousness is called filthy lucre; from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, all that which comes out of the heart, and defiles the man.
How great an evil real heresy is, not lightly therefore to be charged upon = any, though greatly to be taken heed of by all. Such a one is 'subverted' or perverted — a metaphor from a building so ruined as to render
Matthew 5 it difficult if not impossible to repair and raise it up again. Real heretics have seldom _ been recovered to the true faith: not so much defect of judgment, as perverseness of the will, being in On the whole, the sacrifice of our Redeemer is the strongest argument with a gracious heart for purity and sincerity. How sincere a regard did he show to our welfare, in dying for us! And how terrible a proof was his death of the detestable nature of sin, and God's displeasure against it! Heinous evil, that could not be expiated but with the blood of the Son of God! And shall a Christian love the murderer of his Lord? God forbid. the case, through pride, or ambition, or self-willedness, or covetousness, or such like corruption, which therefore must be taken heed of.
Titus 3
Holiness
Though David, as a good magis-
1 Corinthians 5 trate, was a terror to evil-doers, yet there were many such, even about court, intruding near his person; these he here abdicates, and resolves to have no conversation with them. Note, those that resolve to keep the commandments of God must have no society with evil-doers; for bad company is a great hindrance to a holy life. We must not choose wicked people for our companions, nor be intimate with them; we must not do as they do nor do as they would have ugdor(Ps.1 Eph. 5:11).
Holy Spirit
The best knowledge of the Spirit of truth is that which is got by experience: 'You know him, for he dwelleth with you'. Christ had dwelt with them, and by their acquaintance with him they could not but know 'the Spirit of truth'. They had themselves been endued with the Spirit in some measure. What enabled them to leave all to follow Christ, and to continue with him in his temptations? What enabled them to preach the Gospel, and work miracles, but the Spirit dwelling in them?
Psalm 119
The heart must be pure, in opposition to mixture — an honest heart that aims well; and pure, in opposition to pollution and defilement; as wine unmixed, as water
The experiences of the saints are the explications of the promises; paradoxes to others are axioms
Honouring God to them. Those that have an experimental acquaintance with the Spirit have a comfortable assurance of his continuance. He 'dwelleth with you, and shall be in you', for lodging. Those that know him know how to value him, invite him and bid him welcome; and therefore he shall be in them, as the light in the air, as the sap in the tree, as the soul in the body. Their communion with him shall be intimate, and their union with him inseparable. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a peculiar gift, bestowed upon the disciples of Christ in a distinguishing way — them, and not the world; constant regard to their welfare, and to God's will and honour. Those are (respected) in the best manner, and to the best purpose, who make it to appear that God is with them and that they set him before them; those that are sanctified are truly magnified and are worthy of double honour. Favourites of heaven should be looked on with awe.
Joshua 4
What was the honour of their fine clothes, compared with that of his wisdom, and grace, and holiness, his courage and constancy in suffering for Christ! His bonds in so good a cause were more glorious than their chains of gold, and his guards than their equipage. Who would be fond of worldly pomp that here sees so bad a woman loaded with it and so good a man loaded with the reverse of it. it is to them 'hidden manna' and the 'white stone'. No comforts comparable to those which make no show, make no noise. This is the favour God bears to his chosen; it is the 'heritage of those that fear his name.'
John 14
Acts 25
Honour
Honouring God
Those that honour God he will honour and when he will magnify a man as he had said he would magnify Joshua (ch. 3: They assumed too much of the glory of this work of wonder to themselves. 'Must we fetch water?' as if it were done by some power or worthiness of theirs. Therefore, it is charged upon them that they did not sanctify God, that is, they did not give him that glory of this miracle which was due unto his Name.
7), he will do it effectually, yet it was not for Joshua's sake only that he was thus magnified but to put him in a capacity of doing so much the more service to Israel for hereupon they feared him as they feared Moses. See here what is the best and surest way to command the respect of inferiors and to gain their reverence and observance, not by blustering and threatening and carrying it with a high hand but by holiness and love and all possible indications of a Numbers 20
If we give not to God the glory of our successes even the Philistines will rise up in judgment against us and condemn us for igt
Honouring God valour would raise the siege, (lib. 2, cap. 6). And have not we much more reason to venture our all upon the Word of God. when they had obtained a victory over Saul they sent tidings to their idols. Poor idols that knew not what was done a few miles off till the tidings were brought to them, nor then either.
Jeremiah 32
Those that will deal with God must" deal - upon: "trust. It' vis acknowledged that one of the principal graces of a Christian is hépe?'(1 Cori13:13) whieh necessarily implies a good thing to come, which is the object of that hope. Faith respects the promise, hope* the ~ thing promised. Faith is the evidence, 1 Chronicles 10
Though weak faith shall not be rejected, the bruised reed not broken, the smoking flax not quenched, yet strong faith shall be commended and honoured. Phe? strength of his "faith appeared in the victory it won over his fears. And hereby he gave glory to God; for, as unbelief dishonours God _ by making him a liar (1 John 5:10), so faith honours God by setting to its seal that he is true (John 3:33). Abraham's faith gave God the glory of his wisdom, power, holiness, goodness, and especially of his faithfulness, resting upon the word that he had spoken... We never hear our Lord Jesus commending any thing so much as great hope the expectation, of things not seen. Faith is the mother of hope.
Romans 8
Those -that rejoice in hope are likely to be patient in tribulation. It is a believing prospect of the joy set before us that bears up the spirit under all outward pressure.
Romans 12
The joy and peace of believers arise chiefly from their hopes. What is laid out upon them is but little, compared with what faithwee (Matt. (8:10:49 315228): therefore God gives honour to faith, great faith, because faith, great faith, gives honour to God. is laid up for them; therefore the more hope they have the more joy and peace they have.
Romans 4
Romans 15
Hope
A good hope of salvation, well founded and well built, will both purify the soul and keep
Lucius Florus relates it as a great instance of the bravery of the Roman citizens that in the time of the second Punic war, when Hannibal besieged Rome and was very near making himself master of it, a field on which part of his army lay, being offered to sale at that time, was immediately purchased, in a firm belief that the Roman it from being defiled by Satan, and it will comfort the soul and keep it from being troubled and tormented by Satan. He would tempt us to despair; but good hope keeps us trusting in God, and rejoicing inhim.
Ephesians 6
Humility
Hospitality
We must be content to have our excellences obscured and a The less they are in themselves, to whom we show kindness, veil drawn over them, not coveting to make a fair show in the flesh. Those that are truly desirous to be owned and accepted by God will likewise desire not to be taken notice of nor applauded by men.
the more there is of good will
in it to Christ; the less it is for their sakes, the more it is for his, and he takes it accordingly. If Christ were personally among us, we think we should
Exodus 34 never do enough to welcome him; the poor, the poor in The ear of the learner is necessary to the tongue of the learned. (See Isa. 50:4). spirit, we have always with us, and they are his receivers. See (Matt. 25:35—40).
Deuteronomy 1
Matthew 18
When thy latter end is greatly increased, remember the smallness of thy beginnings.
Human Responsibility
Deuteronomy 6
Neither the patience of the saints under their sufferings, nor the counsel of God concerning their sufferings, will be any excuse for those that have any hand in their sufferings, or that persecute them.
True penitents, when they are under divine rebukes, call them not only just but good, not only submit to the punishment of their iniquity but accept of it, so Hezekiah did and by this it appeared that he was indeed humbled for the pride of his heart.
Luke. 22
Humility
2 Kings 20
Those are best prepared for the greatest mercies that see they are unworthy of the least.
The more we do for God the more we are indebted to Him for the honour of being employed in his service and for grace enabling us in any measure to serve him. Does he, therefore, thank that servant? (Luke 17:9). No, but that servant has a great deal of reason to thank him. He thanks God that they were able to offer
Jacob doesn't say 'In this place
I wrestled with God and prevailed' but, 'In this place I saw God face to face and my life was preserved'; not, 'It was my praise that I came off a conqueror' but 'It was God's mercy that I escaped with my life'. Note: It becomes those who God honours to take shame to themselves and to admire the condescensions of his grace to them. so willingly. It is a great instance of the power of God's grace in us to be able to do the work of God willingly.
'Who am I and what is my people?' David was the most
Genesis 32
Humility temptations, and preserves the quiet and repose of our own souls, is much better than that high-spiritedness which, though honourable person and _ Israel the most honourable people then in the world, yet thus does he speak of himself and think as unworthy the divine cognizance and favour. David now looks very great presiding in an august assembly appointing his successor and making a noble present to the honour of God and yet he is little and low in his own eyes. it carry away the honour and wealth of the world, makes God a man's enemy and the devil his master.
Proverbs 16
Humility is the presage of honour and prepares men for it, and honour shall at length be the reward of humility, as he had said before (Ch. 15:33). That has need to be often said which men are so loth to believe.
1 Chronicles 29
As it is but little that he knows, and therefore he ought not to arraign the divine counsels, so it is but little that he can do, and therefore he ought not to oppose the proceedings of Providence.
Proverbs 18
He that knows his own heart knows so much more evil of himself than he does of any other that he cries out, 'Surely I cannot but think that I am more brutish than any man; surely no man has such a corrupt deceitful heart as I have. I have acted as one that has not the understanding of Adam, as one that is wretchedly degenerated from the knowledge and righteousness in which man was at first created; nay, I have not the common sense and reason of a man, else I should not have done as Ihave done.' Agur, when he was applied to by others as wiser than most, acknowledged himself more foolish than any. Whatever high opinion others may have of us, it becomes us to have low thoughts. of ourselves.
Job 38
We must not imagine that we do anything for God by our own strength, or deserve anything from God by our own righteousness; but all the good we do is done by the power of his grace, and all the good we have is the gift of his mere mercy, and therefore he must have all the praise.
Psalm 115
Considering how safe, and quiet, and easy, those are that are of a humble spirit, what communion they have with God and comfort in themselves, we will say, 'With the lowly is wisdom.'
Proverbs 11
Humility, though it should expose us to contempt in the world, yet while it recommends
Proverbs 30
We must be' clothed with humility; for the proud in spirit are those that cannot bear to be trampled upon, but us to the favour of God, qualifies us for his gracious visits, prepares us for his glory, secures us from many
Humility grow outrageous, and fret themselves, when they are hardly bestead. That will break a proud man's heart, which will not break a humble man's sleep. Mortify pride, therefore, and himself. Some that seem to dispraise and disparage themselves, will yet take it as an affront if others do so too; but one that is humbled aright, will subscribe to the most abasing challenges, and not call them abusing ones. 'Truth, Lord; I cannot deny it; I am a dog, and have no right to the children's bread'. a lowly spirit will easily be reconciled to a low condition.
Ecclesiastes 7
The other evangelists tell us, that Matthew made a great feast, which the poor fishermen, when they were called, were not able to do. But when he comes to speak of this him-
David; thous hast. done foolishly, very foolishly; 'Truth, Lord'. Asaph, thou hast been as AabDcastDcLOnems Godemeakniitine Lord'. Agur, thou art. more brutish than any man; 'Truth, Lord'. Paul, thou has been the chief of sinners, art less than the least of saints, not meet to be called an apostle; "Truth, Lord; self, he neither tells us that it was his own house, nor that it was a feast, but only that he sat at meat in the house; preserving the remembrance of Christ's favours to the publicans, rather than of the respect he had paid to Christ. Note, it well becomes us to_ speak sparingly of our own _ good deeds.
Matthew 15
The way to be great and chief is to be humble and serviceable. Those are to be best accounted of, and most respected, in the church, and will be so by all that understand things aright.
In the good we do, we must not seek our own praise, but only the glory of God. It must be more our care and endeavour to be useful, than to be known and observed to be so (Prov. 20:6725:2 7): Matthew 9
As he must become a fool that would be wise, so he must become a servant that would be chief. Paul was a great' ~example of?) this, "he aboured more abundantly than they all', made himself (as some would call it) a drudge to his work; and is not he chief? Do we not by consent call him the great apostle, though he called himself 'less than the least'?
Wise and good men, though they covet to do good, yet are far from coveting to have it talked of when it is done; because it is God's acceptance, not men's applause, that they aim at.
Matthew 20
Matthew 12
This enjoining of silence to the disciples, would likewise be of use to them, to prevent their boasting of the intimacy they were admitted to, that they
You cannot speak so meanly and slightly of a humble believer, but he is ready to speak as meanly and _ slightly of
Humility
The number of the apostles was twelve. Their names are here recorded; it is the third time that we have met with them, and in each of the three places the order of them differs, might not be puffed up with the abundance of the revelations. It is a mortification to a man, to be tied up from telling of his advancements, and may help to hide pride from him. to teach both ministers and Christians not to be nice in precedency, not in giving it, much less in taking it, but to look upon it as a thing not worth taking notice of; let it be as it lights.
Mark 9
Elisabeth was the wife of a priest, and in years, yet she grudges not that her kinswoman, who was many years younger than she, and every way her inferior, should have the honour of conceiving in her virginity, and being the mother of the Messiah, whereas the honour put upon her was much less# she .rejoicesi.in at;-and xis well pleased, as her son was afterwards, that she who cometh after her is preferred before her (John 1:27). Note, while we cannot but own that we are more favoured of God than we deserve, let us by no means envy that others are more highly favoured than we are.
Luke 6
It is no new thing for a man's modesty to be turned against him, and improved to _ his prejudice; but it is better that men should take advantage of our low thoughts of ourselves, to trample upon us, than the devil take advantage of our high thoughts of ourselves, to tempt us to pride and draw us into his condemnation.
John 1
The more others magnify us, the more we must humble _ ourselves, and fortify ourselves against the temptation of flattery and applause, and the jealousy of our friends for our honour, by remembering our place, and what we are (1 Cor. 3:5). John 3
Those that are filled with the Holy Ghost have low thoughts of their own merits, and high thoughts of God's favours. Her son the Baptist spoke to the same purport with this, when he said, 'Comest thou to me?' (Matt. 3:14).
Luke 1
It well becomes the disciples of Christ, when they are grown up to maturity in knowledge, frequently to reflect upon the follies and weaknesses of their first beginning, that free grace may have the glory of their proficiency, and they may have compassion on the ignorant.
He charged him to tell no man. This, it should seem, did not forbid him telling it to the honour of Christ, but he must not tell it to his own honour. Those whom Christ hath healed and cleansed must know that he hath done it in such a way as for ever excludes boasting.
John 12
Luke 5
Humility
Christ would teach Peter an implicit obedience: 'What I do thou knowest not now', and therefore art no competent judge of it, but must believe it in general unto Christians, nor yet that this is always necessary in our own vindication; though it may be _ lawfully used, because not contrary to the Lord, when, strictly speaking, it is not after the Lord. It is the duty and practice of Christians, in obedience to the command and example of the Lord, rather to humble and abase themselves; yet prudence must direct in what circumstances it is needful to do that which we may do_ lawfully, even speak of what God has wrought for us, and in us, and by us too. is well done because I do it. Note, Consciousness to ourselves of the darkness we labour under, and our inability to judge of what God does, should make us sparing and modest in our censures of his proceedings; see Heb. 11:8.
John 13
It is no crime in a Christian, but much to his commendation, to take notice of the good that is in him, to the praise of divine grace. Spiritual pride is abominable: it is making use of the greatest favours of God to feed our own vanity, and make idols of ourselves. But to take notice of the favours of God to promote our gratitude to him, and to speak of them to his honour (be they of what sort they will), is but a proper expression of the duty and regard we owe him.
2 Corinthians 11
How much soever we are, or Ought= (to he, ) esteemed aby others, we ought always to think humbly of ourselves. See an example of this in this great apostle, who thought himself to be nothing, though in truth he was not behind the greatest apostles.
2 Corinthians 12
1 Corinthians 3
Those whom God advances to honourable employments he humbles and makes low in their own eyes; and, where God gives grace to be humble, there he gives all other grace. You may also observe in what a different manner the apostle speaks of himself and of his office. While he magnifies his office, he debases himself. Observe, a faithful minister of Christ may be very humble, and think very meanly of himself, even when he thinks and_= speaks very highly and honourably of his sacred function.
As much against the grain as it is with a proud man to acknowledge his infirmities, so much is it against the grain with a humble man to speak in his own praise. It is no pleasure to a good man to speak well of himself, yet in some cases it is lawful, namely, when it is for the advantage of others, or for our own necessary vindication; as thus it was here.
. . . He would not have them think that boasting of ourselves, Ephesians 3 or glorying in what we have, is a thing commanded by the Lord
Humility
the serpent and the woman.
Paul had a great command of language; they called him Mercury, because he was the chief speaker (Acts 14:12), and yet he would have his friends ask of God the gift of utterance for him. He was a man of great courage, and often signalized himself for it; yet he would have them pray that God would give him boldness. He knew as well what to say as any man; yet he desires them to pray for him, that he may 'speak as he ought to speak'.
Genesis 3
Hymn Singing
Some have made it an objection against singing David's psalms that there are many who cannot say 'My heart is net thaughtycéetesmecd ltsis: true there are, but we may sing it for the same purpose that we read it, to teach and admonish ourselves, and one _ another, what we ought to be, with repentance that we have come short of being so, and humble prayer to God for his grace to Ephesians 6
This is one of the things which 'accompany salvation' — to be able to rejoice that Christ is preached, though it be to the diminution of us and our reputation. This noble _ spirit appeared in John the Baptist, at the first public preaching of Christ. make us so.
Psalm 131
Hypocrisy
It is allowed that he has gained by his hypocrisy, has gained the praise and applause of men and the wealth of the world. Jehu gained a kingdom by his Philippians 1
Humility is the great preserver Gf "peace and. order im — all Christian churches and societies, consequently pride is the great disturber of them, and _ the cause of most dissensions and breaches in the church. hypocrisy and the Pharisees many a widow's house. Upon this gain he builds his hope, such as it is. He hopes he is in good circumstances for another world, because he finds he is so for this, and he blesses himself in his own way. The wealth of this world, which he hoped in, he must leave behind him (Ps. 49: 1 Peter 5
Husbands and Wives
17). The happiness of the other world, which he hoped for, he will certainly miss of.
She shall be subject, but it shall be to her own husband who loves her, not to a stranger, or an enemy: The sentence was not a curse to bring her to ruin, but a chastisement to bring her to repentance. It is well that enmity was not to be between the man and_ the woman, as there was between Job 27
See the nature of hypocrisy: it lies in the heart, which is for the world and the flesh when the outside seems to be for God and religion.
Job 36
Hypocrisy his head full of scripture notions, and his mouth full of scripture expressions, while his heart is full of reigning enmity to God and all goodness. The knowledge which the devils have of the Scripture, increases both their mischievousness and their torment.
Note, a secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the specious colours of respect to him; and those who = are resolved that they will not trust God yet pretend that they will not tempt him.
Isaiah 7
Matthew 4
Great shows of piety and devotion may be found even among those who, though they keep up these forms of godliness, are strangers and enemies to the power of it. But what will such hypocritical services avail?
The end specifies the action. It is of the last importance in religion, that we be right in our aims, and make eternal things, not temporal, our scope (2 Cor. 4:18)... The hypocrite. is slike the waterman, that looks one way and rows another; the true Christian like the traveller, rather has his journey's end in his eye. The hypocrite soars like the kite, with his eye upon the prey below, which he is ready to come down to when he has Fasting without reforming and turning away from sin, will never turn away the judgments of God (Jonah 3:10). Notwithstanding this fast, God _ proceeded in his controversy with this people.
Jeremiah 36 a fair opportunity; the true Christian soars like the lark, higher and higher, forgetting the things that are beneath.
They were not willing that those who saw them in God's house should see them in their own, lest they should see them contradict themselves and undo in private what they did in public.
Matthew 6
There is no judging of men by their loose sayings; but by their fruits ye shall know them. Piety from the teeth outward is an easy thing. The most fairspoken hypocrite cannot say better than to call Jesus the Son of God, and yet that the devil did.
Ezekiel 8
They did not pray for the favour or grace of God, that God would give them repentance, pardon their sins, and turn away his wrath, but only that he would not take away from them 'their corn and wine'. Note, carnal hearts, in their prayers to God, covet temporal mercies only, and dread and deprecate no other but temporal judgments, for they have no sense of any other.
Mark 5
Those who pretend subjection to Christ, but at the same time give themselves up to the service of the world and the flesh, do, in effect, the same that they did, who bowed the knee to him in mockery, and abused him with,
Hosea 7
'Hail, king of the Jews', when
It is possible for a man to have
Hypocrisy they said, 'We have no king but Caesar'. Those that bow the knee to Christ, but do not bow : the soul, that 'draw nigh to him with their mouths, and honour him with their lips, but their hearts are far from him', put the same affront upon him that these here did. whether its true interest sink or swim, but under the pretence of this they are advancing themselves. Simeon and Levi pretended zeal for circumcision, not that they cared for the seal of the covenant, any more than Jehu for the Lord of 'hosts, when he said, 'Come see my zeal'.
Mark 15
John 12
It is gross hypocrisy to condemn that in those who reprove
Those that boast of good works they never did, or promise good works they never do, or make the good works they do more or better than really they are, come -ehunder the =cuiltmor Ananias's lie, which it concerns us all to dread the thought of. us which yet we allow in those that flatter us.
It is not furnished with any true grace, but garnished with the pictures of all graces. Simon Magus was garnished with faith, Balaam with good desires, Herod with a respect for John, the Pharisees with many external performances. It is garnished, but it is like a 'potsherd covered with silver dross', it is all paint and varnish, not real, not lasting. The house is garnished, but the property is not altered; it was never surrendered to Christ, nor inhabited by the Spirit.
Acts?
Their words and speeches have a show of holiness and zeal for God. (It is an easy thing to be godly from the teeth outward).
Romans 16
In a vain religion there is much censuring, reviling, and detracting of others.
Luke 11. . . When we hear people ready to speak of the faults of others, Christ's disciples were, for aught we know, the best men then in the world, yet they needed to be cautioned against hypocrisy. or to censure them as holding scandalous errors, or to lessen' the wisdom and piety of those about them, that they themselves may seem the wiser and better, this is a sign that they have but a vain religion.
Luke 12
He had no compassion towards them, no concern for them: what were the poor to him any further than he might serve his own ends by being overseer of the poor? Thus some warmly contend for the power of the church, as others for its purity, when perhaps it may be said, not' that "they care 'for / the "chureh: itis "all onetito; them. . . Censuring is a pleasing sin, extremely compliant with nature, and therefore evinces a man's being in a natural state.
James 1
One would think to be once dead were enough; we none of
Hypocnites his own fancy, and arises merely from a conceit of his own merit and = sufficiency. There is a great deal of differus, till grace renew us to a higher degree than ordinary, love to think of dying once, though this is appointed for us ence between the work of the bee and that of the spider. A diligent Christian, like the laborious bee, fetches in all his comfort from the heavenly dews of God's word; but the hypocrite, like the subtle spider, weaves out of a false hypothesis of his own concerning God, as if he were altogether such a one = as himself. all. What then is the meaning of this being twice dead? They had been once dead in their natural, fallen, lapsed state; but they seemed to recover, and, as a man in a swoon, to be brought to life again, when they took upon them the profession of the Christian religion. But now they are dead again by the evident proofs they have given of their hypocrisy: Whatever they seemed, they had nothing truly vital in them.
Jobs
Those are hypocrites who, though they profess religion, neither take pleasure in it nor persevere in it, who reckon their religion a task and a drudgery, a weariness, and snuff at it, who make use of it only to serve a turn, and lay it aside when the turn is served, who will call upon God while it is in fashion, or while the pang of devotion lasts, but leave it off when they fall into other company, or when the hot fit is over.
Jude
Hypocrites
Balak pretended to honour the Lord with his sacrifices and to wait for the answer God would send him and yet when it didn't prove according to his mind he forgot God and flew into a great passion against Balaam as if it had been purely his doing. 'What hast thou done unto me'. 'How hast thou disappointed me'. Sometimes God makes the enemies of his Ghirche tak) -vexation= one to another while he that sits in Heaven laughs at them and the efforts of their impotent malice.
Job 27
It is common for unhumbled hearts to be proud of their professions of humiliation, as the Pharisee (Luke 18:12), 'T. fast.) twice in: vthe~ "week" Observe what they expected from their performances. They thought God should take great notice of them, and own himself a debtor to them for their services. Note, it is a common thing for hypocrites, while they perform the external services of religion, to promise themselves that acceptance with God
Numbers 23
It is common for those that deny the power of godliness to boast of the form of it.
2 Chronicles 13
The hope of the hypocrite is woven out of his own bowels; it is the creature of
Hypocrites which he has promised only to the sincere; as if they must be accepted of course, or for a compliment. they build up in their preaching; when in the pulpit, preaching so well that it is a pity they should ever come out; but, when out of the pulpit, living so ill that it is a pity they should ever come in; like bells, that call others to church, but hang out of it themselves; or Mercurial posts, that point the way to others, but stand still themselves.
Isaiah 58
They were weary of holy duties because their worldly business stood still the while; in this they were as in their element, but in God's sanctuary as a fish upon dry ground. Note, those are strangers to God, and enemies to themselves, that love market days better than Sabbath days, that would rather be selling corn than worshipping God.
Matthew 23
When Christ would express the most severe punishment in the other world, he calls it the portion of hypocrites. If there be any place in hell hotter than other, as it is likely there is, it will be the allotment of those that have the form, but hate the power of godliness.
Amos 8
Hypocrites tempt Jesus Christ; they try his knowledge, whether he can discover them through their disguises; they try his holiness and truth, whether he will allow of them in his church; but if they that of old tempted Christ, when he was but darkly revealed, were destroyed of serpents, of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy who tempt him now in the midst of gospel light and love!
Matthew 24
All their care is to recommend themselves to their neighbours, whom they now converse with, not to approve themselves to Christ, whom they must hereafter appear before; as if any thing will serve, provided it will but serve for the present. Tell them of things not seen as yet, and you are like Lot to his sons-in-law, as one that mocked. They do not provide for hereafter, as the ant does, nor lay up for the time to come (1 Tim. 6:19). Matthew 25
Matthew 22
Those are of all sinners most inexcusable that allow themselves in the sins they condemn in others, or in worse. This doth especially touch wicked ministers, who will be sure to have their portion appointed them with hypocrites (Ch. 24:51); for what greater hypocrisy can there be, than to press that upon others, to be believed and done, which they themselves disbelieve and disobey; pulling down in their practice what
Idolatry
That creature which we place our happiness in, which we set our affections inordinately upon and which we can by no means find in our hearts to part with,
Ignorance of which we say 'what have we more', that we make an idol of. That is put in God's place and is a usurper which we are conworshipped other gods, images of things not only in heaven above, but in earth beneath, and in the waters under the earth; for those that forsake the true God wander endlessly after false ones. cerned about as if our life and comfort, our hope and happiness and our all were bound up in it.
Jeremiah 7
Judges 18
Whatever creature we dote upon, pay homage to, and put a confidence in, we make an idol of that creature; and whatever we make an idol of we defile ourselves with.
They made a mongrel religion of it, worshipped the God of Israel for fear and their own idols for love . Our very ignorance concerning these idols teaches us the accomplishment of that word which God has spoken, that these false gods should all perish. (Jer. 10:11). They are all buried in oblivion while the name of the true God shall continue for ever.
Ezekiel 23
Whatever men make a god of they will mourn for the loss of; and an inordinate sorrow for the loss of any worldly good is a sign we made an idol of it.
Hosea 10
2 Kings 17
Those that think one God too little will find two too many, and yet hundreds not sufficient.
Ignorance
It is good for us to be made sensible of our own ignorance. Some have confessed their ignorance, and those that would not do this have betrayed it. But we must all infer from it what incompetent judges we are of the divine politics, when we understand so little even of the divine mechanics.
Isaiah 2
God put a great honour upon man when, in respect of the powers and faculties of his soul, he made him after the image of God; but man does a great dishonour to God when he makes him, in respect of bodily parts and members, after the image of man.
Job 37
Isaiah 44
Darkening the counsels of God's wisdom with our folly is a great affront and provocation to God. Concerning God's counsels we must own that we are without The homage they should have paid to their Prince they paid to the statues that beautified the frontispiece of his palace; they worshipped the creatures instead of him that made them, the servants instead of him that commands them, and the gifts instead of him that gave them. With the queen of heaven they knowledge. They are a deep which we cannot fathom; we are quite out of our element, out of our aim, when we pretend to account for them, Yet we are too apt to talk of them as if we
Ignorance
Immutability understood them, with a great deal of niceness and boldness; but alas! we do but darken them, instead of explaining them. We confound and perplex ourselves and one another when we dispute of the order of God's decrees, and the designs and reasons and methods, of his operations of providence and grace. A humble faith and sincere obedience shall see further and better into the secret of the Lord than all the philosophy of the schools, and the searches of science, so called.
Thy throne is from generation to generation; the throne of glory, the throne of grace, and the throne of government, all are unchangeable, immovable; and this is matter of comfort to us when the crown has fallen from our head. When _ the thrones of princes, that should be our protectors, are brought to the dust, and buried in it, God's throne continues. still; he still rules the world, and rules it for the good of the church. The Lord reigns, reigns for ever, even thy God, O Zion!
Job 38
Lamentations 5
Men think themselves innocent because they are ignorant; so The ancient covenant, which seemed to be broken and forgotten, shall be renewed. By their idolatry, it should seem, they had cast God off; by their captivity, it should seem, God had cast them off. But when they were cured of their idolatry, and delivered out of their captivity, God and _ his Israel own one another again. God, by his good work in them, will make them his people; and then, by the tokens of his goodwill towards them, he will show that he is their God. this" ruler: didaveHeémsaid) "All these have I kept from my youth up' (v. 21). He knows no more evil of himself than the Pharisee did (v. 11). He boasts that he began early in a course of virtue, that he had continued in it to this day, and that he had not in any instance transgressed. Had he _ been acquainted with the extent and spiritual nature of the divine law, and with the workings of his own heart, had he been but Christ's disciple a while, and learned of him, he would have said quite the contrary.
Ezekiel 11
Luke 18
The declarations of God's wrath against sinners are as inviolable
There was a veil upon his glory and upon their understandings; and how could they see through two veils? They wished his blood on them and their children; but, had they known what they did, they would have unwished it again. as the assurances he has given of favour to his people; and the case of such is sad indeed, who have brought it to this issue, that either God must be false or they must be damned.
Ezekiel 24
Luke 23
Influence
Impatience
Imprecatory Psalms
Job's friends, I doubt, had spirits
By this it appears that those passages in David's psalms which express his desire of and triumph in too high to deal with a man in his low condition; and high spirits are impatient of contradiction, and think themselves affronted if all about them do not say as they say; they cannot bear a check, but they call it the check of their reproach, and then they the ruin of his enemies, proceeded not from a spirit of revenge nor any irregular passion, but from a holy zeal for the glory of God and the public good for by what he did here when he heard of Saul's death, we may perceive that his natural temper was very tender and that he was kindly affected even to those that hated him. are bound in honour to return it, if not to draw upon him that gave it ...Men often mistake the dictates of their passion for the dictates of their reason, and therefore think they do well to be angry.
2 Samuel 1
His prayer for their destruction comes not from a spirit of revenge, but from a spirit of prophecy, by which he foretold that all who rebel against God will certainly be destroyed by their own counsels. If it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to those Job 20
Impenitence
He fell like him but didn't get up again like him. It is not so much sin as impenitence in sin that ruins men; not so much that they offend as that they do not humble themselves for their offences; not the disease but the neglect of the remedy. that trouble his people, as we are told it is (2 Thess. 1:6), we pray that it may be done whenever we pray, Father thy will be done.
Psalm 5
2 Chronicles 33
This is not a prayer of malice, but a prayer of faith; for it has an eye to the word of God, and only desires the performance of that. There is truth in God's threatenings as well as in his promises, and sinners that repent not will find it so to their cost.
God had sent them his prophets, to break up their fallow-ground; but they found them as hard and inflexible as the rock, rough and rugged, and they could do no good with them, nor work upon them, and therefore they shall not attempt it any more. They will not be reclaimed, and there-
Psalm 54 fore shall not be reproved, but quite abandoned. Note, those who will not be cultivated as fields and vineyards shall be rejected as barren rocks and deserts (Heb. 6:7, 8).
Influence
Those who set bad examples, though they may repent themselves, yet cannot be sure that those who they have drawn into Amos 6
Influence sin by their example, will repent. It is often otherwise. especially by the file. Men are filed, made smooth, and bright, and fit for business (who were rough and dull and inactive), by conversation: *) 1) his) 71s designed, 1. To recommend to us this expedient for sharpening ourselves, but with a caution to take heed whom we choose to converse with, because the influence upon us is so great, either for the better or the worse. 2. To direct us what we must have in our eye in conversation, namely to improve both others and ourselves, not to pass away time or banter one another, but to provoke one another to love and good works and so to make one another wiser and better.
2 Kings 21
Perhaps he found that his late affinity with the idolatrous house of Ahab and Kingdom of Israel had had a bad influence upon his own kingdom. Many, we may suppose, were emboldened to revolt to idolatry when they saw their reforming king so intimate with idolaters; and therefore he thought himself doubly obliged to do all he could to restore them. If we truly repent of our sin, we shall do our utmost to repair the damage we have any way done by it to religion or the souls of others. We are particularly concerned to recover those that have fallen into sin, or been hardened in it, by our example.
Proverbs 27
Those that would convince others of and affect them with the word of God must make it appear, even in the most selfdenying instances, that they do believe it themselves and are affected with it. If we would rouse others out of their security, and persuade them to sit loose to the world, we must ourselves be mortified to present things and show that we expect the dissolution of them.
2 Chronicles 19
In this, the people were so forward and zealous that the priests and Levites blushed to see themselves outdone by the commonalty. To see them more ready to bring sacrifices than they were to offer them. This put them upon sanctifying themselves that the work might not stand still for the want of hands to carry it on. The notice we take of the zeal of others should make us ashamed of our own coldness and quicken us not only to do our duty but to do it well and to sanctify ourselves to it.
Jeremiah 16
The people among whom they live shall be as the grass, which flourishes only by the blessing of God, and not by the art and care of man; they shall be beneficial to those about them by drawing down God's blessings on them, as Jacob on Laban's house, and by cooling and mitigating God's wrath, which otherwise would burn them up, as the dew preserves the grass from 2 Chronicles 30
Good men's graces are sharpened by converse with those that are good, and bad men's lusts and passions are sharpened by converse with those that are bad, as iron is sharpened by its like,
Inner Resources
They had had joy and gladness in their fields and vineyards, singing and shouting at the treading oof their grapes. Nothing is said of their praising God for their abundance, and giving him the glory of it. If being scorched by the sun; so Dr. Pocock; they shall be mild and gentle in their behaviour, like their Master, who comes down 'like rain upon the newmown grass' (Ps. 72:6).
Micah 5 they had made it the matter of their thanksgiving, they might Their not going in themselves was a hindrance to many; for, they having so great an interest in the' people, multitudes rejected the gospel only because still have had it the matter of their rejoicing; but they made it the food and fuel of their lusts.
Isaiah 16
their leaders did.
Matthew 23
The horrid ingratitude that there is in our sins against God and Jesus Christ is a great aggrava-
Here note, 1. The weakness and inconstancy of the best of men, when left to themselves, and how apt they are to falter in their duty to God, out of an undue regard to the pleasing of men. And 2. The great force of bad examples, especially the examples of great men and good men, such as are in reputation for wisdom and honour. tion of them, and makes them appear exceedingly sinful. See how God argues to this purpose, (Deut. 32:6; Jer. 2:5; Mic. 6:3). We must not think it strange if we meet with those who not only hate us without cause, but are our adversaries for our love, (Ps. 35:12; 41:9).
John 10
Galatians 2
Injustice
Ingratitude
There Jeremiah remained many days, and, for aught that appears, nobody came near him or enquired after him. See what The more God gives us the more cheerfully we should serve him. Our abundance should be oil to the wheels of our obedience. God is a master that will be served with gladness and delights to hear us sing at our work. If, when we receive the gifts of a world this is. The wicked princes, who are in rebellion against God, lie at ease, lie in state in their palaces, while godly Jeremiah, who is in the service of God, lies in pain, in God's bounty, we either do not serve him at all or serve him a loathsome dungeon. It is well that there is a world to come. with reluctance, it is a righteous thing with him to make us know the hardships of want and Jeremiah 37 servitude. Those deserve to have cause given them to complain who complain without a cause
Inner Resources
. . . Blush at thy own folly and
He that does so shall be like a
ingratitude.
Deuteronomy 28
Inner Resources upon and resolves to abide by, that, though good and evil seem to be dispensed promiscuously, yet God has a particular care of and concern for his own people: The righteous and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God, under his special protection and guidance; tree planted by the waters, a choice tree, about which great care has been taken to set it in the best soil, so far from being like the heath in the wilderness; he shall be like a tree that spreads "Louter its" roots, and thereby is firmly fixed, spreads them out by the rivers, whence it draws abundance of sap, which denotes both the establishment and the comfort which those have who make God their hope; they are easy, they are pleasant, and enjoy a continual security and serenity of mind. A tree thus planted thus watered, shall not see when heat comes, shall not sustain any damage from the most scorching heats of summer; it is so well moistened from its roots that all their affairs are managed by him for their good.
Ecclesiastes 9
Jealousy
Eliab was now vexed that his younger brother should speak thus boldly against the Philistine which he himself durst not. He knew what honour David already had in the court and if he should now get honour in the camp (from which he thought he had found means effectually to seclude him) (v. 15), the glory of his elder brother would be eclipsed and stained and, therefore (such is the nature of jealousy) he would rather that Goliath should triumph over Israel than that David should be the man that should triumph over him. . . . God, by his grace keep us from such a spirit. it shall be sufficiently guarded against drought.
Jeremiah 17
Interpreting Providences
Before he describes the temptation in its strength he lays down a great and _ unquestionable truth, which he resolves to adhere to, and which, if firmly believed, will be sufficient to break the force of temptation. This has been the way of God's people in grappling with this difficulty. Job, before he discourses of this matter, lays down the doctrine of God's omniscience (Job 2431); Jeremiah the doctrine of His righteousness (Jer. H2:1);, another prophet that of His holiness (Hab. 1:13), the psalm-
1 Samuel 17
As the elder brother, in the parable of the prodigal, repined at the reception of his younger brother, and complained of his father's generosity to him; so these labourers quarrelled with their master, and found fault, not because they had not enough, so much as_ because others were made equal with them. ist that of his goodness and peculiar favour to his own people (Ps. 73:1), and that is it which Solomon here fastens
There is a great proneness to
Joy laughter of delight, not of distrust. Even the promises of a holy God, as well as his performances, are the joys of holy souls; there is the joy of faith think that we have too little, and others too much, of the tokens of God's favour; and that we do too much, and others too little, in the work of God. Very apt we all are to undervalue the deserts of others, and to overvalue our own. as well as the joy of fruition.
Genesis 17
We must rejoice in God not only because of what we have received and are receiving from If God be better in any respect to others than to us, yet we have no reason to complain while he is so much better to him daily but because of what he has promised and we expect to receive yet further from him. Because 'He shall bless thee' therefore 'thou shalt rejoice'. Those that make God their Joy may rejoice in hope for he is faithful that has promised. us than we deserve, in giving us our penny, though we are unprofitable servants.
The eye is often both the inlet and the outlet of this sin. Saul saw that David prospered, and he eyed him (1 Sam. 18:9, 15).
Deuteronomy 16
It is an evil eye, which is displeased at the good of others, and desires their hurt. What can have more evil in it? It is grief to ourselves, anger to God, and ill-will to our neighbour; and it is a sin that has neither pleasure, profit, nor honour in it.
The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies, and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.
Nehemiah &
'Thou hast hereby often put gladness into my heart; not only supported and refreshed me, but filled me with joy
It is a dislike of his proceedings, and a displeasure at what he does, and is pleased with. It is unspeakable; and therefore this a direct violation of both the two great commandments at once; both that of love to God, in whose will we _ should acquiesce, and love to our neighbour, in whose welfare we is what I will still pursue, what I will seek after all the days of my life'. When God puts grace in the heart he puts gladness in the heart; nor is any joy comparable to that which gracious souls have in the communications of the divine favour, no, not the joy of should rejoice. Thus man's badness takes occasion from God's goodness to be more exceedingly sinful. harvest, of a plentiful harvest, when the corn and_ wine
Matthew 20 increase. This is gladness in the heart, inward, solid, substantial joy. The mirth of worldly
Joy
people is but a flash, a shadow;
Abraham laughed. It was a
Joy even in laughter their heart is sorrowful (Prov. 14:13). 'Thou hast given gladness in my heart' so the word is. True joy is God's gift, not as the world giveth, (John 14:27). The saints have no reason to envy carnal worldlings their mirth and joy, but should pity them rather. delight, can rejoice in him as the 'God of their salvation' even when the 'fig tree does not blossom'; spiritual joy is so far from withering then, that it flourishes more than ever (Hab. See 8i).,
Joell
Psalm 4
Joy in God is never out of season, nay, it is in a special manner seasonable when we meet with losses and _ crosses in the world, that it may then appear that our hearts are not set upon these things, nor our happiness bound up in them.
They were required to be cheerful and pleasant, and to rejoice before God in all their approaches to him (Deut. 12: 12). They had many feasts and good days, but only one day in all the year in which they were to afflict their souls.
Habakkuk 3
Isaiah 43
The trouble of his soul was designed to ease the trouble of our souls; for, after this, he said to his disciples (ch. 14:1), 'The garments of praise', such beautiful garments as were worn on thanksgiving days, instead of the 'spirit of heaviness', dimness or contraction — open joys for secret mournings. The 'spirit of heaviness' they keep to themselves (Zion's mourners weep in secret); but the joy they are recompensed with, they are clothed with as with a garment in the eye of others. Observe, where God gives the oil of joy, he gives the garment of praise.
'Let not your' hearts' be troubled'; why should yours be troubled and mine too? Our Lord Jesus went on cheerfully in his work, in prospect of the joy set before him, and yet submitted to a trouble of soul. Holy mourning is consistent with spiritual joy, and the way to eternal joy.
John 12
Isaiah 61
They rejoiced, not only though they suffered shame (their troubles did not diminish their joy), but 'that they suffered shame'; their troubles increased their joy, and added to it. If we suffer ill for doing well, provided we suffer it well, and> as we should, we ought to rejoice in that grace which enables us so to do.
The perishing of the harvest is the withering of the joy of the children of men. Those that place their happiness in the delights of sense, when they are deprived of them, or in any way disturbed in the enjoyment of them, lose all their joy; Whereas the children of God, who look upon the pleasures of sense with holy indifference and contempt, and know what
Acts.)
Carnal joy puffs up the soul, but cannot fill it; therefore in it is to make God their hearts'
Joy laughter the heart is sad. True, heavenly, spiritual joy is filling to the soul; it has a satisfaction in it, answerable to the soul's vast and just desires. Thus does God satiate and replenish the weary soul. Nothing more than this joy, only more of it, even the perfection of it in glory, is the desire of the soul that hath it (Ps. 4:6, 7; 36:8; 63:5; 65:4). of it. Philosophy may instruct men to be calm under their troubles; but Christianity teaches them to be joyful, because such exercises proceed from love and not fury in God.
... There is the more reason for joy in afflictions if we consider the @other graces thaty "are promoted by them.
James 1
Romans 15
Every sound Christian has always something wherein he may greatly rejoice. Great rejoicing contains more than an inward placid serenity of mind or sensation of comfort; It is the will of God that good Christians should be much in rejoicing; and those who are happy in good ministers have a great deal of reason to joy and rejoice with them. If _ the minister loves the people, and is willing to spend and be spent for their welfare, the people have reason to love the minister and to 'joy and rejoice with him'. it will show itself in the countenance and conduct, but especially in praise and gratitude. The chief joy of a good Christian arises from things spiritual and heavenly, from his relation to God and to heaven. In these every sound Christian greatly rejoices; his joy arises from his treasure, which consists of matters of great value, and the Philippians 2
It is our duty and privilege to rejoice in God, and to rejoice in him always; at all times, in all conditions; even when we suffer for him, or are afflicted by him. We must not think the worse of him or of his ways for the hardships we meet with in his service. There is enough in God to furnish us with matter of joy in title to them is sure.
1 Peter 1
The mystery of the Christian religion is directly calculated for the joy of mortals. It should be joy to us that the eternal Son should come to seek and save us, that he has made a full atonement for our sins, that he has conquered sin and death and hell, that he lives as our Intercessor and Advocate with the Father, and that he will come again to perfect and glorify his persevering believers. And therefore those live beneath the use and end of the Christian revelation who are not filled with spiritual joy. Believers the worst circumstances on earth.
Philippians 4
We must not sink into a sad and disconsolate frame of mind, which would make us faint under our trials; but we must endeavour to keep our spirits dilated and enlarged, the better to take in a true sense of our case, and with greater advantage to set ourselves to make the best
Lot
Joy should rejoice in their happy relation to God, as his sons and heirs, his beloved and adopted — in their happy relation to the Son of the Father, as being members of his beloved body, and co-heirs with himself — in the pardon of their sins, the sanctification of their natures, the adoption of their persons, and the prospect of grace and glory that will be revealed at the return of their Lord and head from heaven. persons' future state, or the secret springs and _ principles of their actions, or about facts doubtful in themselves. To judge in these cases, and give decisive sentence, is to assume the seat of God and challenge his prerogative. Note, how bold a sinner is the forward and severe censurer! How ill-timed and arrogant are his censures!
1 Corinthians 4
Judgment
1 John 1
Judging Others
But those as much _ deceive themselves who think to escape God's judgments as those who think to brave them. The feet of him that flees from them will as surely fail as the hands of him that fights against them.
We cannot judge what men are by what they have been formerly nor what they will do by what they have done; age and experience may make men wiser and better. Those that had sold Joseph would not now abandon Benjamin.
2 Kings 25
God has weapons of all sorts; he has both whet his sword and bent his bow (Ps. 7; 12, 13); he can deal with his enemies cominus vel eminus — at hand or Genesis 44
It is true, there may be overdoing in well-doing; but thence we must learn to be cautious ourselves, lest we run into extremes, but not to be censorious of others; because that which we may impute to the want of prudence, God may accept as an instance of abundant love. We must not say, those do too much in religion, that do more than we do, but rather aim to do as much as they. afar off. He has a sword for those that think to fight it out with him by their strength, and a bow for those that think to avoid him by their craft. See (Isa. 24; 17, 18; Jer. 48, 43, 44). He that is marked for ruin, though he may escape one Judgment, will find another ready for him.
Job 20
Matthew 26
Sometimes God makes an idolatrous nation, that serves him
He is not to be understood of judging by persons in authority, within the verge of their office, nor of private judging concerning facts that are notorious; but of judging not at all, a scourge to a hypocritical nation, that serves him not in sincerity and truth.
Isaiah 10
Great laughters commonly end
ho?
Judgment method, to try to bring men to repentance first by less judgments. He did so here. Before he brought such a famine upon them as broke the staff of bread he 'diminished their ordinary food', cut them short before he cut them off. When the overplus is abused, it is just with God to diminish that which is for necessity. Before he delivered them to the Chaldeans to be destroyed he delivered them to the 'daughters of the Philistines' in a sigh. Those that make the world their chief joy cannot rejoice evermore. When God sends his judgments into the earth he designs thereby to make those serious that were wholly addicted to their pleasures, Isaiah 24
The hair that would not be trimmed and kept neat and clean by the admonitions of the prophets must be all shaved off by utter destruction. Those will be ruined that will not be reformed. to" be: "ridiculed. In the account which impenitent sinners shall be called to they will be told not only of the mercies for which - they have been ungrateful, but of the afflictions under which they have been incorrigible (Amos 4:11). Ezekiel 16
When God is dishonoured by the sins of men, he is said to be grieved (Ps. 95:10), so when he is honoured by their destruction he is said to be comforted. The struggle between mercy and judgment is over, and in this case judgment triumphs, triumphs indeed; for mercy that has been so long abused is now silent and gives up the cause, has not a word more to say on the behalf of such an_ ungrateful incorrigible people: 'My eye shall not spare, neither will I have any pity (v. 11). Divine compassion defers the punishment, or mitigates it; but here is judgment without mercy, wrath without any mixture or allay of pity.
In the 'day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God', which is now clouded and eclipsed, 'the righteousness of the righteous' shall appear before all the world to be 'upon him', to his everlasting comfort and honour, upon him as a robe, upon him as a crown; and the 'wickedness of the wicked' shall be 'upon him', to his everlasting confusion, upon him as a chain, upon him as a load, as a mountain of lead to sink him to the bottom-
Ezekiel 5
less pit.
Ezekiel 18
They had been under the rebukes of Providence for their sins, and yet they persisted in them (v. 27): 'I have stretched out my hand over thee', to threaten and frighten thee. So God did before he laid his hand upon them to ruin and destroy them; and that is his usual
It is a sad and sore judgment for any man to be let alone in sin, for God to say concerning a sinner, 'He is joined to his idols, the world and the flesh; he is incurably proud, covetous, or profane, an _ incurable
Judgment drunkard or adulterer; let him alone; conscience, let him alone; minister, let him alone; providences, let him alone. Let nothing awaken him till the flames of hell do it.' The father corrects not the rebellious son any more when he determines to disinherit him. Those that are not disturbed in their sin will be destroyed for their sin.
. .. Most heinous sins bring most grievous judgments. Those who were abominable in their vices were remarkable for their plagues. Those who are sinners exceedingly before the Lord must expect the most dreadful vengeance. The punishment of sinners in former' ages _ is designed for the example of those who come after.
Hosea 4
2 Peter 2
Oh that we could with an eye of faith see the flying roll of God's curse hanging over the guilty world as a thick cloud, not only keeping off the sunbeams of God's favour from them, but big with thunders, lightnings, and storms, ready to destroy them! How welcome then would the tidings of a Saviour be, who came _ to 'redeem us from the curse of the law' by being himself Mmadéstay curse. foreus sand; like the prophet, 'eating this roll!' The vast length and breadth of this roll intimate what a multitude of curses sinners lie exposed to.
Observe, -1. The greatest calamities that can befall men will not bring them to repentance without the grace of God working with them. 2. Those that are not made better by the judgments of God are always the worse for them. 3. To be hardened in sin and enmity against God by his righteous judgments is a certain token of utter destruction.
Revelation 16
Judicial Blindness
If we shut our eyes against the light of divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace;and, if we use not our eyes as we should, it is just with him to let us be as if we had no eyes.
Zechariah 5
Though they were situated in a country like the garden of themord;. "yietss if in such ua fruitful soil they abound in sin, God can soon turn a fruitful land into barrenness and a well-watered country into dust and ashes. Observe, No political union or confederacy can keep off judgments from a sinful people. Sodom and the neighbouring cities were no more secured by their regular government than the angels by the dignity of their nature or the old world by their vast number.
Isaiah 59
Justice
Though God _ has _ hardened Pharaoh's heart, yet Moses must repeat his applications to him. God suspends his grace and yet demands obedience to punish him for requiring bricks of the children of
Justice
Israel when he denied them straw. pretensions, and fair promises, had given cause for. If we repent of the good we had purposed, God will repent of the good he had purposed. 'With the froward thou wilt show Thyself froward.'
Exodus 9
No life in it might be ransomed upon any terms; they must all be surely put to death (Lev. 27, 29); so he appoints from whom as creatures they had received their lives and to whom as sinners they had forfeited them and who may dispute his sentence? God forbid we should entertain such a thought.
Jeremiah 34
I will deal with them as they deserve. There needs no more than this to speak God righteous, that he does but render to men according to _ their deserts: and yet such are the deserts of sin that there needs no more than this to speak the sinner miserable.
Joshua 6
Jeroboam did not deserve so good a post, but Israel deserved so bad a prince.
Ezekiel 11
1 Kings 11
Ahaz walked in the ways of the
If God did this to the Son of his love, when he found sin but imputed to him, what shall he do to the generation of his wrath, when he finds sin reigning in them? If the father was pleased in doing these things to the green tree, why should he be loth to do it to the dry? Note, the consideration of the bitter sufferings of our Lord Jesus should engage us to stand kings of Israel and the king of Israel was the instrument God made use of for his punishment. It is just with God to make those our plagues whom we make our pattern or make ourselves partners with in sin. Vast numbers were slain and some of the first rank; the king's son for one. He had sacrificed some of his sons to Moloch, justly therefore is this sacrificed to the divine vengeance. in awe of the justice of God, and to tremble before him.
Luke 23
2 Chronicles 28
It is just with God to make men want that for necessity which they have abused to EXCESS: Mercy and truth are so met together, righteousness and peace have so kissed each other, that it is now become not only an act of grace and mercy, but an act of righteousness, in God, to pardon the sins of penitent believers, having accepted the satisfaction that Christ by dying made to his justice for them.
Isaiah 5
It is just with God to disappoint those expectations of mercy which his providence had given cause for when we disappoint those expectations of duty which our professions, Romans 3
Justification
Justification him to this post of honour, which teaches us to render good
God is said to 'cast sin behind his back, to hide his face from for evil.
1 Chronicle 27 it', which, and the like expressions, imply that the ground of our blessedness is not our innocency, or our not having sinned (a thing is, and is filthy, though covered; justification does not make the sin not to have been, or not to have been sin), but God's not laying it to our charge.
Knowing God
It is here promised, 'I will give them', not so much a head to know Me, but 'a heart to know Me', for the right knowledge of God consists not in notion and speculation, but in the convictions of the practical judgment directing and governing the will and affections. 'A good understanding have all those that do his commandments' (Ps. 111:10). Where God gives a sincere desire and inclination to know him he will give that knowledge. It is God himself that gives a heart to know him, else we should perish for ever in our ignorance.
Romans 4
The apostle having at large asserted, opened, and proved, the great doctrine of justification by faith, for fear lest any should suck poison out of that sweet flower, and turn that grace of God into wantonness and licentiousness, he, with a like zeal, copiousness of expression, and cogency of argument, presses the absolute necessity of sanctification and a holy life, Jeremiah 24 as the inseparable fruit and companion of justification; for, wherever Jesus Christ is made of God unto any soul righteousness, he is made of God unto that soul sanctification (1 Cor.
He prostrated himself in a humble sense of his own unworthiness of the honour now done him, and of the infinite distance which he now, more than ever, perceived to be between him and God; he fell upon his face in token of that holy awe and reverence of God with which his mind was possessed and filled. The more God is pleased to make known
1:30). The water and the blood came streaming together out of the pierced side of the dying Jesus. And what God hath thus joined together let not us dare to put asunder.
Romans 6 of himself to us, the more low we should be before him. He fell upon his face to adore the majesty of God, to implore his mercy and to deprecate the wrath he saw ready to break out against the children of his people.
Kindness
Though Abner was David's enemy and opposed his coming to the throne yet David would not oppose the preferment of his son but perhaps nominated
Ezekiel 1
Large-Heartedness
Knowledge and every thought within us be brought into obedience to him.
Our first parents, who knew so much did not know this, that they knew enough.
Proverbs 1
The minds and manners of men are crooked and perverse. Solomon thought, with his wisdom and_ power _ together, thoroughly to reform his kingdom, and make that straight which he found crooked; but he was disappointed. All the philo-
Genesis 3
Knowledge is the mother of devotion and of all obedience: blind sacrifices will never please a seeing God.
Psalm 100 sophy and politics in the world will not restore the corrupt nature of man to its primitive rectitude; we find the insufficiency of them both in others and ourselves. Learning will not alter men's natural tempers, nor cure them of their sinful distempers; nor will it change the constitution of things in this world; a vale of tears it is and so it will be when all is done.
The best way to improve in knowledge is to abide and abound in all the instances of serious godliness, for, 'If any man do his will, he shall know of the doctrine' of Christ, shall know more and more of it, (John 7:17). The love of the truth prepares for the light of it; 'the pure in heart shall see God' here.
Ecclesiastes 1
Those that know much of the Word of God should still covet to know more; for there is more to be known. He does not say, 'Give me a further revelation,' but, 'Give me a further understanding'; what is revealed we should desire to understand, and what we know, to know better; and we must go to God for a heart to know.
Many a plain, honest, unlearned disciple of Christ, by meditation, experience, prayers, and especially obedience, attains to a more clear, sound, and useful knowledge of the word of God, than some great scholars with all their wit and learning. Thus David came to understand more than the ancients and all his teachers (Ps. 119:99, 100).
Psalm 119
John 7
God is to be feared, to be reverenced, served, and worshipped; this is so the beginning of knowledge that those know nothing who do not know this. In order to the attaining of all useful knowledge this is most necessary, that we fear God; we are not qualified to profit by the instructions that are given us unless our minds be possessed with a holy reverence of God,
Large-Heartedness
Hey "did "nottustay till sithey applied to him to beg for a night's lodging; but when he saw them (v. 17) enquired into their circumstances, and anticipated them with his kindness. A charitable disposition expects only opportunity,
Large-Heartedness rejoice in the preaching of the gospel by those who do it in truth, yea, though it should be with much weakness and some mistake! not importunity, to do good.
Judges 19
The miseries of our country ought to be very much the grief of our souls. A gracious spirit will be a public spirit, Philippians 1
They were already possessed in some degree of these blessings, and he wishes them the continuation, the increase, and the perfection of them. Those who possess spiritual blessings in their own souls earnestly desire the communication of the same to others. The grace of God is a generous, not a selfish principle. a tender spirit, a mourning spirit. It becomes us to lament the miseries of our fellowcreatures, much more to lay to heart the calamities of our country, and especially of the church of God, to grieve for the affliction of Joseph. Jeremiah had prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, and, though 'the. truth) of. —his prophecy was questioned, yet he did not rejoice in the proof of the truth of it by the accomplishment of it, preferring the welfare of his country before his own reputation. If Jerusalem had repented and been spared, he would have been far from fretting as Jonah did. Jeremiah had many enemies in Judah and Jerusalem, that hated, and reproached, and persecuted him; and in the judgments brought upon them God reckoned with them for it and pleaded his prophet's cause; yet he was far from rejoicing in it, so truly did he forgive his enemies and desire that God would forgive them.
1 Peter 1
Law
The glass discovers the spots, but does not cause them. When the commandment came into the world sin revived, as the letting of a clearer light into a room discovers the dust and filth, which were there before, but were not seen.
Romans 5
As that which is straight discovers that which is crooked, as the looking-glass shows us our natural face with all its spots and deformities, so there is no way of coming to that knowledge of sin which is necessary to repentance, and consequently to peace and pardon, but by comparing our hearts and lives with the law.
Jeremiah 8
It is God's prerogative to judge of the principles men act upon; this is out of our line. Paul was so far from envying those who had liberty to preach the gospel while he was under confinement that he rejoiced in the preaching of it even by those who do it in pretence, and not in truth. How much more then should we
Romans 7
The moral law was but for the searching of the wound, the ceremonial law for the shadowing forth of the remedy; but Christ is the end of both.
Romans 10
Law and Order
It is the grace of God that changes men's hearts; but the terrors of the law may be of use to tie their hands and restrain their tongues.
(which doubtless the country about soon resorted to) and to give orders for the destroying of them, none to _ convince Micah of his error and to restrain and punish him, to take this disease in time by which the spreading of the infection might have been happily prevented. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes and then they soon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.
1 Timothy 1
Law and Grace
One of the first miracles Moses wrought was turning water into blood, but one of the first miracles our Lord Jesus wrought was turning water into wine; for the law was given by Moses and it was a dispensation of death and terror; but Grace and Truth which, like wine, make glad the heart came by Jesus Christ.
Judges 17
God is greatly offended with corruptions, not only in _ his own worship, but in the administration of justice between man and man, and the dishonesty of a people shall be the ground of his controversy with them as well as their idolatry and impiety; for God's laws are intended for man's benefit and the good of the community, as well as for God's honour, and the profanation of courts of justice shall be avenged as surely as the profanation of temples.
Exodus 7
By the touch of a leper ceremonial uncleanness was contracted. Everyone, therefore, was concerned to avoid it and the leper himself must give notice of the danger and this was all that the law could do in that it was weak through the flesh. It taught the leper to cry
Hosea 10 'Unclean, Unclean' but the gospel has put another cry into lepers' mouths (Luke 17, 12— The prophet complains that, Providence having delivered up the weaker to be a prey to the stronger, they were, in effect, made as 'the fishes of the sea' (v, 14). So they had been among themselves, preying upon one another as the greater fishes do upon the less (v. 3), and they were made so to the common enemy. They were 'as the creeping things', or swimming things
13), where we find ten lepers crying with a loud voice 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.' The law only shows us our disease; the gospel shows us our help in Christ.
Leveticus 13
Law and Order
What was the cause of this corruption? There was no king in Israel, no judge or sovereign prince to take (notice) of the setting up of these images (for the word is used for fish, Gen. 1:20), 'that have no ruler' over them, either to restrain them from devouring one
Law and Order by drops that the benefit of it may be the further and the more equally diffused, as by an artificial water-pot. another or to protect them from being devoured by their enemies.
Habakkuk 1
Job 36
Leaving a Will
Liberality
In the morning of youth lay out thyself to do good; give out of the little thou hast to begin the world with; and in the evening of old age yield not to the common temptation old people are in to be penurious; even then, withhold not thine hand, and think not to excuse thyself from charitable works by purposing to make a charitable will, but do good to the last.
'Give a portion to seven and also to eight', that is, be free and liberal in works of charity. Give much if thou hast much to give, not a pittance, but a portion, not a bit or two, but a mess, a meal; give a large dole, not a paltry one; give good measure (Luke 6:38), be generous in giving, as those were when, on festival days, they sent portions to those for whom nothing was prepared (Neh. 8:10), worthy portions. Give to many, to seven and to eight; if thou meet with seven objects of charity, give to them all, and then, if thou meet with an eighth, give to that, and if with eight more, give to them all too. Excuse not thyself with the good thou hast done from the good thou hast further to do.
Ecclesiastes 11
Legalism
The disciples could say little for themselves, especially because those who quarrelled with them seemed to have the strictness of the sabbath sanctification on their side; and it is safest to err on that hand: but Christ came' to free his followers, not only from the corruptions of the Pharisees, but from their unscriptural impositions, and therefore has something to say for them, and justifies what they did, though it was a transgression of the canon.
Many make use of this as an argument against giving to the poor, because they know not what hard times may come when they may want themselves; whereas we should therefore the rather be charitable, that, when evil days come, we may have the comfort of having done good while we were able; we would then hope to find mercy both with God and man, and therefore should now show mercy. If by charity we trust God with what we have, we put it into good hands against bad times.
Matthew 12
Lessons from Nature
God waters the earth with that with which he once drowned it, only dispensing it in another manner, to let us know how much we lie at his mercy, and how kind he is, in giving rain
Ecclesiastes 11
Liberty
Here was large money given for the advancing of that which they knew to be a lie, yet many grudge a little money for the advancement of that which they know to be the truth, though they have a promise of being reimbursed in the resurrection of the just. Let us never starve a good cause, when we see a bad one so liberally supported. that which it was not lawful to do. Note, those are no friends to Christ and his disciples, who make that to be unlawful which God has not made to be so.
Matthew 12
By this it appears that the ministers of Christ may be of very different tempers and dispositions, very different ways of preaching and living, and yet all good and useful; diversity of gifts, but each given to profit withal. Therefore none must make themselves a standard to Matthew 28
When they were told of a famine at hand, they did not do as the Egyptians, hoard up corn for themselves; but, as became Christians, laid by for charity to relieve others, which all others, nor judge hardly of those that do not do just as they do. John Baptist bore witness to Christ, and Christ applauded John Baptist, though they were the reverse of each other in their way of living. is the best preparative for our own sufferings and want. It is promised to those that 'consider the poor that God will preserve them, and keep them alive, and they shall be blessed upen the earth' (Ps. 41:1, 2). And, 'those who show mercy, and give to the poor, shall not be ashamed in the evil time, but in the days of famine they shall be satisfied' (Ps. 37:19, 21). The best provision we can lay up against a dear time is to lay up an interest in these promises, by doing good, and communicating, (Luke 12:33). Many give it as a reason why they should be sparing, but the scripture gives it as a reason why we should be liberal, 'to seven, and also to eight', because 'we know not what evil shall be upon the earth'. (Ecclesiastes 11:2).
Luke 7
But when it is insisted on as necessary, and his consenting to it, though only in a single instance, is likely to be improved as giving countenance to such an imposition, he has too great a concern for the purity and liberty of the gospel, to submit to it; he would not yield to those who were for the Mosaic rites and ceremonies, but would stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, which conduct of his may give us occasion to observe that what under some circumstances may lawfully be complied with, yet, when that cannot be done without betraying the truth, or giving up the liberty of the gospel, it ought to be refused.
Acts 11
Liberty
Galatians 2
The Pharisees complained of them to their Master for doing
Lies
Lies works of God. What we hear is not likely to profit us unless we consider it, and we are not likely to consider things fully unless we stand still and compose ourselves to the considera-
Men could not arrive at such a pitch of impiety as to bear false witness (where to the guilt of a lie is added that of perjury and injury) if they had not advanced to it by allowing themselves to speak untruths in jest and banter, or under pretence of doing good. tion of them.
W fe) eee
Rebukes to hypocrites ought not to be terrors to the upright.
Psalm 50
Those that can swallow a false word debauch their consciences, God takes notice what returns our hearts make to the calls of his word, what we say and what we think when we have heard a sermon, what answer we give to the message sent us. When God calls us to 'return', we should answer as those did (Jer. 3:22), 'Behold we come'. But not as these here, 'Wherein shall we return?' so that a false oath will not choke them.
Proverbs 19
Listening to Sermons
This doctrine is fitly compared to rain and showers' which come from above. To make the earth fruitful and accomplish that for which they are sent and depend not upon the wis-
Malachi 3
How they come to be_ unprofitable hearers. The wicked one, that is, the devil, cometh and catcheth away that which was sown — such mindless, careless, trifling hearers are an easy prey to Satan; who, as he is the great murderer of souls, so he is the great thief of sermons, and will be sure to rob us of the word, if we take not care to keep it, as the birds pick up the seed that falls on the ground that is neither ploughed before nor harrowed after. If we break not up the fallow ground, by preparing our hearts for the word, and humbling them to it, and engaging our own attention; and if we cover not the seed afterwards, by meditation and prayer; if we give not a more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, we are as the dom or will of man (Micah 5:7).
It is a mercy to have this rain come often upon us and our duty to drink it in (Heb. 6, 7).
Deuteronomy 32
We may expect that God will speak to us when we set ourselves to hearken to what He says. (Ps. 85:8, Hab. 2:1.) When we come to read the Word of God and to attend on the preaching of it, we should come thus disposed submitting ourselves to the commanding light and power of it. 'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth'.
1 Samuel 3
He begs that he would hearken to this discourse (v. 14), that he would pause awhile: Stand still and consider the wondrous
Living in the Light of Eternity highway ground. Note, the devil is a sworn enemy to our profiting by the Word of God; and none do more befriend his design than heedless hearers, who are thinking of something
It is to them as a tale that is told them, not as a message that is sent them; they are willing that we should preach before them, not that we. should preach to them. ; Luke 5 else, when they should be thinking of the things that belong to their peace.
They were ready to hear, not whatever he pleased to say, but what he was commanded of God to say. The truths of Christ were not communicated to the apostles to be published or stifled as they thought fit, but entrusted with them to be published to the world. We are ready to hear all, to come at the beginning of the _ service and stay to the end, and be attentive all the while, else how can we hear all? We are desirous to hear all that thou art commissioned to preach, though it be ever so displeasing to flesh and blood, and ever so contrary to our former notions or present secular interests. We are ready to hear all, and therefore let nothing be kept back that is profitable for us.
The heart is, as the meal, soft and pliable; it is the tender heart that is likely to profit by the word: leaven among corn unground does not work, nor does the gospel in souls unhumbled and unbroken for sin; the law grinds the heart, and then the gospel leavens it.
. the meal must be kneaded, before it receive the leaven; our hearts, as they must be broken, so they must be moistened, and pains taken with them to prepare them for the word.
When the woman hides the leaven in the meal, it is with an intention that it should communicate its taste and relish to it; so we must treasure up the word in our souls, that we may be sanctified by it (John
Acts 10
It is not enough to remember what we hear, and to be able to repeat it, and to give testimony to it, and commend it, and write it, and preserve what we have written; that which all this is in order to, and which crowns the rest, is that we be doers of the word.
7217); Matthew 13
It is good, in hearing the word, to keep the eye fixed upon the minister by whom God is speaking to us; for, as the eye affects the heart, so, usually, the heart follows the eye, and
James 1
is wandering, or fixed, as that is.
Luke 4
Living in the Light of Eternity
How many are there in the midst of our assemblies, where the gospel is preached, that do not
Daniel sees his kingdom now at
its last gasp, and therefore looks
sit under the word, but sit by!
Living in the Light of Eternity
Loneliness with contempt upon his gifts and rewards. And thus should we despise all the gifts and rewards that this world can give, did we see, as we may by faith, It is better to be serving God in solitude than serving sin with a multitude. its final period hastening on. Let
Psalm 84 it give its perishing gifts to another; there are better gifts which we have our eyes and hearts upon; but let us do our duty in the world, do it all the real service we can, read God's writing to it in a profession of religion, and by an agreeable conversation make known the interpretation of it, and then trust God for his gifts, his rewards, in comparison with which all the world can give is mere trash and trifles.
Longsu ffering
They began in their apostasy with omissions of good and so proceeded to commissions of evil. In like manner God will first suspend his favours and let them see what the issue of that will be, what a Friend they lose when they provoke God to depart and will try whether this will bring them to repentance.
Daniel 5
Deuteronomy 32
We may here admire the grace of God in speaking to them and their obstinacy in turning a deaf ear to him, that either their badness did not quite turn away his goodness but still he waited to be gracious or that his goodness did not tum them from their badness but still they hated to be reformed.
Living Sacrifice
That which pleased God was not the feeding of a beast, and making much of it, but killing it; so it is not the pampering of our flesh, but the mortifying of it, that God will accept. The sacrifice was bound, was bled, was burnt; so the penitent heart is bound by convictions, bleeds in contrition, and then burns in holy zeal against sin and for God. The sacrifice was offered upon the altar that sanctified the gift; so the broken heart is acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ; there is no true repentance without faith in him; and this is the sacrifice which he will not despise. Men despise that which is broken, but God will not. He despised the sacrifice of torn and broken beasts, but he will not despise that of a torn and broken heart.
2 Chronicles 33
How bad soever the world is, let us never think the worse of God nor of his government; but, from the abundance of wickedness that is among men, let us take occasion, instead of reflecting upon God's purity, as if he countenanced sin, to admire his patience, that he bears so much with those that so impudently provoke him, nay, and causes his sun to shine and his rain to fall upon them. If God's mercy were not in the heavens (that is, infinitely above the mercies of any creature), he
Psalm 51
Lord's Supper would, long ere this, have drowned the world again. See (Isa. 55:8, 9; Hos. 11:9). Psalm 36 of God, as it were, contend which shall be most wonderful.
John 10
The remembrance of former sins, notwithstanding which God did not cast off his people, is
Lord's Supper
To eat of the feast is to partake of the sacrifice, and so to be his guests to whom the sacrifice was offered, and this in token of friendship with him. Thus to partake of the Lord's table is to profess ourselves his guests and covenant people. This is the very purpose and intention of this symbolical eating and drinking; it is holding communion with God, and partaking of those privileges, and professing ourselves under those _ obligations, which result from the death and sacrifice of Christ; and this in conjunction with an encouragement to us to hope that though we are _ justly corrected for our sins, yet we shall not be utterly abandoned.
Psalm 106
As the supports of life, so the means of grace, are continued to us after they have been a thousand times forfeited.
Ezekiel 2
Parents and masters must not be angry at the forgetfulness of their children and servants, more than is necessary to make them take more heed another time; we are all apt to be forgetful of our duty. This should all true Christians, with whom we have communion also in this ordinance. serves to. excuse as faults Per adventure it was an oversight'. See how easily Christ forgave his disciples' carelessness, though it was in such a material point as taking bread; and do likewise. But that which he chides them for is their little faith.
1 Corinthians 10
Our Saviour, having undertaken to make an offering of himself to God, and procure, by his death, the remission of sins, with all other gospel benefits, for true believers, did, at the institution, deliver his body and blood, with all the benefits procured by his death, to his disciples, and continues to do the same every time the ordinance is administered to true believers. This is here exhibited, or set forth, as the food of souls. And as food, though ever
Matthew 16
See what is the language of an obstinate unbelief; it does, in effect, call the holy Jesus a blasphemer. It is hard to say which is more to be wondered at, that men who breathe in God's air should yet speak such things, or that men who have spoken such _ things should still be suffered to breathe God's air. The wickedness of man, and the patience so wholesome or rich, will yield no nourishment without being eaten, here the communicants are .to, take and? eat; ofacto receive Christ and feed upon him, his grace and benefits,
Lord's Supper
If 'all that a man has he will give for his life', he that gives this for his friend gives all, and can give no more; this may sometimes be our duty (1 John 3:16). John 15 and by faith convert them into nourishment to their souls. They are to take him as their Lord and life, yield themselves up to him, and live upon him. 'He is our life' (Col. 3:4).
1 Corinthians 11
In the enumeration of these commandments, the apostle puts the seventh before the sixth, and mentions this first, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery'; for though this commonly goes under the name of love (pity
Love
This expostulation is grounded upon a great truth that those only have our love, not that have our good words or our good wishes, but that have our hearts. That is love without dissimulation but it is falsehood and flattery of the _ highest degree to say we love those with whom our hearts are not. How can we say we love either our brother, whom we _ have seen, or God whom we have not seen, if our hearts be not with him. it is that so good a word should be so abused) yet it is really as great a violation of it as killing and stealing is, which shows that true brotherly love is love to the souls of our brethren in the first place. He that tempts others to sin, and defiles their minds and consciences, though he may pretend the most passionate love (Prov. 7:15, 18), does really hate them, just as the devil does, who wars against the soul.
Judges 16
It is required that we follow Christ, that we duly attend upon his ordinances, strictly conform to his pattern, and cheerfully submit to his disposals, and by upright and universal obedience observe his statutes, and keep his laws, and all this from a principle of love to him, and dependence on him, and with a holy contempt of everything else in comparison of him, and much more in competition with him. This is to follow Christ fully. To sell all, and give to the poor, will not serve, unless we come, and follow Christ. If I give all my goods to feed the poor, and have not love, it profits me nothing.
Romans 13
A clear and deep head is of no signification, without a benevolent and charitable heart. It is not great knowledge that God sets a value upon, but true and hearty devotion and love.
Faith fixes on the divine revelation, and assents to that: hope fastens on future felicity, and waits for that: and in heaven faith will be swallowed up in vision, and hope in fruition. There is no room to believe and hope, when we see and enjoy. But love fastens on the divine perfections themselves.
Matthew 19
In another world, there will
Love to God love be made perfect; there we shall perfectly love God, because he will appear amiable for ever, and our hearts will kindle at the 'forgotten thee O Jerusalem!' and were so far from preferring thee before their chief joy that they preferred any joy before thee. Here is therefore another proclamation issued out by the God of Israel, strictly charging and commanding all his freeborn subjects, wherever they were dispersed, speedily to return into their own land. sight, and glow with perpetual devotion. And there shall we perfectly love one another, when all the saints meet there, when none but saints are there, and saints made perfect. O blessed state! How much surpassing the best below! O amiable and excellent grace
Zechariah 2 of charity! How much does it exceed the most valuable gift, when it outshines every grace,
Love to God
and is the everlasting consuma-
We must love him 1. With a sincere love, not in word and tongue only saying we love him when our hearts are not with him, but inwardly and tion of them! When faith and hope are at an end, true charity will burn for ever with the brightest flame. Note, those border most upon the heavenly in) truth) 2.402. With atstrong love. The heart must be carried out toward him with great ardour and fervency of affection . . . 3. With a superlative state and_ perfection whose hearts are fullest of this divine principle, and burn with the most fervent charity. It is the surest offspring of God.
love. We must love God above any creature whatsoever and love nothing besides him but what we love for him 4. With an intelligent love . . We must know him and, therefore, love him as those that see good cause to love him 5. With an entire love. He is one, and therefore our hearts must be united in this love and the whole stream of our affections must run towards Him. Oh, that this love of God may be shed abroad in our hearts.
1 Corinthians 13
Love of Ease
They had no great affection to their own land, and apprehended the difficulties in their way to it insuperable. This proceeded from a bad cause — a distrust of the power and promise of God, a love of ease and worldly wealth, and an indifference to the religion of their country and to the God of Israel him-
Deuteronomy 6 self; and it had a bad effect, for it was a tacit censure of those as foolish, rash, and given to change, that did return, and a weakening of their hands in the work of God. Such as these could not sing (Ps. 137) in their captivity, for they had It greatly encouraged his confidence in God that he was conscious to himself of an entire affection to God and to his ordinances, and that he was in his element when in the way of his duty and in the way of
Love to God increasing his acquaintance with him. much more reason have we thus to argue ourselves into a pious concern for God's honour. We have our maintenance from the God of heaven and are salted with his salt, live upon his bounty and are the care of his providence and, therefore, it is not Psalm 27
True Christians have a sincere love to Jesus, because they believe in him. This love discovers itself in the highest esteem for him, affectionate desires after him, willingness to be dissolved to be with him, delightful thoughts, cheerful services and sufferings, etc. fit for us to see his dishonour without resenting it and doing what we can to prevent it.
Ezra 4
1 Peter 1
Lukewarmness
Lowering of Standards
Lukewarmness or indifference in religion is the worst temper in the world. If religion is a real thing, it is the most excellent thing, and therefore we should be in good earnest in it; if it is not a real thing, it is the vilest imposture, and we should be earnest against it. If religion is worth anything, it is worth everything; an indifference here is inexcusable.
They looked no further than the burning of the sacrifice, and they pleaded that it was a pity to burn it if it was good for anything else. The people were so far convinced of their duty that they would bring sacrifices; they durst not wholly omit the duty, but they brought vain oblations, mocked God, and deceived themselves, by bringing the worst they had; and the priests, who should have taught them better, accepted the gifts brought to the altar and offered them up there, because, if they should refuse them, the people would bring none at all, and then they would lose their perquisites; and therefore, having more regard to their own profit than to God's honour, they accepted that which they knew he would not accept.
Christ expects that men should declare themselves in earnest either for him or against him.
He is sick of them, and cannot long bear them. They may call their lukewarmness 'charity, meekness, moderation', and a 'argeness of soul'; it is nauseous to Christ, and makes those so that allow themselves in it.
Revelation 3
Malachi 1
Luxurious Living
Loyalty
The more men place their happiness in the gratification of sense the more pressing temporal afflictions are upon them. The drinkers of water needed not to If those that lived upon the crown thought themselves bound in gratitude thus to support the 'interest » of it,
Marks of Grace
Manifestations care when the vine was _ laid waste; they could live as well without it as they had done; It is observable that before Peter and John came to the sepulchre an angel had appeared there, rolled away the stone, frightened the guard, and comforted the women; as soon as they were gone from the sepulchre, Mary Magdalene here sees two angels in the sepulchre. (v. 12), "ande@yet Peter and John come to the sepulchre, and go into it, and it was no trouble to the Nazarites. But the 'drinkers of wine' will 'weep and howl'. The more delights we make necessary to our satisfaction the more we expose ourselves to trouble and disappointment.
Joel 1
Man Helpless Before God's Judgments see none. What shall we make of this? Where were the angels when Peter and John were at the sepulchre, who appeared there before and after? Angels appear and disappear at pleasure, according to the orders and instructions given them. They may be, and are really, where they are not visibly; nay, Giants are but worms before God's Power.
Numbers 21
Balaam in his fury wished he had a sword to kill his ass with. See his impotency! Can he think by his curses to do mischief to Israel that has it not in his power to kill his own ass. This" ne cannot, "do. =. :. and what would he get by that but make himself so much _ the poorer (as many do) to gratify his passion and revenge. it should seem, may be visible to one and not to another, at the same time (Numi 22-23; 2 Kings 6:17). How they make themselves visible, then invisible, then visible again, it is presumption for us to enquire; but that they do so is plain from this story.
Numbers 22
God is lord of hosts, has all creatures at his command, and, when he pleases, can humble and mortify a proud and rebellious people by the weakest and most contemptible creatures. Man is said to be a worm; and by this it appears that he is less than a worm, for, when God pleases, worms are too hard for him, plunder his country, eat up that for which he laboured, destroy the forage, and cut off the subsistence of a potent nation. The weaker the instrument is that God employs, the more is his power magnified.
John 20
Marks of Grace
God's putting His law in our hearts and writing it in our inward parts furnish the surest evidence of our reconciliation to God and the best earnest of our happiness in Him. Moses is told to hew the tables; for the law prepares the heart by conviction and humiliation for the grace of God but it is only that grace that then writes the law in it.
Deuteronomy 10
Joell
Marks of Grace his wife. See here the power of divine institution, that the result of it is a union stronger than that which results from the high-
The. law of God written in the heart 1s a certain evidence of the love of God shed abroad there; we must reckon God's law one of the gifts of his grace.
est obligations of nature.
Deuteronomy 33
A man's children are pieces of himself, but his wife is himself. As the conjugal union is closer than that between parents and children, so it is in a manner equivalent to that between one member and another in the natural body. As this is a reason why husbands should love their wives, so it isa reason why they should not put away their wives; for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, or cut it off, but nourishes and cherishes it, and does all he can to preserve it. They two shall be one, therefore there must be but one wife, for God made but one Eve for one Adam (Mal. 2:15).
Lamenting after God is as sure an evidence that we love him as rejoicing in God.
Psalm 42
Marriage
He that will not be counselled cannot be helped. It is especially prudent for young people to take advice in their marriages as Joash did who left it to his guardian to choose him his wives because Jezebel and Athaliah had been such plagues. This is a turn of life that often proves either the making or the marring of young people and therefore should be attended to with great care.
Matthew 19
2 Chronicles 24
It is very desirable, when there is a marriage, to have Jesus Christ present at it; to have his spiritual gracious presence, to have the marriage owned and blessed by him: the marriage
The relation between husband and wife is nearer than that between parents and children; now, if the filial relation may not easily be violated, much less may the marriage union be broken. May a child desert his parents, or may a parent abandon his children, for any cause, for every cause? No, by no means. Much less may a husband put away his wife, betwixt whom, though not by nature, yet by divine appointment, the relation is nearer, and the bond of union stronger, than between parents and children; for that is in a great measure superseded by marriage, when a man must leave his parents, to cleave to is then honourable indeed; and they that marry in the Lord (I Cor. 7:39) "donot marry without him. They that would have Christ with them at their marriage must invite him by prayer; that is the messenger that must be sent to heaven for him; and he will come: 'Thou shalt call, and I will answer'. And he will turn the water into wine.
John 2
Material Prosperity
God gives and preserves outward blessings to wicked men _ to
Meditation show that these are not the if you take away the means of grace. best things but he has better in store for his own children.
Joshua 22
Deuteronomy 2
Let us not think it enough to pass through them, but let us
Cedars, that used to be great rarities, were as common as sycamore trees. Such is the nature of worldly wealth, plenty of it makes it the less valuable; much more should the enjoyment of lie down in them, abide in them; this is my rest for ever. It is by a constancy of the means of grace that the soul is fed.
Psalm 23 spiritual riches lessen our esteem of all earthly possessions.
Those are mistaken who think that when they have robbed us of our Bibles, and our ministers, and our solemn assemblies, they have robbed us of our God; for, though God has tied us to them when they are to be had, he has not tied himself to them. We know where our God is, and where to find him, when we know not where his ark is, nor where to find that. Wherever we are, there is a way open heavenward.
1 Kings 10 'They were filled and_ their heart was exalted.' Their luxury and sensuality made them proud, insolent and secure. The best comment upon this is that of Moses (Deut. 32:13—15). But 'Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked'. When the body was stuffed up with plenty the soul was puffed up with pride. Then they began to think their religion a thing below them, and they could not persuade themselves to stoop to _ the services of it.
Psalm 42
God's promises pertain to those, and those only, that dwell under the church's shadow, that attend on God's ordinances and adhere to his people, not those that flee to that shadow only for shelter in a hot gleam, but those that 'dwell under it' (Ps. 27:4).
Worldly prosperity, when it feeds men's pride, makes them forgetful of God; for they remember Him only when they want Him. When Israel was filled, what more could the Almighty do for them?
Hosea 14
It is a righteous thing with God to withhold the blessings of grace from those that do not attend the means of grace, to deny the 'green pastures' to those that attend not the 'shepherd's tents'.
Hosea 13
Means of Grace
Though the form and _profession of godliness are kept up by many without the life and power of it, yet the life and power of it will not long be kept up without the form and profession. You take away grace
Zechariah 14
Meditation
David's prayers were not his
Meditation among the soldiers was quelled by his patience and faith. When they spoke of stoning him, if he had spoken of hanging them or had ordered that the ringleaders of the faction should immediately have their heads struck off, though it would have been just, yet it might have been of pernicious consequence to his interest in this critical juncture and while he and his men were contending, the Amalekites would clearly have carried off their spoil but when he, as a deaf man, heard not, smothered his resentments and encouraged himself in the words only, but his meditations; as meditation is the best preparative for prayer, so prayer is the best issue of meditation. Meditation and prayer should go together. (19:14.) It is when we thus consider our prayers, and then only, that we may expect that God will consider theme wan Gustakessthat. ston his heart which comes from ours.
Psalm 5
They 'thought upon his name'; they seriously considered and frequently meditated upon the discoveries God has made of himself in his word and by his providences, and their 'meditation of him' was 'sweet' to them and influenced them. They 'thought on his name'; they consulted the honour of God and aimed at that as their ultimate end in all that they did. Note, those that know the name of God should often think of it and dwell upon it in their thoughts; it is a copious curious subject, and frequent thoughts of it will contribute very much to our communion with God and the stirring up of our devout affections to him.
Lord his God, the tumult of the people was stilled by his gentleness and the power of God on their hearts; and being thus mildly treated they are now as ready to follow his foot as they were but a little before, to fly in his face.
1 Samuel 30
Meekness is wisdom. He rightly understands himself, and_ his duty and interest, the infirmities of human nature, and the constitution of human society, who is 'slow to anger', and knows how to excuse the faults of others as well as his own, how to adjourn his resentments, and moderate them, so as by no provocation to be put out of the possession of his own soul. A mild patient man is really to be accounted an intelligent man, one that learns of Christ, who is wisdom itself.
Malachi 3
Meekness
It is observable that those creatures chosen for sacrifice were most mild and_ gentle, harmless and _ inoffensive to typify the innocence and meekness that were in Christ and to teach the innocence and meekness that should be in Christians.
Proverbs 14
Leviticus 1
The meek are those who quietly submit themselves to God, to his word and to his rod, who follow his directions, and com-
See how quickly, how easily, how effectually the mutiny
Mercy ply with his designs, and are gentle towards all men (Titus 3:2); who can bear provocation without being inflamed by it; are and it is opposed to angry resentments and peevishness.
Ephesians 4 either silent or return a soft answer; and who can show their displeasure when there is occasion for it, without being transported imto any _ indecencies; who can be cool when others are hot; and in their patience keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. They are the meek, who are rarely and hardly provoked, but quickly and easily pacified; and who would rather forgive twenty injuries than revenge one, having the rule of their own spirits.
Mercy
God quickly brought troubles upon them to awaken them and recover them to repentance before their hearts were hardened. It was but in the fourth year of Rehoboam that they began to corrupt themselves and in the fifth year the king of Egypt came up against them with a vast army.
2 Chronicles 12
He appeals to mercy, as one that knew he could not stand the test of strict justice. The best saints, even those _ that have been merciful to the poor, have not made God their debtor, but must throw themselves on Matthew 5
Even that which is said without reason should be answered without passion; we should learn of our Master to reply with meekness even to that which is most impertinent and imperious, and, where it is easy to find much amiss, to seem not to see it, and wink at the affront. his mercy. When we are under the rod we must thus recommend ourselves to the tender mercy of our God.
Psalm 41
The fountain of mercy is inexhaustibly full; the streams of mercy are inestimably rich.
Those who would be like Christ must put up with affronts, and pass by the indignities and injuries done them; must not regard them, much less resent them, and least of all revenge them. I, as a deaf man, heard not. When Christ was reviled, he reviled not again.
Psalm 86
His mercy is everlasting; it is a fountain that can never be drawn dry. The saints, who are now the sanctified vessels of mercy, will be, to eternity, the glorified monuments of mercy.
Psalm 100
John 7
The repetition of it here twenty six times intimates, 1. That God's mercies to his people are 'Meekness', that excellent disposition of soul which makes men unwilling to provoke others, and not easily to be provoked or offended with their infirmities; thus repeated and drawn, as it were, with a continuando from the beginning to the end, with