Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired you in the night; yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you early… I. THE AUTHOR OF THOSE JUDGMENTS WITH WHICH WE ARE VISITED; THE ENDS FOR WHICH THEY ARE SENT; AND THEIR FITNESS TO INSTRUCT US IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. 1. Judgments come from God. Judgments that would crush us when proceeding from any other source, can be borne when viewed as coming from the hand of God. 2. But why does God visit us with judgments? Not that He delights in the miseries of His creatures. "He afflicteth not willingly, nor grieveth the children of men." He would rather "draw them by the cords of love"; and "by His goodness lead them to repentance." 3. A few plain considerations are sufficient to show that the judgments of God have a natural tendency to awaken men from their security and to teach them righteousness. Man is a depraved and corrupted creature. The very multitude of Divine favours hides the hand which confers them, and makes us forget our Benefactor; intoxicated and blinded by enjoyment, in the bosom of peace and abundance, piety languishes, our passions are inflamed, and we cease to "hunger and thirst after righteousness." In this situation, what does the mercy, the compassion of our Father, require from Him? To visit us with His judgments. Then we see the impotence of the idols which have seduced us; conscience wakes from its lethargy, and retraces to us in accents awfully impressive all our wanderings from God and righteousness. (1) The judgments of God deeply affect us and lead us to repentance, because they are rarer than mercies. (2) The judgments of God address powerfully that passion which has most influence on the greater part of mankind — the passion of fear. (3) These judgments of God lead to righteousness because they teach in that most compendious and efficacious mode, by example. On beholding them we feel that the threatenings of God are not a mere dead letter, which need fill us with no dismay. (4) Judgments lead to righteousness because they present God in such a character that even the most stout-hearted sinners tremble to oppose Him. When He comes to plead with them, clothed with grace and compassion, they may abuse these attributes to their destruction; but to sport with Him when "He maketh His way in the whirlwind and the storm"; when He comes armed with the thunders of omnipotence, and dressed in the robes of vengeance, requires a depravity worse than diabolical; since, on such occasions, even "devils tremble." But although judgments have thus a natural tendency to lead men to God, although they have often in an eminent degree taught righteousness, yet have they invariably this effect? Alas, no! there are some who can resist judgment as well as mercies. II. INQUIRE WHY THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE THIS HAPPY EFFECT, which they are designed and calculated to produce. Judgments are frequently rendered useless because of our insensibility. (H. Kollock, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. |
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