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1. Their sins the cause of their afflictions being again mentioned unto them, teacheth this doctrine: that it is necessary whensoever we are afflicted, to recount often our sins to have procured the same to fall upon us.

(1) We are naturally unwilling to blame ourselves for anything, and ready to impute the cause of any evil to others.

(2) If we rightly charge ourselves and our sins, we shall be the better prepared thereby to true repentance and right humiliation.

2. It is peculiar to the godly to impute the cause of all their miseries unto their own sins. The wicked either lay the cause upon other things, or extenuate their fault, blaming God for rigour; or else break out into raging impatience or blasphemy.

3. It is our sin that depriveth us of any good thing we have heretofore enjoyed.

4. When we truly fear and serve the Lord, He honoureth us in the sight of men (1 Samuel 2:30).

(1) That it may appear that godliness is not without her reward even in this life.

(2) To give a taste unto the godly here, of that honour which they shall hereafter enjoy without measure or end.

5. It is our sin that maketh us odious and contemptible amongst men.

6. The estimation that the godly have among worldlings is only whilst they are in outward prosperity.

7. The wicked, that have no knowledge or consciousness of their own faults, can see the offences of the godly, and upbraid them with them.

8. There is nothing that maketh men so filthily naked as sin.

9. The godly do take to heart with earnest affection the crosses that the Lord layeth upon them.

10. The godly are sometimes brought into so hard estate as that they are in men's judgment utterly deprived of all the signs of God's favour.

(J. Udall.)

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KJV: Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

WEB: Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she is become as an unclean thing; all who honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yes, she sighs, and turns backward.