Judges 6

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. VI.—Neither judgments nor mercies, however often repeated, can restrain revolting and rebellious hearts from the most abominable crimes. But they, who abuse God’s common benefits in prodigality and luxury, live often to feel the want of them in hunger and nakedness. What arrant cowards men are often made by their own guilty and accusing consciences! And, after all, in the day of distress, there is no hope but in God himself: and, when his service is so reasonable, ingratitude to him, the God of mercy and grace, cannot fail highly to aggravate our transgressions. It is the indispensable duty of ministers to deal plainly and closely with their hearers’ consciences, as conviction of sin is an hopeful token of approaching deliverance; and God often chuses that time for delivering us when our case appears most desperate. But how hard is it to reconcile our afflictive experiences with the promises of God to us—to believe either what God has done, or what he will do, when present providences appear just the reverse! Yet God delights to honour such as are humble. - Let not his saints therefore consider their weakness, when felt, as any reason for evading the great work which God puts into their hands. With infinite condescension God gives not only unalterable promises, but even miraculous signs, for the encouragement of his faint-hearted servants. And such as enjoy noted communion with him eagerly desire to prolong the visit, and to testify their grateful regard to him and to his messengers. If God call us to extraordinary work, we must, without delay, and regardless of the will of wicked men, begin reformation at home. Nor, however zealous we have been in the cause of wickedness, must we be ashamed to change our conduct, or to protect the innocent. When God calls men to hard work he can easily furnish them with assistants, even where they could least have been expected. And yet, after all, their unbelieving jealousies render necessary new tokens of God’s presence and assistance in it