Jeremiah 4

Jeremiah 4:1-4

If you truly return to me by faith and repentance, and reform from your idolatries, and in a candid and upright manner devote yourselves to and serve me, in whom even the Gentile nations shall in a little time be blessed and glory, your captivity may be prevented. Yet not a mere outward reformation, but deep convictions of conscience, and a thorough renovation of 9;* your hearts, and purgation from the sinful corruptions thereof, are necessary to the preventing of my approaching and justly deserved judgments. 30, 31. No devices which ye can use shall avail you; the Egyptians and Chaldeans, whose friendship ye have courted, will forsake or murder you, which will occasion terrible anguish and despair all over the country, but especially at Jerusalem. 80

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. IV.—Thrice blessed are the fruits of true and gospel repentance! But great accuracy is requisite in turning to the Lord, in dedicating ourselves to him, or swearing by his name. And deep convictions, and an effectual change of heart, is necessary to the extirpation of indwelling lusts. How great is JEHOVAH’s love to Gentile sinners! But dreadful is his wrath; and it is mad to kindle it upon ourselves by our sins! For furious, swift, terrible, and ruinous, are the miseries, the effects of his vengeance upon impenitent sinners. It is vain to flee into defenced cities, or to attempt being courageous, under a sense of guilt. And those prophets, who flatter men with vain hopes, will most certainly perish along with those whom they have seduced and hardened in wickedness. Our ruin is wholly of ourselves. And it is criminal and absurd to be obstinate in wickedness when God’s judgments are just falling on our heads. Hard is the heart which is not affected when destructive calamities befall the nation or church, and all created confidences concur to their ruin. And, if such anguish and despair take place in the overthrow of nations, what must take place among the wicked in the last judgment, and in the eternal damnation of hell?