April 15

And their judgment is founded in truth. The most awful evils are spiritual evils. And these are more peculiar to the dispensation under which we live. Temporal judgments were common under the law, when offenders were often punished immediately, sensibly, visibly. We see this in the case of Lot's wife, Miriam, Uzzah, and many others recorded in the Old Testament. But under the Gospel inflictions are more spiritual. Here men are given up to a hard heart, a reprobate mind, a seared conscience; to vile affections; to strong delusion; to believe a lie. The spirit of slumber falls upon them. The word and ordinances of religion become barren and unprofitable. By the fascinations of error they are so bewitched that they cannot obey the truth. Yet they are easy. For these are judgments that do not alarm; it is the very nature of them to stupify. Oh! it would be a thousand times better to lose all your substance and beg your bread from door to door; a thousand times better to be robbed of health, and never enjoy another hour of ease, than for God thus to punish you. And though you will not and ought not to pray for sufferings absolutely, if you are like-minded with David you will be willing that God should deal with you in any way rather than say, "He is joined to idols, let him alone"—And this will be your most earnest prayer: "Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy Spirit from me."

But was David in danger of this? We do not like to get rid of an apparent difficulty by denying a revealed truth. And such appears to us the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints. We are therefore confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Yet first, the effect deprecated may take place in a measure and degree. God was provoked to leave Hezekiah in the business of the ambassadors of Babylon, and it showed what was in his heart. And God may be so grieved as to suspend the comforts of the Holy Ghost, and all joy and peace in believing. And secondly, by yielding to temptation, a partaker of divine grace may be reduced to such a state of darkness and horror and anguish, as to apprehend God's entire abandonment of him for ever. This was David's case. His fall had broken his bones, closed his lips, deprived him of the joy of God's salvation, and made him fear that he was cut off from before his eyes.

Such an evil and bitter thing is it to sin against God. So surely will our backslidings reprove us. If his children walk not in my judgments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod. Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. The way to walk comfortably is to walk consistently. I am always sorry to see some professors so calm and happy as they are. With their levity of temper, and vain conversation, and worldly conformities, and neglect of the means of grace—were they the Lord's people, surely he would show that they are not walking so as to please him. Them that honour me, I will honour. Blessed is the man that feareth always.