November 7

These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. - Isaiah 42:16.

THE people of God, as they themselves acknowledge, deserve to be forsaken, and they often say, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” They may think themselves forsaken, and we have instances of this upon record: thus, Zion said, “The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, she may forget; yet will I not forget thee.” So Asaph said, “Will the Lord cast off forever? will he be favourable no more?” So David acknowledges, “I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless, thou heardest my supplications when I cried unto thee.” But they may be forsaken. God himself speaks of this in his word; but let us observe the period:-“For a small moment have I forsaken thee.” So it is in the apprehension of faith; so it always is very short compared with eternity.

Then observe the manner of his forsaking them; for, however this may be explained, it must be consistent with his assurance of not forsaking them. Now, there are three ways in. which God may forsake his people and yet the promise here made to the Jews remain substantially the same. First, In their outward condition, and he leaves them, saying, as he goes, “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offences and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.” Then he can reduce them in their circumstances, bereave them of their dearest relatives, remove their possessions and enjoyments, and leave them bare and destitute. But all this is compatible with his presence, for he has expressly said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” God is expressly and peculiarly with his people in trouble.

Secondly, As to enjoyment of spiritual comfort. “Oh,” said one of old, “when wilt thou comfort me?” But when these spiritual consolations are suspended, there are great searchings of heart, much that shows the Spirit of God to be with them; for these anxieties come not from nature.

Thirdly, As to the exercise of grace,-not the existence thereof. Here we may refer to Hezekiah and Peter, though Peter’s faith did fail as to its exercise, yet not as to its principle. Though weak in himself, the Christian, reposing on the arm of Omnipotence, “shall not faint, or, fainting, shall not die.” “Yea, though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.” What says the apostle to the Romans?-“I am persuaded that neither life, nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”