INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
CHAPTER 19
"When God will destroy the nation he will destroy the counsel thereof, by taking away wisdom from the statesmen (Job 12:20), or setting them one against another" "Providence makes fools of them all" "It is sad with a people when those that undertake for their safety are helping forward their destruction, & the physicians of the state are her worst disease" "It is sad with a people when the powers that should be for edification are for destruction, & they are ruined by those by whom they should be ruled" "God can find ways to deprive a country even of that which is its staple commodity." "...if judgment begin at the house of God, where will it end?" "How easily God can make those a terror to themselves that have been, not only secure, but a terror to all about them." "How well it becomes us to fear before God when he does but shake his hand over us, & to humble ourselves under his mighty hand when it does but threaten us, especially when we see his counsel determined against us; for who can change his counsel?" "Converting grace, by changing the heart, changes the language; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." "Jesus Christ delivered the Gentile nations from the service of dumb idols, & did himself both purchase & preach liberty to the captives." "...those do not know God aright who either are not willing to come under binding obligations to the Lord or do & make good those obligations." "It becomes those who have communion with the same God, through the same Mediator, to keep up an amicable correspondence with one another." "Those that are united in the love & blessing of God ought, for that reason, to be united to each other in charity." CHAPTER 20 "When we are in the way of our duty we may trust God both with our credit & with our safety." "To obey is better than sacrifice; it pleases God & praises him more, & shall be more praised by him." "Those who make any creature their expectation & glory, & so put it in the place of God, will sooner or later be ashamed of it, & their disappointment in it will but increase their fear." "Those that confide in creatures will be disappointed, & will be made ashamed of their confidence; for vain is the help of man, & in vain is salvation hope for from the hills or the height & multitude of the mountains." CHAPTER 21 "For the sighing of the needy the God of pity will arise in due time (Psalms 12:5); he will break the yoke from off their neck, will remove the rod of the wicked from off their lot, & so make their sighing to cease." "Babylon was the mother of harlots (that is, of idolatry), which was one of the grounds of God's quarrel with her; but her idols should now be so far from protecting her that some of them should be broken down to the ground, & others of them, that were worth carrying away, should go into captivity, & be a burden to the beasts that carried them" "God's prophets & ministers are appointed to be watchmen, & we are to look upon them as such." "It is our duty to enquire of the watchmen, especially to ask again & again, What of the night? for watchmen wake when others sleep." "...God usually gives a morning of opportunity before he sends a night of calamity, that his own people may be prepared for the storm & others left inexcusable." "We know not what straits we may be brought into before we die." "Neither the skill of archers (though they be ever so good marksmen) nor the courage of mighty men can protect a people from the judgments of God" "God, when he please, can do a great work in a little time." CHAPTER 22 "The higher any are lifted up in means & mercies the heavier will their doom be if they abuse them." "Public grievances should be our griefs." "We tempt God if, in times of danger, we do not the best we can for ourselves." "The gospel church has God for its Maker." "In all our cares for the defence of the church we must look more at God's interest in it than at our own. They did not depend upon him for a blessing upon their endeavours, saw no need of it, & therefore sought not to him for it, but thought their own powers & policies sufficient for them." "When God threatens us with his judgments he expects & requires that we humble ourselves under his mighty hand, that we tremble when the lion roars, & in a day of adversity consider." "A practical disbelief of another life after this is at the bottom of the carnal security & brutish sensuality which are the sin, & shame, & ruin of so great a part of mankind, as of the old world, who were eating & drinking till the flood came." "Those that walk contrary to God shall find that he will contrary to them; with the froward he will show himself froward." "We have need to pray for princes that they may be wise & happy in the choice of those they trust." "Those who, when they are in power, turn & toss others, will be justly turned & tossed themselves when their day shall come to fail." "Those that are called to places of trust & power should seek unto God for grace to enable them to do the duty of their places; for that ought to be their chief care." "Thus lasting shall the honour be that comes from God to all those who use it for him." "The glory of this world gives a man no intrinsic worth or excellency; it is but hung upon him as an appurtenance, & it will soon drop from him." "Jesus, having the key of the house of David, is as a nail in a sure place, & all the glory of his father's house hangs upon him, is derived from him, & depends upon him" "That soul cannot perish, nor that concern fall to the ground, though ever so weighty, that is by faith hung upon Christ." Matthew Henry's Commentary: Isaiah to Malachi, Mac Donald, pgs. 103 - 122.
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AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
September 2023
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