The Lord hath been bringing a great trial in Gallow-ways way, I would ask one necessary question at you, whether or not, do you find yourselves getting any good of this as yet? Believe me, you look like a people sold under judgments rather than chaste into the Lord by judgments. But my friends, if you be getting good of this trial I will tell you what you will find wrought in you by the Lord's blessing. First you will find this wrought in you, it is a more serious frame, and sincere study in religion, seeking after God. You will find religion to be more seriously your concernment. A man or woman that is getting good of the trial will be getting more concernedness with religion, you will find that made more your work, and you will find more seriousness about it. This is one of the Lord’s special purposes in bringing this trial upon you, and how great and noble an advantage do you reach if this shall be gained. My friends, would you get good of this trial? Then be stirred up to make sure work with Himself, be stirred up by it to make religion your main work and to flee into Himself. Be stirred up to prize Christ the more and that which He hath purchased for sinners. Second, if you be getting good of this trial I will tell you what you will find wrought in your souls by His blessing. You will find a deep sense of the vanity and hatefulness of sin. The Lord is writing over and upon all the sinful courses of the time, vanity. Oh and that the vanity of them were a light to let you see the sinfulness of them. He is making many to see this, even that their compliance with sinful courses will not save nor help them. He let them see compliant courses to be vain and hateful courses. Oh all ye that would have good of this trial be instructed to look back upon your sinful ways and upon sin as it hath provoked the Lord so to deal with you. Oh look upon sin in its own colour as it is vain and a hateful thing. Oh how bitter and an evil thing it is to depart from the Living God. Oh hateful it is to depart form Him to sin against Him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity without indignation. Believe me I will tell you one thing that man and woman that looks not on sin as God looks on it, that is with hatred and detestation, they shall be looked on by God as He looks on sin, that is God will look upon you with hatred and abhorrency. If ye look not upon sin with the greatest of abhorrency .Third if you be getting good of this trial you will find it working in you an acceptance of the punishment of your iniquities and you will be justifying God in bringing it upon you. But know that an acceptance of the punishment of your iniquities is given by the Holy Ghost as an evidence of fittedness and preparedness for mercies. For when they accept of the punishment of their iniquities and are humbled for their own uncircumcisedness of heart then He will return and have mercy and remember His covenant with Jacob. Oh accept as the punishment of your sins and take it, out of God's hand. Do not look upon the trial as a thing coming upon you by chance, and coming only from men, take it as coming from the Lord, take it as the punishment for your sins and as His reproof. For indeed it is most just on your part as coming from Him, and as to Him it justifies Him who doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. Oh then accept of it as the punishment of your iniquity and beware at quarreling at God's hand, for this trial is to know who will accept of it and who not. And I will tell you one thing, if you be not helped by grace to accept of it as the punishment for your iniquity you will soon run into iniquity and into some sinful course and to add iniquity to sin which is explained by the Apostle and called murmuring and quarrelling or drawing back. Let me see a man or woman quarrelling at God, is punishing them for their iniquities this day and I will let you see a man or woman who will turn their back upon Christ the next day. Oh be patient unto the Lord's hand and submissive to what He sees fit to carve out in your lives. You must be submissive to His measuring out of your lot as He pleaseth. You must not set bounds to the unlimited Holy One of Israel. You must submit to His chastisements as long as He sees fit to lay them upon you. Proud conceited folks under the rod, show by their comportment they get no good from under the rod. Oh then humble yourselves under His hand, for the want of this humility draws many strokes out of His hand. Humble yourselves then under God's hand and lie in the dust if you would get good of trials and to Him only who can bless this present trial unto you, let us pray. James Renwick
<< Home