Recognizing God's Grief: A Call to Reflection

It is clear from this chapter that the Lord views the sin of mankind with intense regret we are obliged to speak of him after the manner of men and in doing so we are clearly authorized to say that he does not look upon human sin merely with the eye of a judge who condemns it but with the eye of a friend who while he censures the offender deeply laments that there should be such faults to condemn. [00:00:22]

God is grieved that man should sin that thought should encourage everyone who is conscious of having offended God to come back to him if thou lamentest thy transgression the Lord laments it too here is a point of sympathy he will not meet thee upon rigid terms and say to thee by thine own choice thou has sinned and now what remains to thee but to Bear the penalty no he will rejoice when thou DST return even as he has sorrowed that thou did depart from him. [00:01:22]

The greatest difficulty in the world is to make men think I mean think about spiritual things think about their souls think about their God you can bring them to any other point but this they will listen to Holy words but they will not lay them to heart they will go through a round of ceremonial performances but to Worship in spirit The God Who is a spirit is far from them thoughtfully and carefully to consider their way is what they will never do until the spirit of the Living God comes upon them and teaches them the true wisdom. [00:02:25]

Men are most inconsiderate towards God one would pardon them if they forgot many minor things and neglected many inferior persons but to be inconsiderate to their creator to their preserver to him in whose hand their Everlasting Destiny is placed this is a strange Folly as well as a great sin whoever a courtier May neglect he is sure to consider his King men when they start their sons in business will bid them mind the main chance and attend to the principal point and especially take care that they stand well with such a man who has the power to help or to ruin them. [00:03:37]

Man is inconsiderate towards himself in reference to his best interests alas that in a matter of the greatest possible importance involving his all man fails to use his thoughtful reason most men trifle with their past history they do not sit down and look it in the face and Mark with repenting eyes what sins they have committed they are often wanly thoughtless with regard to the present they waste life as though it had no relation to Eternity as though time were only meant for pasttime or for Earthly taskwork. [00:06:40]

True religion is not a bodily exercise nor a manual performance the soul the mind the heart with all its intents and faculties must think of God and yield submission to him otherwise though all the ceremonies ordained of God himself were rightly performed upon thee yet would they yield thee not one particle of Grace faith is a spiritual business and if man lives and dies refusing to consider he has put away from him altogether all hope of being saved for Grace comes not into us by mechanical process but the Holy Spirit Works upon the mind and soul. [00:14:48]

The newly awakened are just in the stage of plowing and the condition of drinking bitter medicine this will soon be over and the results will be most admirable a great cloud of witnesses among whom we joyfully take our place bear testimony to the fact that the ways of the Lord are ways of pleasantness our deepest Joy lies now in knowing our God and considering him God in Christ Jesus is to us an unfailing Fountain of Peace Joy content and blessedness oh that you would hearken unto the Lord for then would your peace be as a river and your righteousness as the waves of the sea. [00:16:48]

Some of you now present have thought of everything except your souls and your God and though this morning I would even with tears beg you to give an hour before the sun goes down to Serious reflection upon spiritual matters the probabilities are that you will do no such thing here is the aggravation of your Folly that you have again and again and again been reminded of this weighty business and all in vain when you were running on in childish waywardness parents plucked you by the sleeve and said consider your ways. [00:18:41]

If he be resolved to save you depend upon it he will not spare you he will bring you somehow or other to himself if he means to bless you be not as the horse and the mule which have no understanding whose mouth must be held in with bit and Bridal but yield now to the afflictions you have already suffered or else you will certainly enhance your guiltiness by despising the chastening of the Lord it was an additional piece of guiltiness that these people were all the while that they would not consider very zealous in an outward religion they would not serve God in his own way but they were very diligent in a way of Their Own. [00:24:13]

Oh that men were wise and that they would consider this put not off reflection for death is near and it is this putting off and putting off which is Satan's most potent engine of destruction some make an excuse for themselves for not considering eternity because they are such eminently practical men they are living for realities of the nature of Hard Cash and they will not be induced to indulge in fancies and Notions for my part I feel great sympathy with them in their downright practicalness I too am a matter of fact Man Without speculation or fancy in me me what I want is facts. [00:36:17]

I find he is devised a way by which to save me he has laid sin upon Christ so that I may Escape if I am puzzled to see how the sin of one could be laid upon another I find in the word of truth that Christ Jesus is one with his people and it is right enough that he should take their sin and suffer in their their stead I find that Christ actually did take the sins of all those who trust him and really suffered in their stead that seems to me to be a glorious truth it meets the case of justice and leaves a door for Mercy. [00:47:49]

I learn that whoever trusts him is saved that is a glorious truth I am saved and pardoned now for I believe in Jesus will not some of you turn these things over in your minds I pray God the Holy Spirit to lead you to do so I believe it is often the way of Salvation to men to be made to hearken diligently to the gospel and to consider and meditate upon it and with that view I have preached to you this morning hoping that the Lord May incline you towards himself and bring you to consider him that you may now enter into his salvation through Jesus Christ Our Lord. [00:48:34]