A. W. Pink - The Threefold Marvel

"For this is what the high and lofty One says—He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place—but also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit." Isaiah 57:15

It will at once be obvious to a spiritual mind that no human pen, however gifted, could begin to do justice to such a verse as this; rather he is likely to detract from its sublimity and depreciate its grandeur in the estimation of the reader. It is one of those outstanding declarations of Holy Writ which is stamped so unmistakably with the autograph of its Divine Author. The mind of the creature could not have invented it, for the thoughts of a fallen being would never soar to such heights, conceive of such an ineffable Object as is here presented to our view, nor have imagined such an amazing act on His part as here predicated of Him. As a whole, it exhibits a threefold marvel and miracle.

FIRST, a marvel and miracle of Divine condescension, namely, that of the Highest and the lowest meeting together. Our estimation of the stupendous and amazing nature of this marvel, will be proportioned by our concept of the greatness and majesty of the Lord God. Alas, that in our day, the true nature of God is so little perceived, even by the majority of those who profess to be His people. So little does the modern pulpit set forth the perfections of Deity; yes, so wretchedly is He caricatured, that He has good reason to say of those in the churches, "You thought that I was altogether like you!" (Psalm 50:21). God is portrayed as feeble, fickle, compromising; unable to accomplish His purpose; swayed by the events of time; and indifferent to sin. It is not, too much to say, that the God of Scripture is "THE UNKNOWN GOD" (Acts 17:23) of modern Christendom! The "god" of the "churches" possesses scarcely any of the attributes of the living God—but is instead, a disgusting figment of their own perverted imagination and corrupt sentiments!

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to?" Isaiah 40:12-18

Pause, my reader, carefully ponder those words; and then ask yourself, "Is there not a real and pressing need for me to revise, yes, radically alter my concept of this mighty and majestic Being?" "This is what the LORD says—Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God" (Isaiah 44:6).

The God of Scripture is "the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever! Amen." (1 Timothy 6:15-16). If that were more clearly grasped by our minds, and if it more powerfully influenced our hearts—we would stand in awe of such a One, and in astonishment, exclaim with one of old, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth?" (1 Kings 8:27). Such was the wondering exclamation of Solomon upon the completion of the temple—probably the most remarkable and imposing building ever erected by man on this earth—the placing of all its sacred vessels in their proper places, and the dedication of the whole. For Jehovah to take up His abode therein, seemed to him a thing incredible, impossible. Considering His immensity, he went on to say, "Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built?" (1 Kings 8:27).

The One whom the heavens are incapable of containing cannot be circumscribed in place nor held by space, being infinite and omnipresent. The Heaven is His throne and the earth is His "footstool"—shall then the King of glory occupy that for His seat! Can such an One take up His abode in a human heart? Surely such a thing is far beyond the widest stretch of imagination. What! That He "who humbles himself—to so much as behold the things that are in heaven" (Psalm 113:6) should deign to tabernacle in a worm of the earth is utterly beyond comprehension! That He who is infinite should make His home in one that is finite—had never been thought of by mortal mind. That He who "inhabits eternity" (Isaiah 57:15) should indwell a creature of time, what is it but indeed a marvel and miracle of condescension—one which should bow us before Him in overwhelming wonderment and worship.

Yet Jehovah is not only the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity—but "whose name is Holy" (Isaiah 57:15). His very nature is ineffably pure. To His immaculate eyes, the heavens themselves are unclean (Job 15:15), "the stars are not pure in his sight" (Job 25:5). "You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13). If—then, it is an incredible thing for the great God to dwell on the earth, if it would be an incomprehensible thing for Him to tabernacle in a finite creature of time—even if that creature were himself sinless—what shall it be for One who is infinitely Holy to dwell within one that is fallen, corrupt, and vile? That is indeed a marvel and miracle of grace—appreciated only in proportion as we apprehend Who He is—and what we are!

We read that "the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fatling will be together" (Isaiah 11:6), and that is a miracle of nature; but for the Holy One to indwell a sinner is a miracle of miracles, the transcendent marvel of grace!

Yes, it is not only a marvel of condescension that the infinite God should indwell a finite creature--but SECONDLY, it is also a miracle of Divine mercy that the ineffably Holy One should take up His abode in the heart of a fallen and sinful creature. Were it not that the Word of Truth clearly and repeatedly taught this—we had not dared to affirm it, nor even imagine such a wonder for ourselves. "Though the Lord is exalted, He takes note of the humble" (Psalm 138:6). O that our hearts were duly affected by His peerless graciousness. If they were, we would exclaim with the Psalmist, "Who is like the Lord our God— the One enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the garbage pile in order to seat them with nobles— with the nobles of His people!" (Psalm 113:5-8). The high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy—yet "the God of all grace" (1 Peter 5:10).

"I live in a high and holy place—but also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15).

That exhibits to us, THIRD, a marvel and miracle of Divine power. By nature, there are none of "a contrite and humble spirit." So far from it, all the fallen children of Adam are in love with sin and self! The world over—the unregenerate are intractable, impenitent, proud, and self-willed. It is only by the supernatural operations of Divine power—that the wild are tamed, the stout-hearted made contrite, and the haughty become lowly.

Above, we have said that the great God takes up His abode in a worm of the earth—yet it is not one considered as a "worm of the earth" that He does so. No, rather is it as one upon whom the Lord had set His heart from before the foundation of the world, as one redeemed by Christ and cleansed by His precious blood, as one who has been renewed by the Holy Spirit, as one who has thrown down the weapons of his warfare and surrendered to the claims of God, as one who has been made a new creature by the might of Omnipotence. Wonder and adore at this threefold marvel and miracle!

John Knox - A Summary of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper

A Summary, According to the Holy Scriptures,
of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper

Here is briefly declared in a summary, according to the holy scriptures, what opinion we Christians have of the Lord's Supper, called the sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
First, we confess that it is a holy action, ordained of God, in the which the Lord Jesus, by earthly and visible things set before us, lifts us up unto heavenly and invisible things. And that when he had prepared his spiritual banquet, he witnessed that he himself was the lively bread wherewith our souls are fed unto everlasting life.
And therefore, in setting forth bread and wine to eat and drink, he confirms and seals up to us his promise and communion (that is, that we shall be partakers with him in his kingdom); and he represents unto us, and makes plain to our senses, his heavenly gifts; and also gives unto us himself, to be received with faith, and not with mouth, nor yet by transfusion of substance; but so, through the virtue [power] of the Holy Ghost, that we, being fed with his flesh, and refreshed with his blood, may be renewed both unto true godliness and to immortality.
And also [we confess] that herewith the Lord Jesus gathered us unto one visible body, so that we are members one of another, and make altogether one body, whereof Jesus Christ is the only Head; and, finally, that by the same sacrament, the Lord calls us to remembrance of his death and passion, to stir up our hearts to praise his most holy name.
Furthermore, we acknowledge that this sacrament ought to be come unto reverently, considering there is exhibited and given a testimony of the wonderful society and knitting together of the Lord Jesus and of the receivers; and also, that there is included and contained in this sacrament, [a testimony] that he will preserve his kirk. For herein we are commanded to show the Lord's death until he come (1 Cor. 11:26).
Also we believe that it is a confession, wherein we show what kind of doctrine we profess; and what congregation we join ourselves unto; and likewise, that it is a bond of mutual love amongst us. And, finally, we believe that all the comers unto this holy Supper must bring with them their conversion unto the Lord, by unfeigned repentance in faith; and in this sacrament receive the seals and conrmation of their faith; and yet must in nowise think that for this work's sake their sins are forgiven.
And as concerning these words, Hoc est corpus meum, "This is my body" (1 Cor. 11:24; Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19), on which the Papists depend so much, saying that we must needs believe that the bread and wine are transubstantiated unto Christ's body and blood: we acknowledge [declare] that it is no article of our faith which can save us, nor which we are bound to believe upon pain of eternal damnation. For if we should believe that his very natural body, both flesh and blood, were naturally in the bread and wine, that should not save us, seeing many believe that, and yet receive it to their damnation. For it is not his presence in the bread that can save us, but his presence in our hearts, through faith in his blood, which has washed out our sins, and pacified his Father's wrath towards us. And again, if we do not believe his bodily presence in the bread and wine, that shall not damn us, but the absence out of our hearts through unbelief.
Obj. Now, if they would here object, that though it be truth, that the absence out of the bread could not damn us, yet are we bound to believe it because of God's word, saying, "This is my body" (1 Cor. 11:24); which who believes not, as much as in him lies, makes God a liar; and, therefore of an obstinate mind not to believe his word, may be our damnation:
Ans. To this we answer, that we believe God's word, and confess that it is true, but not so to be understood as the Papists grossly affirm. For in the sacrament we receive Jesus Christ spiritually, as did the fathers of the Old Testament, according to St. Paul's saying (1 Cor. 10:3-4). And if men would well weigh, how that Christ, ordaining his holy sacrament of his body and blood, spoke these words sacramentally, doubtless they would never so grossly and foolishly understand them, contrary to all the scriptures, and to the exposition of St. Augustine, St. Jerome, Fulgentius, Vigilius, Origen, and many other godly writers.

George Whitefield - Marks of Having Received the Holy Ghost

Acts 19:2— “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?”

Two different significations have been given of these words. Some have supposed, that the question here put, is, Whether these disciples, whom St. Paul found at Ephesus, had received the Holy Ghost by imposition of hands at confirmation? Others think, these disciples had been already baptized into John's baptism; which not being attended with an immediate effusion of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle here asks them, Whether they had received the Holy Ghost by being baptized into Jesus Christ? And upon their answering in the negative, he first baptized, and then confirmed them in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Which of these interpretations is the most true, is neither easy nor very necessary to determine. However, as the words contain a most important inquiry, without any reference to the context, I shall from them,

First, Show who the Holy Ghost here spoken of, is; and that we must all receive him, before we can be stiled true believers.

Secondly, I shall lay down some scripture marks whereby we may know, whether we have thus received the Holy Ghost or not. And

Thirdly, By way of conclusion, address myself to several distinct classes of professors, concerning the doctrine that shall have been delivered.

First, I am to show who the Holy Ghost spoken of in the text, is; and that we must all receive him before we can be stiled true believers.

By the Holy Ghost is plainly signified the Holy Spirit, the third Person in the ever-blessed Trinity, consubstantial and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, proceeding from, yet equal to them both. He is emphatically called Holy, because infinitely holy in himself, and the author and finisher of all holiness in us.

This blessed Spirit, who once moved on the face of the great deep; who over-shadowed the blessed Virgin before that holy child was born of her; who descended in a bodily shape, like a dove, on our blessed Lord, when he came up out of the water at his baptism; and afterwards came down in fiery tongues on the heads of all his Apostles at the day of Pentecost: this is the Holy Ghost, who must move on the faces of our souls; this power of the Most High, must come upon us, and we must be baptized with his baptism and refining fire, before we can be stiled true members of Christ'' mystical body.

Thus says the Apostle Paul, “Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you, (that is, by his Spirit) unless you are reprobates?” And, “If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his,” And again, says St. John, “We know that we are his, by the Spirit that he hath given us.”

It is not, indeed, necessary that we should have the Spirit now given in that miraculous manner, in which he was at first given to our Lord's Apostles, by signs and wonders, but it is absolutely necessary, that we should receive the Holy Ghost in his sanctifying graces, as really as they did: and so will it continue to be till the end of the world.

For this stands the case between God and man: God at first made man upright, or as the sacred Penman expresses it, “In the image of God made he man;” that is, his soul was the very copy, the transcript of the divine nature. He, who before, by his almighty fiat, spoke the world into being, breathed into man the breath of spiritual life, and his soul was adorned with a resemblance of the perfections of Deity. This was the finishing stroke of the creation: the perfection both of the moral and material world. And so near did man resemble his divine Original, that God could not but rejoice and take pleasure in his own likeness: And therefore we read, that when God had finished the inanimate and brutish part of the creation, he looked upon it, and beheld it was good; but when that lovely, God-like creature man was made, behold it was very good.

Happy, unspeakably happy must man needs be, when thus a partaker of the divine nature. And thus might he have still continued, had he continued holy. But God placed him in a state of probation, with a free grant to eat of every tree in the garden of Eden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil: the day he should eat thereof, he was surely to die; that is, not only to be subject to temporal, but spiritual death; and consequently, to lose that divine image, that spiritual life God had not long since breathed into him, and which was as much his happiness as his glory.

These, one would imagine, were easy conditions for a finite creature's happiness to depend on. But man, unhappy man, being seduced by the devil, and desiring, like him, to be equal with his Maker, did eat of the forbidden fruit; and thereby became liable to that curse, which the eternal God, who cannot lie, had denounced against his disobedience.

Accordingly we read, that soon after Adam had fallen, he complained that he was naked; naked, not only as to his body, but naked and destitute of those divine graces which, before decked and beautified his soul. The unhappy mutiny, and disorder which the visible creation fell into, the briars and thorns which not sprung up and overspread the earth, were but poor emblems, lifeless representations of that confusion and rebellion, and those divers lusts and passions which sprung up in, and quite overwhelmed the soul of man immediately after the fall. Alas! he was now no longer the image of the invisible God; but as he had imitated the devil's sin, he became as it were a partaker of the devil's nature, and from an union with, sunk into a state of direct enmity against God.

Now in this dreadful disordered condition, are all of us brought into the world: for as the root is, such must the branches be. Accordingly we are told, “That Adam beget a son in his own likeness;” or, with the same corrupt nature which he himself had, after he had eaten the forbidden fruit. And experience as well as scripture proves, that we also are altogether born in sin and corruption; and therefore incapable, whilst in such a state, to hole communion with God. For as light cannot have communion with darkness, so God can have no communion with such polluted sons of Belial.

Here then appears the end and design why Christ was manifest in the flesh; to put an end to these disorders, and to restore us to that primitive dignity in which we were at first created. Accordingly he shed his precious blood to satisfy his Father's justice for our sins; and thereby also he procured for us the Holy Ghost, who should once more re- instamp the divine image upon our hearts, and make us capable of living with and enjoying the blessed God.

This was the great end of our Lord's coming into the world; nay, this is the only end why the world itself is now kept in being. For as soon as a sufficient number are sanctified out of it, the heavens shall be wrapped up like a scroll, the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth, and all that therein is, shall be burnt up.

This sanctification of the Spirit, is that new birth mentioned by our blessed Lord to Nicodemus, “without which we cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is what St. Paul calls being “renewed in the spirit of our minds;” and it is the spring of that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

Thus then, it is undeniably certain, we must receive the Holy Ghost ere we can be stiled true members of Christ's mystical body.

I come in the Second place to lay down some scriptural marks, whereby we may easily judge, whether we have thus received the Holy Ghost or not.

And the First I shall mention, is, our having received a spirit of prayer and supplication; for that always accompanies the spirit of grace. No sooner was Paul converted, but “behold he prayeth.” And this was urged as an argument, to convince Ananias that he was converted. And God's elect are also said to “cry to him day and night.”

And since one great work of the Holy Spirit is to convince us of sin, and to set us upon seeking pardon and renewing grace, through the all- sufficient merits of a crucified Redeemer, whosoever has felt the power of the world to come, awakening him from his spiritual lethargy, cannot but be always crying out, “Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?” Or, in the language of the importunate blind Bartimeus, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon me.”

The blessed Jesus, as he received the Holy Ghost without measure, so he evidenced it by nothing more, than his frequent addresses at the throne of grace. Accordingly we read, that he was often alone on the mountain praying; that he rose a great while before day to pray: nay, that he spent whole nights in prayer. And whosoever is made partaker of the same Spirit which the holy Jesus, will be of the same mind, and delight in nothing so much, as to “draw nigh unto God,” and lift up holy hands and hearts in frequent and devout prayer.

It must be confessed, indeed, that this spirit of supplication is often as it were sensibly lost, and decays, for some time, even in those who have actually received the Holy Ghost. Through spiritual dryness and barrenness of soul, they find in themselves a listlessness and backwardness to this duty of prayer; but then they esteem it as their cross, and still persevere in seeking Jesus, though it be sorrowing: and their hearts, notwithstanding, are fixed upon God, though they cannot exert their affections so strongly as usual, on account of that spiritual deadness, which God, for wise reasons, has suffered to benumb their souls.

But as for the formal believer, it is not so with him: no; he either prays not at all, or if he does enter into his closet, it is with reluctance, out of custom, or to satisfy the checks of his conscience. Whereas, the true believer can no more live without prayer, than without food day by day. And he finds his soul as really and perceptibly fed by the one, as his body is nourished and supported by the other.

A Second scripture mark of our having received the Holy Ghost, is, Not committing sin.

“Whosoever is born of God, (says St. John) sinneth not, neither can he sin, because his seed remaineth in him.” Neither can he sin. This expression does not imply the impossibility of a Christian's sinning: for we are told, that “in many things we offend all:” It only means thus much: that a man who is really born again of God, doth not willfully commit sin, much less live in the habitual practice of it. For how shall he that is dead to sin, as every converted person is, live any longer therein?

It is true, a man that is born again of God, may, through surprise, or the violence of a temptation, fall into an act of sin: witness the adultery of David, and Peter's denial of his Master. But then, like them, he quickly rises again, goes out from the world, and weeps bitterly; washes the guilt of sin away by the tears of sincere repentance, joined with faith in the blood of Jesus Christ; takes double heed to his ways for the future, and perfects holiness in the fear of God.

The meaning of this expression of the Apostle, that “a man who is born of God, cannot commit sin,” has been fitly illustrated, by the example of a covetous worldling, to the general bent of whose inclinations, liberality and profuseness are directly opposite: but if, upon some unexpected, sudden occasion, he does play the prodigal, he immediately repents him of his fault, and returns with double care to his niggardliness again. And so is every one that is born again: to commit sin, is as contrary to the habitual frame and tendency of his mind, as generosity is to the inclinations of a miser; but if at any time, he is drawn into sin, he immediately, with double zeal, returns to his duty, and brings forth fruits meet for repentance. Whereas, the unconverted sinner is quite dead in trespasses and sins: or if he does abstain from gross acts of it, through worldly selfish motives, yet, there is some right eye he will not pluck out; some right- hand which he will not cut off; some specious Agag that he will not sacrifice for God; and thereby he is convinced that he is but a mere Saul: and consequently, whatever pretensions he may make to the contrary, he has not yet received the Holy Ghost.

A Third mark whereby we may know, whether or not we have received the Holy Ghost, is, Our conquest over the world.

“For whosoever is born of God, (says the Apostle) overcometh the world.” By the world, we are to understand, as St. John expressed it, “all that is in the world, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life:” And by overcoming of it, is meant, our renouncing these, so as not to follow or be led by them: for whosoever is born from above, has his affections set on things above: he feels a divine attraction in his soul, which forcibly draws his mind heavenwards; and as the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so doth it make his soul so long after the enjoyment of his God.

Not that he is so taken up with the affairs of another life, as to neglect the business of this: No; a truly spiritual man dares not stand any day idle; but then he takes care, though he laboreth for the meat which perisheth, first to secure that which endureth to everlasting life. Or, if God has exalted him above his brethren, yet, like Moses, Joseph, and Daniel, he, notwithstanding, looks upon himself as a stranger and pilgrim upon earth: having received a principle of new life, he walks by faith and not by sight; and his hopes being full of immortality, he can look on all things here below as vanity and vexation of spirit: In short, though he is in, yet he is not of the world; and as he was made for the enjoyment of God, so nothing but God can satisfy his soul.

The ever-blessed Jesus was a perfect instance of overcoming the world. For though he went about continually doing good, and always lived as in a press and throng; yet, wherever he was, his conversation tended heavenwards. In like manner, he that is joined to the Lord in one spirit, will so order his thoughts, words, and actions, that he will evidence to all, that his conversation is in heaven.

On the contrary, an unconverted man being of the earth, is earthy; and having no spiritual eye to discern spiritual things, he is always seeking for happiness in this life, where it never was, will, or can be found. Being not born again from above, he is bowed down by a spirit of natural infirmity: the serpent's curse becomes his choice, and he eats of the dust of the earth all the days of his life.

A Fourth scripture mark of our having received the Holy Ghost, is, Our loving one another.

“We know (says St. John) we are passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” “And by this (says Christ himself) shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one towards another.” Love is the fulfilling of the gospel, as well as of the law: for “God is love; and whosoever dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God.”

But by this love we are not to understand a softness and tenderness of mere nature, or a love founded on worldly motives (for this a natural man may have); but a love of our brethren, proceeding from love towards God: loving all men in general, because to their relation to God; and loving good men in particular, for the grace we see in them, and because they love our Lord Jesus in sincerity.

This is Christian charity, and that new commandment which Christ gave to his disciples. New, not in its object, but in the motive and example whereon it is founded, even Jesus Christ. This is that love which the primitive Christians were so renowned for, that it became a proverb, see how these Christians love one another. And without this love, though we should give all our goods to feed the poor, and our bodies to be burnt, it would profit us nothing.

Further, this love is not confined to any particular set of men, but is impartial and catholic: A love that embraces God's image wherever it beholds it, and that delights in nothing so much as to see Christ's kingdom come.

This is the love wherewith Jesus Christ loved mankind: He loved all, even the worst of men, as appears by his weeping over the obstinately perverse; but wherever he saw the least appearance of the divine likeness, that soul he loved in particular. Thus we read, that when he heard the young man say, “All these things have I kept from my youth,” that so far he loved him. And when he saw any noble instance of faith, though in a Centurion and a Syrophonecian, aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, how is he said to marvel at, to rejoice in, speak of, and commend it? So every spiritual disciple of Jesus Christ will cordially embrace all who worship God in spirit and in truth, however they may differ as to the appendages of religion, and in things not essentially necessary to salvation.

I confess, indeed, that the heart of a natural man is not thus enlarged all at once; and a person may really have received the Holy Ghost, (as Peter, no doubt, had when he was unwilling to go to Cornelius) though he be not arrived to this: but then, where a person is truly in Christ, all narrowness of spirit decreases in him daily; the partition wall of bigotry and party zeal is broken down more and more; and the nearer he comes to heaven, the more his heart is enlarged with that love, which there will make no difference between any people, nation, or language, but we shall all, with one heart, and one voice, sing praises to him that sitteth upon the throne for ever.

But I hasten to a Fifth scripture mark, Loving our enemies.

“I say unto you, (says Jesus Christ) Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to those that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” And this duty of loving your enemies is so necessary, that without it, our righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, or even of Publicans and sinners: “For if you do good to them only, who do good to you, what do you more than others?” What do you extraordinary? “Do not even the Publicans the same?” And these precepts our Lord confirmed by his own example; when he wept over the bloody city; when he suffered himself to be led as a sheep to the slaughter; when he made that mile reply to the traitor Judas, “Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” and more especially, when in the agonies and pangs of death, he prayed for his very murderers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

This is a difficult duty to the natural man; but whosoever is made partaker of the promise of the Spirit, will find it practicable and easy: for if we are born again of God, we must be like him, and consequently delight to be perfect in this duty of doing good to our worst enemies in the same manner, though not in the same degree as he is perfect: He sends his rain on the evil and the good; causeth his sun to shine on the just and unjust; and more especially commended his love towards us, that whilst we were his enemies, he sent forth his Son, born of a woman, made under the law, that he might become a curse for us.

Many other marks are scattered up and down the scriptures, whereby we may know whether or not we have received the Holy Ghost: such as, “to be carnally minded, is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” “Now the fruits of the Spirit are joy, peace, long-suffering, meekness,” with a multitude of texts to the same purpose. But as most, if not all of them, are comprehended in the duties already laid down, I dare affirm, whosoever upon an impartial examination, can find the aforesaid marks on his soul, may be as certain, as though an angel was to tell him, that his pardon is sealed in heaven.

As for my own part, I had rather see these divine graces, and this heavenly temper stamped upon my soul, than to hear an angel from heaven saying unto me, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee.

These are infallible witnesses; these are Emmanuel, God with and in us; these make up that white stone, which none knoweth, saving he who hath receiveth it; these are the earnests of the heavenly inheritance in our hearts: In short, these are glory begun, and are that good thing, that better part, and which if you continue to stir up this gift of God, neither men nor devils shall ever be able to take from us.

I proceed, as was proposed, in the Third place, to make an application of the doctrine delivered, to several distinct classes of professors. And

First, I shall address myself to those who are dead in trespasses and sins. And, O how could I weep over you, as our Lord wept over Jerusalem? For, alas! how distant must you be from God? What a prodigious work have you to finish, who, instead of praying day and night, seldom or never pray at all? And, instead of being born again of God, so as not to commit sin, are so deeply sunk into the nature of devils, as to make a mock at it? Or, instead of overcoming the world, so as not to follow or be led by it, are continually making provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. And, instead of being endued with the god-like disposition of loving all men, even your enemies, have your hearts full of hatred, malice, and revenge, and deride those who are the sincere followers of the lowly Jesus. But think you, O sinners, that God will admit such polluted wretches into his sight? Or should he admit you, do you imagine you could take any pleasure in him? No; heaven itself would be no heaven to you; the devilish dispositions which are in your hearts, would render all the spiritual enjoyments of those blessed mansions, ineffectual to make you happy. To qualify you to be blissful partakers of that heavenly inheritance with the saints in light, there is a meetness required: to attain which, ought to be the chief business of your lives.

It is true, you, as well as the righteous, in one sense, shall see God; (for we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ) but you must see him once, never to see him more. For as you carry about in you the devil's image, with devils you must dwell: being of the same nature, you must share the same doom. “Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” See that you receive the Holy Ghost, before you go hence: for otherwise, how can you escape the damnation of hell?

Secondly, Let me apply myself to those who deceive themselves with false hopes of salvation. Some, through the influence of a good education, or other providential restraints, have not run into the same excess of riot with other men, and they think they have no need to receive the Holy Ghost, but flatter themselves that they are really born again.

But do you show it by bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit? Do you pray without ceasing? Do you not commit sin? Have you overcome the world? And do you love your enemies, and all mankind, in the same manner, as Jesus Christ loved them?

If these things, brethren, be in you and abound, then may you have confidence towards God; but if not, although you may be civilized, yet you are not converted: no, you are yet in your sins. The nature of the old Adam still reigneth in your souls; and unless the nature of the second Adam be grafted in its room, you can never see God.

Think not, therefore, to dress yourselves up in the ornaments of a good nature, and civil education, and say with Agag, “surely the bitterness of death is past;” For God's justice, notwithstanding that, like Samuel, shall hew you to pieces. However you may be highly esteemed in the sight of men, yet, in the sight of God, you are but like the apples of Sodom, dunghills covered over with snow, mere whited sepulchers, appearing a little beautiful without, but inwardly full of corruption and of all uncleanness: and consequently will be dismissed at the last day with a “Verily, I know you not.”

But the word of God is profitable for comfort as well as correction.

Thirdly, Therefore I address myself to those who are under the drawings of the Father, and are exercised with the Spirit of bondage, and not finding the marks before mentioned, are crying out, Who shall deliver us from the body of this death?

But fear not, little flock; for notwithstanding your present infant state of grace, it shall be your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. The grace of God, through Jesus Christ, shall deliver you, and give you what you thirst after: He hath promised, he will also do it. Ye shall receive the spirit of adoption, that promise of the Father, if you faint not: only persevere in seeking it; and determine not to be at rest in you soul, till you know and feel that you are thus born again from above, and God's Spirit witnesseth with your spirits that you are the children of God.

Fourthly and Lastly, I address myself to those who have received the Holy Ghost in all his sanctifying graces, and are almost ripe for glory.

Hail, happy saints! For your heaven is begun on earth: you have already received the first fruits of the Spirit, and are patiently waiting till that blessed change come, when your harvest shall be complete. I see and admire you, though, alas! at so great a distance from you: your life, I know, is hid with Christ in God. You have comforts, you have meat to eat, which a sinful, carnal, ridiculing world knows nothing of. Christ's yoke is not become easy to you, and his burden light. You have passed through the pangs of the new birth, and now rejoice that Christ Jesus is spiritually formed in your hearts. You know what it is to dwell in Christ, and Christ in you. Like Jacob's ladder, although your bodies are on earth, yet your souls and hearts are in heaven: and by your faith and constant recollection, like the blessed angels, you do always behold the face of your Father which is in heaven.

I need not exhort you to press forward, for you know that in walking in the Spirit there is a great reward. Rather will I exhort you, in patience to possess your souls yet a little while, and Jesus Christ will deliver you from the burden of the flesh, and an abundant entrance shall be administered to you, into the eternal joy and uninterrupted felicity of his heavenly kingdom.

Which God of his infinite mercy grant, through Jesus Christ our Lord: To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God, be ascribed all honor, power, and glory, for ever and ever.

Ralph Erskine - A Song of Praise to God for his Merciful Judgments, Saving Benefits, and Victorious Salvation.

Isaiah 25:1-12 adapted to song

SECTION I.
God's Merciful Judgments
1 Thou, O Jehovah, art my God,
Thee as mine own I claim;
I'll therefore celebrate abroad
And praise thy glorious name:

For thou hast wonders manifold
Perform'd in recent dress;
Shap'd to thy counsels, which of old
Are truth and faithfulness.

2 In heaps and rubbish laid thou hast
Strong cities fenc'd afore;
And strangers' palaces laid waste,
To be rebuilt no more.

3 Thy stoutest foes shall therefore yield
The glory thine to be;
And nations fierce resign the field,
And fear to cope with thee.

4 For thou in straits a strength to poor
And needy ones hast been;
From blowing storm a refuge sure,
From scorching heat a screen.

And that in times of greatest dread,
When furious tempests fall,
And blasts of tyrants fierce exceed
The storm that beats the wall.

5 The ruffling noise of strangers rude,
Thou shalt abate with ease,
As in dry plots a shady cloud
Does scorching heat surcease:

On tyrants proud thoul't be aveng'd,
That are so dreadful now;
Their jovial trebles shall be chang'd
And doleful basses low.


SECTION II.
His saving Benefits.
6 Lo! in this mount the Lord of hosts
A banquet shall prepare,
For all that tread on Zion's coasts,
And people ev'ry-where.

He'll with fat things and wines suffice,
Fat things of marrow full,
Wines well refin'd, from off the lees,
To glad and cheer the dull.

7 And in this mount he'll raze the vail,
The face o'er-cov'ring shade,
Of darkness cast o'er people all,
And o'er all nations spread.

8 He'll swallow up in victory,
Grim death, the king of fears
From faces all the Lord most high
Will wipe away the tears;

What base contempt, and vile reproach,
Were on his people laid,
From off the earth he'll quite dispatch
For so the Lord hath said.


SECTION III.
His victorious Salvation.
9 That day shall songs be utter'd thus,
"Behold this is our God;
We stay'd for him, and now he'll us,
With his salvation load:

This is the Lord Redeemer kind,
For whom we, long did wait;
We will be glad, with joyful mind,
In his salvation great."

10 For here shall rest our conqu'ring God,
And Moab be o'erthrown;
11 The gates of hell shall down be trod,
12 The trump of triumph blown.

Thomas Boston - Of Sin in its Aggravations

Ezek. viii. 15.—Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations
than these.

    If we look on sin absolutely, and in itself, as it is a transgression of the divine law, no sin is small, but a great evil, greater than any evil of suffering, which men can be exposed to : but if we look on sin comparatively, one sin compared with another, all are not alike, but some greater than others, as we see from these words. Wherein may be observed,
    1. Great sins which the prophet had seen, shewn to him in vision by the Lord himself, who knows the sins of all men, with their nature and qualities, ver. 5, 11, 14.
    2. Greater sins he was yet to see. He had seen the image of jealousy, namely, the image of Baal, set up at the gate of the altar, ver. 5 ; the chambers of imagery in some of the courts, and the ancients of Israel, at their idolatrous service, ver. 10, 11 ; the women weeping for Tammuz in the court of the women, or of the priests, by which the Lord's courts were turned into stews. These were great abominations, and yet greater than any of these was their worshipping of the sun, ver. 16. and that in God's account: for it was done in a more sacred place, at the very door of the temple ; it was more public, and had greater contempt of God in it, than the rest.
    The text affords this doctrine:
    Doct. ' All sins are not alike ;' but ' some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.'
In discoursing from this doctrine, I shall shew,
    I. What is understood by the heinousness of sin.
    II. In what respect some sins are more heinous than others.
    III. Apply.
    I. I am to shew what is understood by the heinousness of sin. Its great offensiveness is hereby understood. Sin may be offensive unto men ; but we consider it here as sin, and offensive to God. So for sin to be heinous in the sight of God, implies,
    1. That it is offensive to God, displeasing to him, and grieving to to his Spirit, Jer. xliv. 4. ' Oh ! do not this abominable thing that I hate.' He cannot away with it, he cannot endure it before his eyes, but shews his indignation against it. It is an abominable thing before the Lord ; hence it is called filthiness, uncleanness, vomit, &c. all which provoke loathing ; so Rev. iii. 16. it is said, ' I will spue thee out of my mouth.' It is contrary to his nature and will, and gives him displeasure and offence ; and, if it were possible it would disturb his repose, as smoke doth to the eyes, Isa. Ixv. 5. ' These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burnetii all the day.'
    2. It is greatly offensive to God ; for that also is implied in the notion of heinousuess ; every fault is offensive, but some faults are heinous offences. Such an offence is sin to God. It gives him great oft'ence, Psal. v. 4, 5. ' Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness : neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight ; thou hatest all workers of iniquity.' Hab. i. 13. ' Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. There is no sin that God is indifferent about, none that he can pass without a mark of his indignation on it : He' will by no means clear the guilty,' Exod. xxxiv. 7. Now here mark well two things.
    1. That all sin is heinous in the sight of God, viz. greatly offensive. There are no small sins before God, though some are greater than others ; but the least of them is great in itself, and great in his sight, Hab. i. 13. forecited. This is plainly implied, while it is said, ' Some sins are more heinous than others.'
    2. That there are degrees of heinousness. Though the sin which the blinded soul accounts but a mote, is a mountain in the eyes of God and of an enlightened conscience, yet all are not alike for all that ; but as some mountains, so some sins are greater than others.
    II. I shall shew in what respects some sins are more heinous than others.
    First, Some sins are in themselves, and in their own nature, more heinous than others. There are some capital offences, as it were, which God's wrath does in a special manner burn against, and which are most provoking to the eyes of his glory : such as murder, Gen. iv. 10 ; oppression, Hab. ii. 11 ; which are noted to be crying sins ; blasphemy and contempt of God, Exod. v. 2 ; idolatry, Ezek. viii.; unbelief, rejecting of Christ, and disobeying the gospel, Matth. xxii. John iii. 19. 2 Thess. i. 8. But of all sins the most heinous is the sin against the Holy Ghost, Matth. xii. 31.
    Secondly, Some sins are more heinous than others by their aggravations; and the greater and more numerous the aggravating circumstances be that attend any sin, it is the more heinous. Now, sins, are aggravated, or made greater or more heinous than others,
    1. From the persons offending; the more notable they are, the more heinous are their sins ; as the greater the fire is, the more mischief will it do, if it go out of its place ; the greater the tree is, the more mischief will it do by its fall. Thus one and the same sin is greater in magistrates, ministers, parents, and the aged, than in subjects, people, children and the younger sort. For men's places and offices, which respect the government of others in the way of holiness and justice, aggravate their sins, Rom. ii. 21. 'Thou which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, doest thou steal ?' And so do the greater gifts and profession that one hath, Luke xii. 47, 48. ' That servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself neither did according to his will, shall he beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom men have committed much, of him will they ask the more.' And so doth the greater experience of God's goodness which they have had, as in the case of Solomon, of whom it is said, 1 Kings xi. 9. ' The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice.' For such advantages make their sins more pernicious, in respect of the influence of their example on others, as in the effect of Peter's dissimulation at Antioch, Gal. ii. 13. of whom it is said, ' And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him ; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. And these advantages carry them over greater obligations they are under to the Lord.
    2. From the parties offended. Let men consider whom their sins strike against, if they would see how heinous they are. For as a thurst in a leg or arm is not so much grievous as one at the heart, so is it in this case.
    1st, Sins immediately against God, his Son, and his Spirit, are more heiuous than such sins against man, any man whatsoever, 1 Sam. ii. 25. ' If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him : but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Thus lying and dissembling to God, is more heinous than lying to men, as appears in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts v. 4. because of the infinite distance of the immediate objects of the sin. Thus, whereas in all sins of the second table, there is a fault against God, and against man too ; yet the fault against God, and the injury done to his glory, is the bitterest ingredient in it. Thus David’s sin in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah was a great sin in respect of these persons ; but see how he confesses it, Psal. Ii. 4. ' Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.’ Idly, Sins against superiors in the church, state, and family, are more heinous than the same sins are, if done against persons of their own rank and condition. The reason is, because superiority given of God is such a divine impress on a man, that it makes his character in some sort sacred, as in the case of Moses, ^nm. xii. 8. Hence it is that disobedience to parents is so heinous a sin, Prov. xxx. 17. ' The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.'
    3dly, Sins against those whom we are under special engagements and obligations to, are more heinous than such sins against others we have no such concern in. Religion teaches gratitude, and sets a black mark on ingratitude, Psal. lv. 12. ' For it was not an enemy that reproached me, then I could have born it ; neither was it he that hated me, that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him.'
    4thly, Sins against the saints and people of God are more heinous than against others, because of their relation to God, as being those in all the world dearest to him, Matth. xviii. 6. ' Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.' Such are sins against weak saints, as being more liable to get harm by them than those who are strong, Rom. xiv. 15. ' If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.'
    Lastly, Sins against the common good of all, or of many ; for the wider the effects of one sin go, it is still the worse, Josh. xxii. 20. ' Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel ? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.' ' One sinner,' says Solomon, ' destroyeth much good;' and the more the greater is his sin.
    3. From the quality of the offence. A sin may be vested with such qualities as will make it much more heinous than when divested of them. These evil qualities are many ; I will reduce them to two Heads.
    (1.) Intrinsic qualities. Thus sins against the letter of the law are more heinous than others ; mother-sins, which are big and bring forth many others, besides simple ones ; sins consummated by action, as well as while merely in the heart, Jam. i. 15 ; sins that are scandalous, as well as others not so ; sins the injury in which to men admits of no reparation, more than that of others in which it does. This was the reason why death was the punishment of adultery, not of fornication because in this last case the man was obliged to marry the woman.
    (2.) Extrinsic qualities ; which again are of two sorts. \\.~\ Being done against means whereby one might be with-held from sin, Matth. xi. 21, 22. ' Wo unto thee, Chorazin, wo unto thee, Bethsaida: for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.' Thus one's sinning against mercies drawing them from their sin, judgments and rebukes from the word or providence, from God or men, sinning against the light of one's own conscience, do all of them aggravate sin.
    [2.] Being done against bonds one has taken on him against the sin, when men sin against purposes and resolutions of amendment, against their covenants and engagements to the Lord, whereby they are bound to stand off from such courses, Ezek. xvii. 19.
    4. From the manner of committing it. "Who can imagine, but sin done deliberately, and wilfully, and presumptuously, is more heinous than sin committed through inadvertency and weakness ? If one be impudent in his sin, delight in it, and boast of it ; if he go on in it obstinately, fall into it frequently, and relapse into it after convictions and humblings for it ; every one of these aggravates the guilt.
    5. From the time of it, as in the case of Gfehazi, 2 Kings v. 26. where Elisha says to him, ' Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee ? is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid servants V Thus sins committed on the Lord's day, immediately before or after divine worship, are more heinous than at other times. And so is sinning just after reproofs, warnings, engagements ; or in a time when the anger of the Lord is going out against the land, family, or person, as Ahaz in his distress.
    Lastly, From the place of it. Thus in a place where the gospel is preached, sin is more heiuous than elsewhere, Isa. xxvi. 10. ' Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.' Sins done in public before others, are more heinous than those in secret ; for in the former many may bo defiled, as in the case of Absalom, lying with his father's concubine
on the house top.
    A few inferences shall conclude this subject.
    Inf. 1. Never think light of sin, nor slightly of Christ, and your need of him, since all sin is heinous in God's sight, and exposes the sinner to his just vengeance.
    2. There will be degrees of torment in hell, though the least degree will be dreadful, Matth. xi. 21. since there are degrees of sinning.
    3. No wonder God's anger go out against us, and the land wherein, and the generation amongst whom we live : For heinous are our sins beyond those of many, and a frightful look may we get of them in this glass. Magistrates, ministers, parents, the aged, professors, sons and daughters of the Lord, have corrupted their ways, as well as others. Our sins have struck immediately against God, and against those who are vested with his authority in the state, in the church, and in families, against his people, and the common good. Sins against the letter of the law, scandalous offences abound, over the belly of light, mercies, and judgments, covenants national, sacramental, and personal ; and these continued in obstinately, in a time when the Lord's hand has oft been stretched out and drawn in again, in a land of light.
    4. Repent, and flee to the blood of Christ for pardon, if so be our heinous sins may not be our ruin.
    5. The means of grace which we enjoy will either promote our salvation, or they will aggravate our damnation.
    6.  When ye examine yourselves, and think on your sins, consider the several aggravations of them ; and lie deep in the dust before the Lord on account thereof; and, through the grace of God, abstain from every sin, and all appearance of evil.

Robert Bolton - Heart-Surgery - Part 2

Third help. A sense of the unspeakable misery you are liable to by reason of sin for which purpose consider all your sins, with their circumstances, as of times past, present, and to come.
Look back upon all your sins past that you ever did commit, all you have been guilty of ever since you were born, original or actual, known or unknown, of thought, word, and deed. They are written with an iron pen, and with the point of a diamond, never to be erased! They are all upon record, and now lie as so many sleeping lions, gathering strength and vigor until such time as the Lord shall awake the conscience; and then they will appear, and rend your soul in pieces!
I say, let natural men consider this point, and they shall see themselves miserable; for there are some for a small sin put to such frights, that they could not be comforted
in a long space. If these for such small things, in men’s account, have come to such a pass that they took no delight in any earthly thing, but are put to their wit’s end, ready to make away themselves, wishing themselves annihilated, then what tearing of hair, what horror of conscience will seize upon you on your bed of death!
With what a ghastly countenance will you look upon that black and hellish catalogue of all your sins such as lies, oaths, railings, scoffing at God’s people, impure speeches, mad passions, goods ill gotten, time ill spent, and killing Christ at every sacrament as all natural men do! These shall be summoned before you and charged upon your conscience by the just God; then consider in proportion what horror will be in your heart! No heart can conceive it, nor tongue of men and angels utter it. Now then attend, and let none bless themselves and say, I never felt this misery, therefore it shall never hurt me! I tell you, it is the perfection of your misery that you are insensible of it: to be soul sick, and feel it not is the full completion of misery, and the reasons why you cannot see it, are these seven:
(1) The devil will not trouble you while you are his; he is a politician of almost six thousand years’ experience, and knows, if once you see your sins, he shall lose you! Therefore he blinds you!
(2) Your conscience is lulled asleep with carnal pleasure and worldly contentments.
(3) A bucket of water is heavy on earth; in its own place it is not so. When men are merely natural, sin is in its own place, and the weight is not felt.
(4) The conscience of a natural man is like a wolf in a man’s body; while it is fed with carnal friends, good times, some great business of the world, and so on, it is quiet; but take this away, and then it is felt.
(5) A natural man is spiritually dead, and a dead man feels no weight, you know.
(6) He looks on sin through false glasses, such as upon covetousness and usury, through the glass of good business; so prodigality, through the glass of liberality.
(7) For lack of consideration. If we would by ourselves consider when the minister presses any sin, and say, This is my case, but now by the mercy of God I will be humbled, this would much help us to see our misery.
Fourth help. A base esteem of yourself; consider,
If you had looked upon that man in Matthew chapter 8, possessed with a devil, who dwelt among the tombs, went naked, chains would not hold him, the devil was so powerful in him; you would have thought him a dreadful spectacle of extreme misery, to have a legion of devils, by computation six thousand six hundred sixty-six; but I tell you—you had better have a thousand legions of devils—than one unrepented sin!
All the devils in hell cannot do you the least hurt for the salvation of your soul; but one sin willfully unrepented of, and so unpardoned, will damn your soul eternally! So it would be better to be possessed with a thousand devils—than one sin unrepealed of and unpardoned!
Sin made the devil so ugly as he is, being otherwise of an angelic nature; only sin makes him odious! Therefore sin is worse than either the tongue of men and angels can express.
Fifth help. An inward sorrow of heart and bleeding of soul. Here take these aids:
1. Your heart has been the fountain, or rather sink, from which have issued many foul streams, where all evil has been forged—all evil words, raging passions, and wicked thoughts. Now then, by the rule of proportion, let your heart be a fountain of sorrow for sin. If Christ opens a fountain of mercy for mourners, let them not be excluded for lack of sorrow.
2. Consider the heart of Christ; He would not have taken upon Himself a heart of flesh, but for sin; which for your sake was filled with that singular depth of sorrow and grief, that if all the godly sorrow of all the Christian souls from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, in heaven or in earth, dead or alive, were collected into one heart—they could not counterbalance the depth of His anguish! Shall then His blessed soul be assaulted with all the wrath of God? Shall His soul be like a scorched
hearth, and so pressed with the flames of God’s revenging wrath, which wrung from Him those bloody drops and woeful cries, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” The wrath of God was so fierce on Him, that drops of blood fell from Him! And shall your heart be as a stone within your breast, and never be moved? Oh astonishing hardness, and worse than heathenish ingratitude!
3. If your heart is not wounded here in some measure truly, it shall hereafter be filled with such endless horror—which would grieve and break ten thousand hearts to think on it! Is it not better then to mourn a little here for sin—than to have our hearts enlarged, to endure unto all eternity the horror of hell? Is any man so senseless as to think he shall go to heaven as in a bed of down, and never be touched for his sin, which is as impossible as for you to reach heaven with your hand! When Hezekiah, a man perfect in all his ways, complained and chattered like a crane (Isaiah 38:14); David roared all the day long (Psalm 32:3); Job complained, “The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the venom whereof does drink up my spirit” (Job 6:4); nay, Christ Himself cried out in the agony of His spirit.
4. With this broken heart in your breast you shall bring down the glorious majesty of heaven: God Almighty
with His chair of state, to sit in your soul; for He has two habitations:
1) in heaven;
2) in a humble heart.

5. Get this and get all, if you have a true title and interest unto the death of Christ, and all the comforts in the book of God; the promises both of this life, and of that to come.
Sixth help. An outward bewailing with heart piercing confession, where,
1. Consider the practice of the saints of God. They poured out tears, as men water out of buckets. Mary washed Christ’s feet with her tears. The publican struck on his breast with a sorrowful acknowledgment of his sins.
2. Consider your hands, and eyes, and tongue, and heart—have been instruments of God’s dishonor; therefore, by the rule of proportion, you should have the works of your hands instrumental demonstrations of repentance; your eyes fountains of tears; your tongue should utter, and heart suffer, grief.
3. Consider, that for outward things men will weep tears: such as for losses, or crosses in wife or children; as David for Absalom, so it is with many. What wringing their hands, tearing their hair, bitter crying! Then the loss of
Christ, who is infinitely better than husband, wife, child, or anything in the world; this, this, how should it break your heart! If all Job’s troubles were on you, and could wring one tear from you; then one sin should wring blood from your heart.
Seventh help. A hatred and aversion in your will from sin.
1. Consider what sin is in itself.
2. Consider how God is provoked with it.
3. Consider how you are hurt by it.
1. What sin is. Sin in itself is fouler than any fiend in hell, because it made them so vile; as fire is hotter than water that is heated.
It is extremely evil, nothing comes near to its evil. I consider of sin here in the abstract: sin is a greater evil—than the damnation of a man’s soul; for when two evils fight together, that which conquers, must needs be the greater; now, when a man has lain in hell ten thousand years, he is as far from coming out as ever; for the eternal duration in hell cannot expiate sin.
It is most infectious. It is compared to a leprosy; for the first sin that entered into the world stained the beauty of it. No sooner was sin committed by Adam, than the stars seemed impure in God’s sight, the beasts were at
variance, the earth full of brambles, and all things cursed!
Sin soured all natural, religious, and civil actions.
If a man in authority is sinful, all under him will be infected.
Sin is most filthy, and compared to the most vile things that can be named. No dirt or filthy thing, can stain a sunbeam; but sin stains a more glorious creature—the soul of man!
Sin is of that hellish nature, that it draws out and takes in to itself the wrath of God.
Sin is full of cursed consequences: deprivative and positive.
Deprivative: sin brings the loss of God’s favor; the blood of Christ; peace of conscience, etc.
Positive: sin brings brings all misery— spiritual deadness, hardness of heart, blindness of mind, horror of conscience, despair, etc. with all temporal losses and crosses here, and hereafter eternal torments of soul and body!
2. God is provoked with sin. Sin is the only object of God’s infinite hatred. His love is diversified to Himself, His Son, the angels, the creatures; but His hatred is
confined only to sin. What infinite of infinities of hatred you have on your soul, with all your sins, when each sin has the infinite hatred of God upon it!
Each sin is against the majesty of that awesome Lord of heaven and earth, who can turn all things into hell; nay, He can turn heaven and hell into nothing, by His sheer word. Now, against this God you sin, and what are you but dust and ashes, and all that is nothing! And what is your life, but a span, a bubble, a dream, a shadow of a dream? And shall such a pitiable thing as yourself—offend such an awesome God?
Every sin strikes at the glory of God’s pure eye!
Sin is that which killed His Son! The least sin could not be pardoned, except by Christ’s carrying His heart blood to His Father, and offering it for sin.
Each sin is an offense to all His mercies. This aggravated the sin upon Eli (1 Sam. 2:29), and of David (2 Sam. 12:8, 9). Mercy is the most eminent attribute of God, and therefore the sin against it is the greater. What therefore are our sins in the time of the gospel?
3. Consider how you are hurt by it, for:
Each sin ruins your soul, which is better than the world.
Each sin, though it brings ever so much pleasure in the committing, leaves a threefold sting: 1. Natural; 2. Temporal; 3. Immortal.
1. A Natural sting. After worldly pleasure—comes melancholy; properly, either because it lasted no longer, or they had no more delight in it, and so on. Just as all waters end in the salty sea—so all worldly joys are swallowed up in sorrow’s bottomless gulf.
2. A Temporal sting. There is labor in getting, care in keeping, and sorrow in parting with worldly goods!
3. An Immortal sting. God will call you to judgment for it. Each sin robs you of abundance of comfort. What a vast difference do we see in conquering sin—and being conquered by sin. As, for instance, in Joseph and David: the one raised after his conquest to much honor; the other, scarcely enjoyed one good day after he was conquered—but walked heavily in the bitterness of his soul all his days.
Your own conscience will accuse you one day for every sin, though now it seems hidden to you; and your conscience is more than a thousand witnesses; therefore you will certainly be overthrown. For the sins which perhaps you live in now, and count but of no
consequence—many poor souls are at this instant burning in hell for! What misery and hurt then, awaits you for the same!
Eighth help. A strong reasoning in your mind against sin.
1. The horror of hell. Therefore Christians wrong themselves who will not use this as a motive: the unquenchable wrath of God shall feed upon your soul, if you commit this sin!
2. The joys of heaven. I shall dwell with God forever, if, believing, I make conscience of every sin as an evidence and fruit of saving faith.
3. And above all, the glory of God. If God’s glory and the damnation of our souls were in a balance—His glory should preponderate and prevail. So we should prefer God’s glory above our own salvation.
Likewise, from every line in God’s book: His attributes, as: His justice and His mercy; His justice to terrify sinners, His mercy to allure us to Him; His judgments; His promises etc.
Also, from examples in Scripture: “How shall I do this, and sin against God?” says Joseph. From your former estate: “You were darkness, but now you are light,” etc. From the end of all things: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar;
the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives?”
Also, from yourself. Your soul is immortal—all the devils in hell cannot kill it. Your body is frail—all human helps cannot uphold it for long.
Also, from Christ. Look upon Him weeping, nay, bleeding on the cross, and saying thus, “Sin brought Me from the bosom of My Father to die for it.”
Also, from the incomprehensible excellency of God, against whom you are sinning.
Ninth help. A sincere opposition in your life to sin. These are several aids:
1. When any bait of Satan, or old companions, would allure you to sin, take this dilemma: “If I commit this sin—then I must repent of it. Then this sin will give me more sorrow than pleasure. If I do not repent, then this sin will be the damnation of my soul.”
2. Consider your madness, which lays most desperately in one scale of the balance—heaven, the favor of God, the blood of Christ, and your own soul; in the other scale—a little dust, money, base lust, etc. Think—sin may bring rottenness to your bones, perhaps loss of your good name.
3. And that you may yet be further armed to withstand the assaults of your three grand enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, which daily seek the destruction of your soul; consider these twelve antidotes:
(a) Consider the shortness of the pleasure of sin—with the length of the punishment; the one for a moment—the other everlasting!
(b) Consider the companions of sin; for one sin never goes alone, but, being once entertained, it sets all the faculties of the soul on fire, and so procures a spiritual judgment, if not temporal, upon estate and person.
(c) Consider, your life is but a span, a breath, a blast soon gone! Now if we had all the pleasure in the world, yet being so soon to lose it—it is not worth esteeming.
(d) Consider, sin causes us to lose the greatest good than that can be—as the favor of God, interest in Christ, eternal glory, and so on.
(e) Consider the uncertainty of repentance: God may not grant you the ability to repent after you have sinned, and so you would be damned.
(f) Consider the nearness of death to you: some have not lived out above half their time, others die shortly after they are born; young and old often die suddenly.
(g) Consider, that one moment in hell will be worse than all the pleasure that sin could give, though it should have lasted a thousand years! So, on the contrary, one moment in heaven does more good than all the hardness and pains in godly duties, or persecution for them, did hurt.
(h) Consider the dignity of your soul; it is more worth than a world. Lose it not then, for any sin.
(i) Consider the preciousness of a good conscience, which is a continual feast. This you lose by sin.
(j) Consider, your sin against a world of mercies which God has sent to you, such as to soul, body, good name, estate, and others.
(k) Consider, nothing can wash away any sin—but the blood of Christ. And will you now pollute yourself again, as it were, to have Him killed afresh to wash away your sin?
(l) Consider, the ancient martyrs and worthies chose rather to burn at a stake—than they would sin; and will you so easily be drawn to it, or rather run to it? Anselm said, “If the flames of hell were on the one side, and sin on the other side, I would rather lie in those flames than sin!” We have as precious means as they and, if our hearts were as good, we would have the like affections.
Tenth help. A sincere grieving that you can do these things no better, considering,
1. Though you had a thousand eyes, and could weep them all out, and shed rivers of tears. And though you had a thousand hearts to burst, yet all were not sufficient for the least sin or vanity, either of the eye or heart! How much more when our hearts are barren and dry, had we need to labor for this sorrow!
2. Consider, that when you have made the best prayer, or watched most diligently over yourself, or spent a day in repentance and humiliation—that you had need to cry and burst your heart again, for the imperfections and failings thereof.
In this sorrow, that you can perform good duties no better, weave up the web, what’s lacking in any of the rest, here make it up. And to encourage you, you have this happiness joined with it: that though your grief is small, and if it causes you to sell all, that is, to part from every sin for Christ, and take Him as a husband and a Lord, both for protection and government, then it is certainly godly sorrow, and certainly accepted in Christ!

Robert Bolton - Heart-Surgery - Part 1

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:37
In these words, there is shown a thorough wounding of the hearts of these men when they had heard of the greatness of their sin. Therefore observe that contrition in a new-born soul, is ordinarily in proportion to his former vanity. To whom much is forgiven, they love much. This is a fountain of evangelical repentance. As a traitor condemned to die, receiving a pardon, would wonderfully break his heart to think he should be so villainous, to so gracious a prince: so it is with a Christian that beholds God’s mercy to him.
Christians after their conversion, desire to see their sins to the utmost, with all the circumstances that make them hateful, such as the object, nature, person, time, etc. in which, or how they were done—so that they may be more humbled for them.
If it is not so (it may be otherwise, for God is a free agent, and is not tied to any proportion of sorrow) then such troubles as these usually seize on them:
First. They are often afflicted with this—that their conversion is not thorough and sound, and so do not
perform the duties of godliness with such heartiness and cheerfulness.
Second. They are many times haunted with listlessness and coldness in their progress in Christianity.
Third. They are visited with some cross or other, which sticks by them—to make them lay a greater load upon sin.
Fourth. They are more subject to be overtaken with their besetting sin, because they have sorrowed for it no more; for the less it is sorrowed over—the more it ensnares men.
Fifth. Some of them have been assaulted upon their death-bed with sorrowful and strong temptations. Not that men should think this is always the reason of it, for God has aims in all His works known only to Himself; but I have known some have so been troubled, and this may be in great mercy to make a weak conversion more strong. Lest any Christian should be troubled at it, note that in true contrition, there must be sorrow of heart because of sin: there must be a dislike of it in the will; there must be a strong reasoning in the mind out of the Word of God against sin—this is the sinew of repentance; there must be a resolution, and striving and watching against sin, like Job who made a covenant with his eyes, Job 31:1; there must be a grieving that he is not excelling in all these, and here he must make up what he lacks in the former. These are in some measure—in all
Christians. Some are more eminent in one part, some in another; as Joseph had little sorrow, but a strong resolution, because he had so strong a temptation, and withstood it; he had strong reasons beyond nature to resist sin, and resolve against it. So that it is not so much the measure—as the truth of every part that is required. But if they are not excelling in great sinners, they are to mourn for the lack of them.
To help here, observe these ‘ten degrees of repentance’—or rather ‘helps to humiliation’.
First help. A sight and survey, and full apprehension of all your vileness, iniquities, transgressions, and sins, the number and nature of them. For this purpose, take these two points:
I. Be acquainted with all the ways by which you can possibly analyze your sin:
1. Be perfect in the law of God, and look at yourself in the pure crystal looking-glass there: be thoroughly catechized in the commandments.
2. Take a survey of all the wrongs which we have offered to all things in heaven and earth. All things are the worse for a wicked man, so far as sin can add hurt unto them.
3. Take a perusal of yourself, from top to toe. For example, the sins of your eyes: each thing you look on, not making a holy use of them, is a sin of omission!
Consider then how many sins you commit every day by only your eyes—and if one part has so many sins—what a vast amount are there in the whole body!
4. Consider all the commissions and omissions, as you stand in several relationships: as a creature—how you have behaved to your Creator; as a husband—how you have behaved to your wife; as a father—how you have behaved to your children; as a master—how you have behaved to your employees; as a neighbor—how you have behaved to them about you, or to God’s children; as a subject, and so on. Take notice of all the failings in all these, relationships and you will find sufficient matter for a whole day of humiliation.
5. Labor to get (as I am persuaded every Christian has) two catalogues of your sins, before conversion and since conversion; of God’s mercies, spiritual and temporal.
II. Take note of the guilt of original sin. Now because a Christian may have his heart locked up more at one time than at another, let him in case of barrenness, consider these six quickening points:
1. Look to the seed, and sink, and natural inclination of your heart to all sorts of wickedness. For suppose by the mercy of God, you were able to say that you could not possibly find any actual sin within you; yet look back to the corrupt fountain, and there you shall find that you, and the most holy Christian on earth, while you live in
this house of flesh and tabernacle of clay—you have it in your nature to commit the greatest sins—and nothing hinders but God’s free mercy! This then, thoroughly considered, is sufficient matter to humble you! Consider with yourself, What a wretch am I yet, that I have this evil inclination to sin, still within me!
2. Consider and thoroughly weigh the circumstances of all your sins before salvation: at what time, in what place, with what scandal, etc.
3. In case of barrenness consider, we had our hands in the sin of Adam, and so brought all the sorrow, sin, and damnation, upon all men that are or shall be damned; and we are guilty of all the horrors of conscience. If we had not hearts of adamant, hewn out of a rock—or had not sucked the breast of wolves or tigers—we would be moved at this, which is able to break a thousand adamants. I speak advisedly; it is able to open a wide gap of penitent tears in the most flinty soul of the most hardened sinner.
4. Cut off all sin, both original and actual that you have taken notice of; and do but consider the imperfections in your best actions, the innumerable distractions of the most holy prayer that ever you made; your deadness, fruitlessness, etc. in holy duties.
5. Beyond all personal sins: yet consider how many ways we have had our hands in other’s sins, which, it may be, they have carried to hell with them. We have a world of
matter from which to break our hearts—for we may be guilty of others’ sins in thirteen ways. There is none but are guilty of some of these ways.
(1) By encouraging them in sin: as those prophets which cried “Peace! peace!” when there is no peace, when they are only so-called formal or polished preachers, those who sow pillows under men’s elbows, who heal the wounds of the people with fair words; when there is no real love towards them, but tumbling garments in blood, and vengeance, and devouring with fire (Isaiah 9:5: Jer. 14:14: Ezekiel 13:10).
(2) By provoking them to sin: as Job’s wife said to him, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). So, “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath,” (Ephesians 6:4), for they then are guilty of their sins.
(3) By familiarity with sinners, with company keeping. If you go with ale-house haunters, ungodly persons, idolaters, and to God’s enemies; look for that sharp check which the prophet gave to Jehoshaphat for associating himself with wicked Ahab, saying, “Why should you help the wicked—and love those who hate the Lord! What you have done has brought the Lord’s wrath against you!” Or, as Psalm 50:18, “When you see a thief, you help him; and you spend your time with adulterers!” Therefore, as Moses said to the people, “Separate yourselves from the tents of Korah, lest you perish with them!” and, “Come out of Babylon, my people, have no communion with that whore, lest you
perish in her sins, and be destroyed with her plagues!” (Revelation 18:4). David says, “I have not dwelt with vain persons, nor will I have fellowship with the ungodly.” But for dealings in your own business calling, such as buying, selling, correspondence etc., we must have these—or we must out of this world (1 Corinthians 5:1, 11).
(4) By participation: “Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves” (Isaiah 1:2.3). Just so, magistrates who execute not their office with justice, are guilty of all the sins which the people commit within the compass of the term of their government, and they are all set down on their score.
(5) By silence: when you hear a holy man being slandered, and say nothing—you are dumb dogs. Their silence is the cause of all many iniquities—and all these things which others do amiss, whether by swearing, ale-house haunting, etc. all are set on their score. Just so are all those who are faint and cowardly for God’s glory and truth.
(6) By defending: “Woe to those who call darkness light, and light darkness!” (Isaiah 5:20. Therefore if any by quickness of wit will labor to maintain usury, bribery, etc. they are all guilty of those sins.
(7) By counseling: as Jezebel counseled her husband to kill Naboth, I Kings 21:7.
(8) By commanding: as David commanded Uriah to be set in the forefront of the battle, and was therefore guilty of his death (2 Sam. 11:15).
(9) By commending: as those who commended Herod for his oration, saying, “It is the voice of a god!” (Acts 12:22). They were guilty of his sin in taking honor from God.
(10) By connivance: as Eli winked at his sons (1 Sam. 3:13), for which you may see what a fearful judgment fell upon that house! If we had no other sins in a day of humiliation, it were able to break the hardest heart; but especially for parents, who wink at their children sins. If these are not guilty of the former sins, yet they are guilty in not praying with them, and bringing them to holy duties.
(11) By consenting: as Paul bewailed that he had carried the clothes of those who slew Stephen when he was stoned (Acts 22:20).
(12) By not sorrowing for them. David shows what Christians ought to do (Psalm 119:139, Mark 3:5).
(13) By not praying against them for the suppression of them.
6. Consider the sins of the times. David’s eyes gushed out with tears, to see men transgress the holy law of God! (Psalm 119:136). So Lot’s heart was vexed daily with the
sins of the people among whom he lived (2 Peter 2:8). And “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matt. 5:4). Observe these several branches well, and you shall find sins enough to mourn for.
Second help. A right apprehension of God’s wrath and fiery indignation, and the pure eye of God against sin! The Christian often complains that he cannot grasp God’s wrath sufficiently. Let him take these helps.
1. The severity of God’s judgments against sin, for which,
1. He threw down the angels from heaven to be devils forever, who might have done Him abundance of glory.
2. For but eating forbidden fruit, which some count a small fault, He cast Adam out of Paradise, and sent a world of misery upon him and his posterity.
3. He drowned the world (Genesis 7), which shows the infinite purity in God, not to abide sin.
4. He burnt Sodom for those very sins now reigning among us (Ezekiel 16:49, 50).
5. He rejected the Jews, who were His most dear people: for they so provoked God, and His wrath has so fiercely seized on them, that they have wandered as exiles in the earth for centuries.
6. He has created horror of conscience, which is a hell upon earth, for the punishment of sin.
7. But above all, consider the torments of hell, that woeful place and state prepared for the wicked, where the greater part of the world shall be howling forever.
2. Consider how hard a thing it is to get pardon for sin, in that the justice of God was hard to be satisfied. Imagine that all the world was turned into a mass or lump of gold, the stones of the streets into precious pearls, and the sea and rivers all flowing with liquid streams of most pure gold—they would not satisfy the wrath of God for the least sin (Mic. 6:7). If all the angels and creatures in heaven and earth had joined together, and made one fervent prayer for man’s sin; even if they had offered themselves to have been annihilated, it could never have been effected. Nay, if the Son of God Himself should have supplicated His Father with most earnest entreaties, He could not have been heard unless He had taken our flesh upon Him, and suffered all that devils and men could imagine to inflict upon Him. Which, well considered, is infinite cause to bring us to a sense of God’s wrath—that He should lay such infinite torments to be on Jesus, that He cried out unto God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” Though He loved Him infinitely as Himself, yet He would have His justice satisfied.
3. The irresistible coming of God against sinners, though He is wonderfully ready and easy to be entreated
while He grants a day of visitation; but if men will withstand the day, then He comes in devouring rage, and His wrath being once kindled shall burn to the bottom of hell, then “his arrows shall drink blood and eat flesh,” then will He meet them as a bear robbed of her whelps, and tear in pieces when there is none to help (Hos. 1.3:53; Psalm 72; and in Isaiah 66:15), is set down the manner of His coming, with chariots like a whirlwind.
4. God’s holiness, which opposes sin, and is contrary to it, so that He looks not on the least sin with the least allowance.

John Piper - God's Sovereignty and Happiness

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY: THE FOUNDATION OF HIS HAPPINESS AND OURS
     “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). The implication of this text is that God has the right and power to do whatever makes Him happy. That is what it means to say that God is sovereign.
     Think about it for a moment: If God is sovereign and can do anything He pleases, then none of His purposes can be frustrated.

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. (Psalm 33:10–11) 

    
     And if none of His purposes can be frustrated, then He must be the happiest of all beings. This infinite, divine happiness is the fountain from which the Christian Hedonist drinks and longs to drink more deeply.
     Can you imagine what it would be like if the God who ruled the world were not happy? What if God were given to grumbling and pouting and depression, like some Jack-and-the-beanstalk giant in the sky? What if God were frustrated and despondent and gloomy and dismal and discontented and dejected? Could we join David and say, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1)?
     I don’t think so. We would all relate to God like little children who have a frustrated, gloomy, dismal, discontented father. They can’t enjoy him. They can only try not to bother him, or maybe try to work for him to earn some little favor.
     Therefore if God is not a happy God, Christian Hedonism has no foundation. For the aim of the Christian Hedonist is to be happy in God, to delight in God, to cherish and enjoy His fellowship and favor. But children cannot enjoy the fellowship of their Father if He is unhappy. Therefore the foundation of Christian Hedonism is the happiness of God.
      But the foundation of the happiness of God is the sovereignty of God: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). If God were not sovereign, if the world He made were out of control, frustrating His design again and again, God would not be happy.
     Just as our joy is based on the promise that God is strong enough and wise enough to make all things work together for our good, so God’s joy is based on that same sovereign control: He makes all things work together for His glory.
     If so much hangs on God’s sovereignty, we should make sure the biblical basis for it is secure.

THE BIBLICAL BASIS FOR GOD’S SOVEREIGN HAPPINESS(1)
     The sheer fact that God is God implies that His purposes cannot be thwarted—so says the prophet Isaiah:

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” (Isaiah 46:9–10)

     The purposes of God cannot be frustrated; there is none like God. If a purpose of God came to naught, it would imply that there is a power greater than God’s. It would imply that someone could stay His hand when He designs to do a thing. But “none can stay his hand,” as Nebuchadnezzar says:

His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:34–35)

HIS SOVEREIGNTY COVERS CALAMITIES
This was also Job’s final confession after God had spoken to him out of the whirlwind: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3).
     This raises the question whether the evil and calamitous events in the world are also part of God’s sovereign design. Jeremiah looks over the carnage of Jerusalem after its destruction and cries:

My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. (Lamentations 2:11)

     But when he looked to God, he could not deny the truth:
 

Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? (3:37–38)
 

“SHALL WE RECEIVE GOOD FROM GOD AND NOT EVIL?”
If God reigns as sovereign over the world, then the evil of the world is not outside His design: “Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?” (Amos 3:6).
     This was the reverent saying of God’s servant Job when he was afflicted with boils: “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). He said this even though the text says plainly that “Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and struck Job with loathsome sores” (Job 2:7). Was Job wrong to attribute to God what came from Satan? No, because the writer tells us immediately after Job’s words: “In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).
     The evil Satan causes is only by the permission of God. Therefore, Job is not wrong to see it as ultimately from the hand of God. It would be unbiblical and irreverent to attribute to Satan (or to sinful man) the power to frustrate the designs of God.

WHO PLANNED THE MURDER OF CHRIST?
The clearest example that even moral evil fits into the designs of God is the crucifixion of Christ. Who would deny that the betrayal of Jesus by Judas was a morally evil act?
     Yet in Acts 2:23, Peter says, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” The betrayal was sin, but it was part of God’s ordained plan. Sin did not thwart His plan or stay His hand.
     Or who would say that Herod’s contempt (Luke 23:11) or Pilate’s spineless expediency (Luke 23:24) or the Jews’ “Crucify, crucify him!” (Luke 23:21) or the Gentile soldiers’ mockery (Luke 23:36)—who would say that these were not sin? Yet Luke, in Acts 4:27–28, records the prayer of the saints:

Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
 

     People lift their hand to rebel against the Most High only to find that their rebellion is unwitting service in the wonderful designs of God. Even sin cannot frustrate the purposes of the Almighty. He Himself does not commit sin, but He has decreed that there be acts that are sin,(2) for the acts of Pilate and Herod were predestined by God’s plan.

GOD TURNS IT WHEREVER HE WILL
     Similarly, when we come to the end of the New Testament and to the end of history in the Revelation of John, we find God in complete control of all the evil kings who wage war. In Revelation 17, John speaks of a harlot sitting on a beast with ten horns. The harlot is Rome, drunk with the blood of the saints; the beast is the Antichrist; and the ten horns are ten kings who “hand over their power and authority to the beast…[and] make war on the Lamb” (vv. 13–14).
     But are these evil kings outside God’s control? Are they frustrating God’s designs? Far from it. They are unwittingly doing His bidding: “For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled” (Revelation 17:17). No one on earth can escape the sovereign control of God: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will” (Proverbs 21:1; cf. Ezra 6:22).
     The evil intentions of men cannot frustrate the decrees of God. This is the point of the story of Joseph’s fall and rise in Egypt. His brothers sold him into slavery. Potiphar’s wife slandered him into the dungeon. Pharaoh’s butler forgot him in prison for two years. Where was God in all this sin and misery? Joseph answers in Genesis 50:20. He says to his guilty brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
     The hardened disobedience of men’s hearts leads not to the frustration of God’s plans, but to their fruition.
     Consider the hardness of heart in Romans 11:25–26: “Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved.” Who is governing the coming and going of this hardness of heart so that it has a particular limit, and then gives way at the appointed time to the certain salvation of “all Israel”?
     Or consider the disobedience in Romans 11:31. Paul speaks to his Gentile readers about Israel’s disobedience in rejecting their Messiah: “So they [Israel] too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you [Gentiles] they also may now receive mercy.” When Paul says that Israel was disobedient in order that Gentiles might get the benefits of the gospel, whose purpose does He have in mind?
     It could only be God’s. For Israel certainly did not conceive of their disobedience as a way of blessing the Gentiles—or winning mercy for themselves in such a roundabout fashion! Is not then the point of Romans 11:31 that God rules over the disobedience of Israel and turns it precisely to the purposes He has planned?

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MERE COINCIDENCE
     God’s sovereignty over men’s affairs is not compromised even by the reality of sin and evil in the world. It is not limited to the good acts of men or the pleasant events of nature. The wind belongs to God whether it comforts or whether it kills.

For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. (Psalm 135:5–7)
 

     In the end, one must finally come to see that if there is a God in heaven, there is no such thing as mere coincidence, not even in the smallest affairs of life: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). Not one sparrow “will fall to the ground without your Father’s will” (Matthew 10:29, RSV).

(1) For a much fuller defense of God’s sovereignty in all that He does, see John Piper, The Pleasures of God:
Meditations on God’s Delight in Being God (Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah, 2000), 47–75, 121–55 and The
Justification of God: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Romans 9:1–23 (Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Baker, 1993). See also Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan), 315–54; John M. Frame, The Doctrine of God, Theology of
Lordship Series (Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2002), 47–79, 274–88, 313–39, and the
relevant chapters in Still Sovereign: Contemporary Perspectives on Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace,
ed. Thomas R. Schreiner and Bruce A. Ware (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 2000).

(2) For an explanation and defense of this statement, see appendix 3, “Is God Less Glorious Because He
Ordained That Evil Be? Jonathan Edwards on the Divine Decrees.”


Taken from: http://www.desiringgod.org/books/desiring-god
By John Piper. ©2015 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org