Because of their multiplied transgressions God had given up the people to blindness and darkness, and a spirit of falsehood and madness possessed their hearts. In consequence, truth was fallen in the street-ruthlessly trampled underfoot by the masses. Idolatry had become the state religion- the worship of Baal was the order of the day- wickedness was rampant on every side. The enemy had indeed come in like a flood, and it looked as though there was no barrier left which could stem its devastating effects. Then it was that the Spirit of the Lord lifted up a standard against him, displeased with the sins of the people, and would now visit their iniquities upon them.

The prophet needed further training in secret if he was to be personally fitted to speak again for God in public. Ah, my reader, the man whom the Lord uses has to be kept low- severe discipline has to be experienced by him, if the flesh is to be duly mortified. Three more years must be spent by the prophet in seclusion. How humbling- Alas, how little is man to be trusted- how little is he able to bear being put into the place of honour- How quickly self rises to the surface, and the instrument is ready to believe he is something more than an instrument- How sadly easy it is to make of the very service God entrusts us with a pedestal on which to display ourselves. But God will not share His glory with another, and therefore does He -hide- those who may be tempted to take some of it unto themselves.

The predestination of God is indeed in reality a labyrinth, from which the mind of man can by no means extricate itself- but so unreasonable is the curiosity of man, that the more perilous the examination of a subject is, the more boldly he proceeds- so that when predestination is discussed, as he cannot restrain himself within due limits, he immediately, through his rashness, plunges himself, as it were, into the depth of the sea.

WHAT is the frame of the soul in general that is excited by grace, and resolves in the strength thereof to attempt a recovery out of the depths of sin-entanglements, has been declared. We have also shown what entertainments, in general, such a soul had need to expect, yea, ordinarily shall be sure to meet withal. It may be he goes forth at first like Samson with his locks cut, and thinks he will do as at other times- but he quickly finds his peace lost, his wounds, painful, his conscience restless, God displeased, and his whole condition, as the utmost of his own apprehension, hazardous. This fills him with the thoughts expressed in this third verse, and fixes the conclusion in his mind discoursed of before. He finds now that he has the law afresh to deal with.

Few come up to gospel assurance. But yet most of our privileges, and upon the matter all our comforts, depend on this one thing. a little by the way, to encourage to this duty, I shall desire you to consider both whence this assurance is produced and what it produces-what it is the fruit of, and what fruit it bears. It is, in general, the product of a more plentiful communication of the Spirit than ordinary, as to a sense and participation of the choice fruits of the death of Christ, procured for those who are justified by their acceptance of the atonement. It flourishes not without his sealing, witnessing, establishing, and shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts -see Rom. 5-1-5-. And what believer ought not to long for and press after the enjoyment of these things- Nay, to read of these things in the gospel, not experiencing them in our own hearts, and yet to sit down quietly on this side of them, without continual pressing after them, is to despise the blood of Christ, the Spirit of grace, and the whole work of God's love.

Having been raised out of his depths by the discovery of forgiveness in God, as was before declared, yet not being immediately made partaker of that forgiveness, as to a comforting sense of it, he gathers up his soul from wandering from God, and supports it from sinking under his present condition. 'It is,' says he, 'Jehovah alone, with whom is forgiveness, that can relieve and do me good. His favour, his loving-kindness, his communication of mercy and grace from thence, is that which I stand in need of. On him, therefore, do I with all heedfulness attend- on him do I wait. My soul is filled with expectation from him. Surely he will come to me, he will come and refresh me.

What sins usually bring believers into great spiritual distresses - Aggravations of these sins. First, Sins in their own nature wasting conscience are of this sort- sins that rise in opposition unto all of God that is in us- that is, the light of grace and nature also. Such are the sins that cast David into his depths. Secondly. There are sins which, though they do not rise up in the conscience with such bloody guilt as those mentioned, yet, by reason of some circumstances and aggravations, God takes them so unkindly as to make them a root of disquietness and trouble to the soul all its days.

Trouble, danger, disquietment, arguing not only things evil, but a sense in the mind and soul of them, will of themselves put those in whom they are upon seeking relief Every thing would naturally be at rest. A drowning man needs no exhortation to endeavour his own deliverance and safety- and spiritual troubles will, in like manner, put men on attempts for relief. To seek for no remedy is to be senselessly obdurate, or wretchedly desperate, as Cain and Judas.

All men, indeed, say there is- most men are persuaded that they think so. Only men in great and desperate extremities, like Cain or Spira, seem to call it into question. But their thoughts are empty,-groundless, yea, for the most part wicked and atheistical. Elihu tells us, that to declare this aright to a sinful soul, it is the work of -a messenger, an interpreter, one among a thousand,- Job 33-23- that is, indeed, of Christ himself. The common thoughts of men about this thing are slight and foolish, and may be resolved into those mentioned by the psalmist, Ps. 50-21. They think that -God is -altogether such an one as themselves-- that, indeed, he takes little or no care about these things, but passeth them-over as slightly as they do themselves. That, notwithstanding all their pretences, the most of men never had indeed any real discovery of forgiveness.

Ah,- saith the soul, -have I thus requited the wonderful, astonishing love of my Redeemer- Is this the return, the requital, I have made unto him- Are not heaven and earth astonished at the despising of that love, at which they are astonished-- This brake Peter's heart upon the look of Christ. Such words as these from Christ will, in this condition, sound in the ears of the soul- -Did I love thee, and leave my glory to become a scorn and reproach for thy sake- Did I think my life, and all that was dear unto me, too good for thee, to save thee from the wrath to come- Have I been a wilderness unto thee, or a land of darkness- What could I have done more for thee-