Lamentations 1:14

The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand.

A guilty conscience

I. Its sense of oppression. It feels itself under a “yoke.” It is heavy iron a crushing “yoke” is sin It is on the neck, there is no breaking away from it.

II. Its sense of degradation. It feels itself held m a miserable vassalage, carnally sold under sin.

III. Its sense of retribution. It feels that the heavy, degrading yoke is bound by “His hand,” the hand of justice: that his transgression is like a chain wreathed by retributive law upon the neck. The guilty conscience awakened feels that God is in all its sufferings, that there is justice in all. (Homilist.)

The misery of sin

1. The sins of God’s people are the heaviest burden they can possibly bear in this life.

(1) They make a separation between God and them.

(2) They give Satan matter to tyrannise over them.

(3) They do, after a sort, possess the soul with the very torments of hell.

2. When God meaneth to punish us for our sins, He calleth them all to remembrance.

(1) That His justice may find just matter why to smite us.

(2) That He may lay His corrections upon us according as He shall see meet, by viewing the quality of our sins and obstinacy therein, or proudness to repentance.

3. When God meaneth to correct, He will so do it as it cannot be escaped.

4. God giveth strength and courage to men, and taketh it away at His pleasure (Deuteronomy 28:7; Deuteronomy 28:25).

5. The issue of battle is in the hand of God alone (Psalms 44:3).

6. God often delivereth His servants into the hands of the ungodly.

(1) To exercise them, and bring them to repentance, or to perfect His power in their weakness.

(2) To give the wicked occasion to show forth their cruel disposition.

7. God sometimes afflicteth His people so grievously that their state seemeth desperate and irrecoverable in the judgment of flesh and blood.

(1) That He may show His mighty power in restoring them.

(2) That all means being taken away, they may learn to look up to heaven and rest upon Him only. (J. Udall.)