Judges 4:24

REFLECTIONS

READER! I would call upon you while I desire grace to call up at the same time all the finer affections of my own heart, in the perusal of this chapter, to contemplate with fresh satisfaction, the renewed love and attention of the Lord to his people. Again, the Holy Ghost records, Israel did evil. And again, the Lord visits their offences with the rod, and their sins with a scourge. But oh! my soul do not forget, though it be the rod, it is the rod of the covenant. It is the rod of chastisement, the correction of a father, not the scourge of an enemy. For though the Lord raiseth up enemies to correct his children, those enemies are but his instruments, and can act no further than he commissions them. Oh! for grace to remember this, in all the gentle chastisements of his love. Dearest Lord! do thou, wherever needful, hedge up my way with thorns, that I may not find my path, when my way is perverse before thee. Bring me into the wilderness, and plead with me face to face, until that thou hast purged out the rebels, and the lusts of transgression; and until, by the sweet influences of thy Almighty grace, thou hast wrought a change in my soul, that I may say, I will go, and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now.

Blessed Lord! teach me, in the view of the humble instruments thou wert pleased to make use of for the deliverance of thy people, never to despise the day of small things, but to learn the full assurance of that precious doctrine, that it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. Oh! for grace to be forever leaning upon thy strength, thou dear Redeemer, and to know, that thy strength is perfected in weakness. Ever, dearest Lord, be thou my strength, my hope, and song of rejoicing. I shall be more than conqueror through thine arm helping me.