Part 12 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 13 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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12. Twelfthly, He who is truly holy is much affected and afflicted with the unholiness of others. [Josh. 7:9; Psalm 69:9; Ezra 9:3; Neh. 9; Dan. 9; Micah 1:8; Jer. 13:17.] Psalm 119:53, "Horror has taken hold upon me, because of the wicked that forsake your law;" verse 158, "I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved, because they kept not your word;" verse 136, "Rivers of waters run down my eyes, because they keep not your law." By this hyperbolical phrase he sets forth the greatness of his sorrows, and that not because his enemies had wronged him—but because they had dishonored his God. It was a great grief to him to see others a-grieving his God.
Just so, Jer. 9:1-3, "Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night! oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people, and go from them." But why does the holy prophet thus take on? why does he thus lament? why does he wish himself turned into waters, and into a fountain of tears? why does he prefer a habitation among the wild beasts, before his habitation among his own people? Why, the cause you have in the following words, "For they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men, and they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, says the Lord."
Just so, Ezek. 9:4, "And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." There were holy hearts in Jerusalem, who did sigh and cry, and cry and sigh for the wickedness of the times; the abominations of the times did lie in such full weight upon them, that they did fetch many a sigh from their hearts, and many a tear from their eyes. Holy hearts are able to tell you many sad stories of the groans, griefs, and gripes—which other men's sins has cost them. When most were a-sinning, God's marked ones were a-mourning; when others were with a high hand a-cursing, blaspheming, and a-rebelling, God's marked ones were deeply sorrowing; they mourned sincerely, they sighed greatly, they grieved wonderfully, they groaned lamentably, and that not for some—but for all, for all court sins, and church sins, and city sins, and family sins.
And so, holy Paul could not with dry eyes make mention of those belly-gods and earthworms that were in his time, Phil. 3:18. Just so, holy Lot was much affected and afflicted with seeing and hearing of the wickedness of those among whom he lived, 2 Pet. 2:7-8. The Greek word for vexed, in verse 7, signifies to be oppressed under the wanton and wicked lives of the ungodly Sodomites, as a man who is oppressed under a heavy burden which he labors under, and would gladly be delivered from; or to be oppressed, as the Israelites were under their cruel Egyptian taskmasters. Ah, the sins, the wickedness of others—greatly affect the hearts of the saints! The Israelites did not more labor and sigh and groan under all their loads and oppressions, than many holy hearts do labor and sigh and groan under the load of wicked men's sins. And the Greek word for vexed, in verse 8, signifies to be tortured, tormented, and racked. [It is a metaphor taken from devices which they tormented people with.] Oh, their wickedness did torment and rack his righteous soul; he could not see nor hear of their wickedness—but his soul was as upon a rack!
Pambus wept when he saw a harlot take so much pains to deck and dress herself in splendid and costly apparel—and all to entertain a wanton lover, and so to make work for hell! Oh, it cannot but grieve a gracious soul—to see what pains poor sinners take to go to hell! A holy heart looks upon other men's sins as great dishonors done to his father, his king; and therefore he cannot but cry out with Croesus' son, who though he was born dumb—yet seeing some going about to kill his father, his tongue-strings unloosed, and he cried out, "Oh kill not king Croesus! Kill not my father!" Oh kill not my God, and my King! "Oh kill not, oh dishonor not my dear Father and Savior!" says a holy heart. Such is the love and high respect, which holy hearts bear to their heavenly Father, that they cannot but grieve, and mourn, and cry out when they see others to act treason against the crown and dignity of heaven. Elijah had rather die, than to see Ahab and Jezebel to cast contempt and dishonor upon his God.
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Part 13 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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