The Mighty Watcher, and His Twofold Work 2
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D. "And to DESTROY." This word is of stronger import than any of the preceding. To "pluck up" weeds, to "break down" walls, to "throw down" towers, fall short of the expression "destroy." We may explain perhaps its import by the words of the Apostle—"a removing of those things that are shaken;" (Heb. 12:27)—or by God's command with respect to the abominations of Canaan, "You shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their engraved images with fire!" (Deut. 7:5.) Our hearts are by nature full of Canaanitish idols and heathenish abominations, which must be destroyed! Lusts after evil things, adulterous images, idolatrous desires, strong hankerings after sin—and also, evils which have the impudence to wear a 'religious garb'—such as towering thoughts of our own ability—pleasing dreams of creature holiness—vain conceits of what we mean to do for God—swellings up of pride and presumption—dressed out and painted in all the tawdy colors of Satanic delusion—how can these abominations be allowed to remain rampant in the human heart?
The altars and religious rites of the Canaanites were to be destroyed as much as their idols; and thus we may say of that very religious being—man, that his false worship and heathenish notions of God must be destroyed as well as his more flagrant, though not more dangerous, lusts and abominations. The sentence against both is, "Destroy them!" They must not, they cannot stand consistently with the honor of Immanuel, who is to have the preeminence in all things, and who is "the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last."
And O what a mercy it is to have our fleshly and religious abominations alike destroyed! For I am sure that God and self never can rule in the same heart—that Christ and Belial can never reign in the same bosom—each claiming the supremacy.
E. "And to AFFLICT." And is this what God is "watching" over you also to do? 'How cruel! how cruel!' at once whispers a voice in the secret bosom. Retract that thought! it is unworthy of a moment's lodgment in your breast! It may sometimes even escape our lips; but self-pity is at the root!
Reflect for a moment in your mind upon what I endeavored to bring forward to point out what the word "watching" means. Does it not imply the deepest tenderness, the most anxious care, the most sacred affection? Yes; it does! If, then, the Lord "watches" over Zion "to afflict," the afflictions that you now may be passing through are not by chance! Your heavenly Father is "watching" over you, and bringing these afflictions upon you. Are you afflicted in body, in circumstances, in family, in mind, or by any of the various troubles that each heart knows and suffers most bitterly from? O could we believe it is the gift of God! O could we believe that the hand of God is in every affliction, in every trial, in every exercise, in every dispensation, however dark, however mysterious!
And not only so, but that he is "watching" over the soul with the utmost tenderness, and yet with the utmost wisdom. The affliction must not go beyond its work; it would then cease to be such an affliction as God is bringing about. He "watches" over you. He sees that the affliction which you are suffering under is the affliction– the very affliction that you need. No other would suit you now; it is exactly adapted to your case and circumstances. Any other affliction at this moment would not be profitable. But this affliction, whatever it be that you are now suffering under, is exactly suitable to your present case.
God, then, "watches" over you who are his Zion "to afflict." It shall not be too long; it shall not be too deep; it shall not be too heavy; it shall not be too overwhelming. Why? Because he who "holds the winds in his fist," "watches" over his Zion "to afflict." And can he afflict her too long? can he afflict her too much? can he afflict her (shall I use the word?) with an unfeeling heart? He cannot! for he loves her with an everlasting love! Love moves him "to afflict" her for her good—and his own glory!
Now, how many of you have been thus passing under the hand of God? Take a review; cast a glance at the dealings of God with your soul. Let them not be unheeded, or cloaked in mystery. May God give us eyes to see his dealings! And O, can you not see the truth of these words—that God has "WATCHED" over every plucking up, every throwing down, every destroying, every affliction—for the abasement of your pride, of your self-esteem, of your self-righteousness, of your self-conceit! Can we not at times see how God has "watched" over everything that he has thus brought upon us?
But we may not see it now. No! unbelief may blind our eyes. When the disciples were journeying to Emmaus, they did not know they were walking side by side with their adorable Lord; yet their eyes being "blinded" was no hindrance to Jesus being there! When broken-hearted Mary Magdalene saw the gardener as she thought, she did not know it was Jesus until he spoke to her—yet ignorance of who he was did not prevent him being Jesus, nor prevent his being before her. The horses and chariots of fire surrounded the mountain whereElisha stood; yet the servant could not see them until his eyes were opened. But did his eyes being opened place the chariots there? They were there all bright and glorious, when his eyes were sealed in darkness.
Is it not so spiritually and experimentally? The afflictions under which you are suffering have a voice in them—but you cannot hear it! You cannot see the hand of God in the exercises under which you are laboring. No! 'seeing eyes' are the special gift of God. Still, though it is the gift of God by which we see his hand in everything we pass through—our not seeing it does not take the hand of God away. If so, the infidel, who says, "there is no God," has annihilated Jehovah, if a word can do it. Our unbelieving, infidel heart indeed may say, "Can good spring from these afflictions? Can a blessing to my soul come out of these trials? Does this come from God? Does that come from God?"
Our unbelieving heart, I say, may mutter these things as much as the unbelieving master, who said, "If the Lord would make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" (2 Kings 7:19.) But he was punished for his unbelief. And we yet may be chastened, though not trampled down into hell like him, as we justly deserve for it. Still, our unbelief does not alter the truth; God forbid. Shall the suggestions of Satan; or the infirmities, unbelief, infidelity, questionings, and suspicions of our heart alter the eternal truths of God! "If we believe not, yet he abides faithful; he cannot deny himself." (2 Tim. 2:13.) He is the same—unchanging and unchangeable—and he "watches" over his Zion for her spiritual benefit, whether it be to afflict or to comfort, to throw down or to build up.
II. The watching of God to BUILD UP. But we pass on to consider the other side of our subject. "So will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, says the Lord." May we not, must we not, carry with us still the same idea? Yes! What does "watching" here imply? That all is fore-appointed in the mind of God—all designed to be brought about at a certain time, and in a certain way, by certain means to perform certain purposes, and to effect a certain work. In all these the eye, the heart, and the hand of God are intimately concerned.
A. "So will I watch over them to BUILD." But what comes before this building? Does not plucking up, breaking down, and throwing down precede building? It must in nature, much more in grace. What? if there is a hovel, a filthy hovel, standing upon the site designed for a palace, shall that hovel stand to be an eye-sore to the sovereign, or occupy the ground on which a noble edifice is to be erected? Common sense would answer, "Sweep it off the face of the earth; let not one vestige remain. It must not, it cannot occupy the ground that the palace is to stand upon!"
So, if my righteousness, my prejudices, my pride, my hypocrisy, my carnal nature in all its shapes and forms, is to stand up in all its native arrogance—can the lowly Jesus come and take up his abode in my bosom? No! these things must first be broken down—I must first be a poor broken-hearted sinner. My pride, my self-righteousness, my self-conceit, my vain hopes and false confidence must all be broken down, laid low, and swept away—not a vestige must remain when the temple of mercy is to be built up in all its fair proportions. I do not mean to carry the figure fully out. I am well aware, (no man better, if I may speak with all humility,) of the rubbish—the legal, the carnal rubbish—that seems at times to choke up the heart. Still there must be "a breaking down" before there can be "a building up."
But what does God build up? His own work in the soul. Nothing more, nothing less. He does not rebuild the old ruined temple with stones taken out of nature's quarry—but he builds up his own temple, springing up in harmonious proportions, as the temple of old, under his constructive hands. He builds up true hope instead of false hope; faith instead of unbelief; divine love instead of creature affection; Christ's righteousness instead of our righteousness; true holiness instead of fleshly holiness. Thus he builds up the soul upon its most holy faith—builds up the temple of mercy in the heart.
And this springs up instantaneously. When the Lord appears, the temple rises to receive him—the building springs up in a moment to receive the heavenly Builder. So when the Lord of glory appears, the temple is prepared to receive him—and those words sound, or may sound (though not wholly applicable) in the depths within, "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in!" (Psalm. 24:7.)
B. But the Lord "watches" over his Zion, not merely "to build" but "to PLANT." I endeavored to show, that by the figure "plucking up," there seemed to be some allusion to the human heart as a field—the Lord's husbandry. Now, in that field, once overrun with thorns, thistles, and briars, he "watches to plant" his fear in the heart, and his blessed graces in the soul. But let us enter into a few of these graces thus divinely implanted.
Humility, for instance, never grew in nature's soil; it must, therefore, be planted in our souls by a divine hand. Sincerity and godly simplicity are not to be found among the charlock and the poppy of natural growth. They must be planted in our souls by the hand of the Lord himself. Faith in Jesus to the saving of the soul; a good hope through grace in his mercy; a love to his precious name; tender affections, holy desires, heavenly breathings, sweet sensations, divine enjoyments, manifestations of mercy, and discoveries of God's love to the soul—all these 'trees of paradise' are to be found in this heavenly plantation.
These are some of the blessed fruits which this divine hand plants in the field (the garden, we may rather say) of the human heart; "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse." (Song 4:12.) "I have come into my garden," he says. (5:1.) "Awake, O north wind; and come O south wind—blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out." (4:16.) "My Beloved has gone down into his garden," is the language of the church. (6:12.)
The Lord watches to plant. When he has plucked up our righteousness—he plants his own. When he has plucked up our pride, prejudices, ignorance, and carnality—he plants his own image—brokenness, tenderness, humility, and godly fear. When he has plucked up the thoughts of our heart that rise up against his divine Majesty—he plants those graces and fruits in the soul that spring up to his praise. And thus he plants every grace of the Spirit, and causes each and all to bear fruit to the honor and glory of his great Name.
And he brings forth OUTWARD fruits as well. Consistency of life, separation from the world, honesty before men, integrity of lip and integrity of hand, uprightness of conduct, honorable principles and honorable actions—"whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report," the Lord causes to spring up in the garden that he himself plants and waters with his own hand!
God give us these fruits! and where given, grant us a blessed increase of them!
But let us for a few moments recapitulate and run over the things spoken, that I may succeed, if the Lord enables, in leaving some definite and solid impression upon your hearts. What brought you here at this time? Was it merely to while away an idle hour upon a Sunday evening, or to listen to the breath of the preacher? God forbid his dear family should come here with such a motive! In their right mind, they hear for eternity—that something may be communicated to their souls which may not pass away like the morning cloud and the early dew, or be dissipated by the world.
And my desire is, that the Lord would cause some abiding fruit to spring out of what may fall from my lips—that it may not be spoken to amuse, entertain, interest, or please you—no, but to profit you—and that not for an hour, a day, a week, or a month—but that some lasting fruit may be sown in your soul to all eternity. And this is why, as the Lord enables me, I desire to bring forth his truth and his words—not mine—that he may seal his own truth with power upon our hearts, and rivet it with his own divine hand in our conscience. What I have been laying before you are solemn realities and eternal truths, whether we believe and feel them or not. God grant that we may increasingly believe and feel them! They are of the deepest importance—may God lay them with greater weight and power upon our souls!
Bear with me, then, for a few moments—and let us endeavor to look into our hearts (it is there where God works—it is to our conscience that God speaks.) What has been the experience of your soul? Can you look back, and see how there has been this plucking up, breaking down, throwing down, destroying, and afflicting work in your soul? 'Yes,' says one, 'my life, my spiritual life has consisted of little else. But two things try me—one is, I do not see the hand of God plainly in these exercises—my mind is so obscured—my judgment so dark—I want faith to believe that the hand of God is in them. And the other thing that tries my mind is, it seems so much with me affliction and trial, breaking and throwing down, and so little building and planting.'
Well—but has there been this work carried on in your conscience? Has there been this plucking up, breaking down, throwing down, destroying, and afflicting? If you cannot see God's hand, can you see the fruit? What is your case? A poor broken-hearted sinner at the footstool of mercy? a beggar, a bankrupt? a poor and needy, lost, and undone wretch? The Lord has done all this! If this be the genuine feeling of your soul before his heart-searching eye, he has "watched" over you in tenderness. You may not see it. The sleeping babe does not see the watchful eye of the tender mother—but the mother watches still, though the babe perceive it not. You may not have perceived, and may not now perceive, the hand of God in your affliction—but the hand and the eye of the Lord are there though you see them not. And be sure of this (the Lord assure us of it, we cannot be sure of anything of ourselves!) that as the Lord has "watched" over you in the dispensations of his providence and grace, in plucking up, breaking down, throwing down, destroying, and afflicting—so, also, the Lord will "watch" over you "to build" and "to plant."
The time will come which God has designed—circumstances will arise, causes shall work, and the Lord himself will effect his own purposes. The promise stands fast—the word is sure to be accomplished. As he has "watched" over you to do the one, so also will he "watch" over you to do the other. As he has "watched" over every circumstance, the very minutest circumstance, of your soul adversity—so will he "watch" to bring about every, the minutest circumstance, of your soul prosperity.
"And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict—so I will watch over them, to build, and to plant," says the Lord. Jeremiah 31:28
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