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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
THE FOLLY OF INCONSIDERATION
IT is certain that many who have the Gospel dispensed to them continue ignorant of its very first principles, and “perish at last for lack of knowledge.” But there are still more who destroy their own souls through inconsideration. They will not attend to the things they do know, or suffer the principles they have received to have any influence upon their minds. Thus it was with Israel of old: they committed all manner of abominations [Note: Hos_6:7; Hos_6:9-10.], and, when God was desirous to “heal them,” were bent as much as ever on the prosecution of their own evil ways [Note: ver. 1.]: and the reason of this is assigned by God himself in the words of our text: it is justly traced to their inconsideration; the prevalence and folly of which we propose to set before you.
I. The prevalence of inconsideration—
We propose not to speak of inconsideration at large, but only as it respects God’s omniscience, and our accountableness to him.
It is an undoubted truth, that God “remembers all our wickedness”—
[Reason alone were sufficient to determine this point: for if God do not remember all the transactions of men, how can he judge the world?
If we would ascertain the point from matter of fact, we may notice the injunction given to Israel to extirpate the Amalekites, above three hundred years after they had committed the sin for which this judgment was to be inflicted on them [Note: 1Sa_15:2.]. And at the close of David’s reign, a famine of three years was sent as a punishment of Saul’s treachery in seeking to destroy the Gibeonites; nor was the punishment removed, till exemplary vengeance had been taken on the family of the departed monarch [Note: 2Sa_21:1-9.].
In Scripture there is, as we might well expect, abundant proof of this fundamental axiom. God declares it, as in many other places [Note: Hos_8:13; Hos_9:9.], so in the very verse from whence our text is taken [Note: “They are before my face.”]. In matters of more than ordinary importance, God often appeals to men respecting the truth of his own assertions. Accordingly this is made a subject of appeal; “Is not the wickedness of men sealed up as in a bag, and deposited among my treasures,” to be brought forth against them at the day of judgment [Note: Deu_32:34-35. with Job_14:17.]? Further, because he would have this truth impressed on the minds of all, he even swears in confirmation of it; “The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works [Note: Amo_8:7.].”]
But plain and important as this truth is, men do not consider it—
[No man is so ignorant as not to be acquainted with this truth. There are many indeed who will put forth atheistical sentiments for the sake of vindicating their own conduct, and silencing the accusations of conscience: they will say, like those of old, “Tush, God shall not see; neither will the Almighty regard it [Note: Psa_94:7.]:” but in their sober hours they will not hesitate to confess, that God both sees all their wickedness, and will remember it in order to a future retribution.
But the evil is, that, though men confess this truth, they “do not consider it:” they do not like to give it a place in their minds: they cannot bear to have it suggested to them. If the thought of it arise in their minds, they rush into business, or into company and dissipation, to get rid of it. That they do not consider it, is manifest: for could they sin with so much ease, if they did; or could they maintain such tranquility of mind after having committed sin? Would not the thought of God’s eye being upon them, cast some damp upon their pleasure; and the expectation of a future recompence occasion some disquietude? We are sure that many of those evils which are committed under the cover of the night, would not be committed, if only the presence of a superior should be seasonably interposed. How then must the presence of Almighty God awe us, if we would but duly consider it! Suppose a poisonous draught were put into our hands, and we were informed, that, within a few hours after we had drank it, we should be racked with inexpressible agony, and in the space of one day should die through the excess of torment; should we not reflect a moment before we ventured to drink it? And supposing us infatuated enough to sacrifice our lives for a momentary gratification, should we not put the cup to our lips with a trembling hand? and after we had swallowed the contents, should we not feel some concern, some regret, some sense of our folly? Could we go away and laugh at what we had done, and boast of it, and encourage our friends to do the same? If we could not, the reason is obvious. Much more therefore should we be affected with a dread of future sin, and a sorrow for the past, if we considered who is privy to our actions, and how certainly he will remember them to our everlasting confusion.]
To counteract this prevailing thoughtlessness, we will endeavour to expose,
II. The folly of it—
Such inconsideration can be productive of no good, and must be attended with incalculable mischief to the soul—
1. It will not induce forgetfulness in God—
[Amongst our fellow-creatures our conduct may have considerable effect: and others may be lulled asleep by means of our security. But God is occupied in his work, whether we be in ours or not. He wakes, though we sleep: he sees, though we think ourselves hid from his sight: he marks, though we are regardless of him: nor does he ever feel more indignation, than when we feel ourselves most secure and composed. We may “think wickedly that he is even such an one as ourselves; but he will reprove us for what we have done amiss, and will set it in order before our eyes [Note: Psa_50:21.].” Nor is it the act only of murder or adultery that he will remember, but the look, the desire, the thought, yea “all” our wickedness, of whatever kind or whatever degree.]
2. It will rob us of all the benefits we might receive by reflection—
[If we did but consider that God has noted down all our wickedness, the next thought would be, How shall we get it blotted out of his book? This would lead us to see the inefficacy of our tears to wash away our guilt; and would stimulate us to inquire after that Saviour, whose “blood cleanses from all sin.” Thus we might obtain the remission of our sins, and be restored to the favour of our offended God. But inconsideration robs us of all this. We shall never repent of our evil ways, till we have “considered” them. We shall never seek for mercy, till we have “considered” our guilt and danger. We shall never flee to Christ, till we have “considered” our need of him. “The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” Can a thoughtless sinner take this view of the subject, and not confess his folly?]
3. It will lead us only to multiply our offences against God—
[The necessary consequence of inconsideration is, that we continue to live each succeeding day and year in the same manner as we did in time past; and, in many cases, harden ourselves more and more in wickedness. If we would at the close of every day call ourselves to an account how the day had been spent, and what God had recorded concerning us in the book of his remembrance, we should certainly abstain from many sins, which we now commit without thought or remorse. Even if the Sabbath alone were spent in this holy exercise, we should be kept from rushing into perdition as the horse into the battle. But we are like a spendthrift, who, never considering how great his debts are, or how he shall discharge them, runs on from one extravagance to another, till he has accumulated a debt which involves him in disgrace and misery. Yea, we resemble a man on the eve of bankruptcy, who, knowing that his affairs are ruined, cannot endure to examine his accounts, but proceeds in the best way he can, till the fatal hour arrives, and his insolvency is declared. But, oh! what madness is it thus to “treasure up wrath against the day of wrath!”]
4. It will certainly issue in long and painful reflection—
[We may shake off reflection here; but the time is coming when we must and shall consider. God has said, “In the latter day ye shall consider it perfectly [Note: Jer_23:20.]. Yes, as soon as we come into the eternal world, we shall have a perfect view of all our past wickedness: we shall see it, not as we do now, through the medium of prejudice and self-love, but as God sees it, in all its enormity and with all its aggravations. The sins of thought as well as of act, the sins of omission as well as of commission, will all be open to our view; and there will be no possibility of diverting our attention from them. God bids us now consider; and we will not: but what shall we do in that day when he shall answer our cries with this severe rebuke, “Son, remember [Note: Luk_16:25.]?” ‘Remember the sins committed; remember the warnings neglected; remember the mercies abused; remember the opportunities lost.’ O sad remembrance! O dreary prospect of unalterable irremediable misery! Were it not then better to consider in time, when the most painful reflections will be salutary, than to protract the period of consideration till it shall he ten thousand times more painful, and altogether unavailing?]
Advice—
1. Call your past ways to remembrance—
[However long since any sills may have been committed, they are as fresh in God’s memory, and as hateful in his sight, as if they had been committed this very hour. Endeavour then to get the same view of them as he has. Collect them all together: and what a dreadful mass will they appear! If you could suppose them all to have been crowded into the space of one day, and yesterday to have been the day in which they were all committed, what a monster would you appear in your own eyes! Yet, admitting the enormity of each sin to have been precisely such as it was at the moment of its commission, and such as it exists at present, such is the light in which you are viewed by God. Turn not away your eyes from this painful sight: you must behold it sooner or later: if you delay to look at it, the black catalogue of crimes will still increase, and the sight of them be yet more terrible. In the name of God then, I entreat you all, “Consider your ways [Note: Hag_1:5; Hag_1:7.]”.]
2. Seek to have your sins blotted out from the book of God’s remembrance—
[It has already been observed, that this may be done. Though you neither have, nor can have, any thing to merit such a favour, God is willing to bestow it for his own name’s sake: his word to you is, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins [Note: Isa_43:25.]. He even promises to “cast them into the very depths of the sea [Note: Mic_7:19.],” from whence they shall never be brought against you: yea, he “covenants” to efface them, as it were from his own memory; and says, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more [Note: Jer_31:34.].” And will you not seek this mercy? Is it too soon yet awhile for you to enjoy it? Will you not be happier in the possession of it, than in the continuance of your sins? Think how such a proposal would be received by those who are now reflecting upon their ways in hell: would they need to be urged a second time to ask for mercy; O seek it instantly; seek it with all importunity; seek it in the adorable name of Jesus; seek it after the example of the saints of old [Note: Psa_25:7; Psa_79:8.]: and then, “though your sins have been as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they have been red like crimson, they shall be white as wool.”]
3. Endeavour to walk as in the presence of God—
[A sense of the Divine presence will be an excellent preservative from sin. We know how careful we are of our conduct in the presence of any one whose good opinion we value: let us “set the Lord always before us [Note: Psa_16:8-9; Psa_51:1-2; Psa_51:7.].” in order that our circumspection may be increased, and that we may be kept as much from secret as from open sin, from sin in the heart as well as sin in the life. Let us “commune much with our own hearts in our chamber, and be still [Note: Psa_4:4.].” Let us strive to keep a conscience void of offence, and to approve ourselves in all things to “Him, who searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins.” Let it be our ambition, that on every day more and more acts of piety may be recorded in the book of God’s remembrance; that so he may “remember us for good [Note: See Neh_13:14; Neh_13:22; Neh_13:31 and Psa_106:4-5.]” while we are here on earth, and welcome us as “good and faithful servants” when we enter into the eternal world.]