This is the Christian's acknowledgment-fully satisfied with the dispensation of God.

Posted : 9 May, 2013 02:18 AM

Psalm 119:75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that You in faithfulness have afflicted me.





This is the Christian's acknowledgment-fully satisfied with the

dispensation of God. This is his confidence-so invigorating to

his own soul-so cheering to the church. The Lord's dealings

are called His judgments-not as having judicial curses, but as

the acts of His justice in the chastening of sin. Perhaps also as the administration of His wise judgments in their measure

and application. But here is not only the confession of the

Lord's general judgment, but of His especial faithfulness to

Himself. And this he knew-not from the dictates of the flesh

(which would have given a contrary verdict), but from the

testimony of the word, and the witness of his own experience.

It could not be doubted-much less denied-'I know, O Lord, that

Your rules of proceeding are agreeable to Your perfect justice

and wisdom; and I am equally satisfied, that the afflictions that

You have laid upon me from time to time, are only to fulfill

Your gracious and faithful promise of making me eternally

happy in Yourself.' Blessed fruit of affliction! when we can thus

"see the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of

tender mercy"-that His "thoughts towards us are thoughts of

peace, and not of evil!" "The patience and faith of the saints"

teach this difficult but most consoling lesson, in deciphering

the mysterious lines in God's providence.

The child of God under the severest chastisement must

acknowledge justice. Our gracious reward is always more-our

"punishment always less, than our iniquities deserve." "Why

should a living man complain?" In trouble he is indeed-but not

in hell. If he complain, let it be of none but himself, and his

own wayward choice. I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are

right-and who can doubt the wisdom? Who would charge the

operator with cruelty, in cutting out the proud flesh, that was bringing death upon the man? Who would not acknowledge

the right judgment of his piercing work? Thus, when the Lord's

painful work separates us from our sin, weans us from the

world, and brings us nearer to Himself, what remains for us,

but thankfully to acknowledge His righteousness and truth?

Unbelief is put to rebuke; and we, if we have indulged

suspicion "that God has forgotten to be gracious," must

confess, "This is our infirmity."

This assurance of the Lord's perfect justice, wisdom, and

intimate knowledge of our respective cases, leads us to yield

to His appointments in dutiful silence. Thus Aaron, under his

most afflictive domestic calamity, "held his peace." Job under

a similar dispensation was enabled to say-"The Lord gave,

and the Lord has taken away: blessed be the name of the

Lord!" Eli's language in the same trial was, "It is the Lord; let

Him do what seems Him good." David hushed his impatient

spirit-"I was dumb; I opened not my mouth, because You did

it." And when Shimei cursed him, he said, "Let him alone; let

him curse; for the Lord has bidden him." The Shunamite, in

the meek resignation of faith, acknowledged-"It is well."

Hezekiah kissed the rod, while it was smiting him to the dust-

"Good is the word of the Lord which You have spoken." Thus

uniform is the language of the Lord's people under

chastisement-I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right.

But the confession of justice may be mere natural conviction.

Faith goes further, and speaks of faithfulness. David not only

acknowledges God's right to deal with him as He saw fit, and

even His wisdom in dealing with him as He actually had done,

but His faithfulness in afflicting-not His faithfulness though He

afflicted-but in afflicting him; not as if it were consistent with

His love, but as the very fruit of His love. It is not enough to

justify God. What abundant cause is there to praise Him! It is

not enough to forbear to murmur. How exciting is the display

of His faithfulness and love! Yes-the trials appointed for us are none else than the faithful performance of His everlasting

engagements. And to this cause we may always trace (and it

is our privilege to believe it, where we cannot visibly trace it)

the reason of much that is painful to the flesh. Let us only

mark its gracious effects in our restoration- instruction,-healing

of our backslidings, and the continual purging of sins- and

then say-'Is not the faithfulness of God gloriously displayed?'

The Philistines could not understand Samson's riddle-how

"Meat could come out of the eater, and sweetness out of the

strong." As little can the world comprehend the fruitfulness of

the Christian's trials; how his gracious Lord sweetens to him

the bitter waters of Marah, and makes the cross not so much

the punishment as the remedy of sin. He finds therefore no

inclination, and he feels that he has no interest in having any

change made in the Lord's appointments, revolting as they

may be to the flesh. He readily acknowledges that His merciful

designs could not have been accomplished in any other way;

while under trials many sweet tokens of love are given, which,

under circumstances of outward prosperity, could not have

been received with the same gratitude and delight.

You that are living at ease in the indulgence of what this poor

world can afford, how little does the Christian envy your

portion! How surely in some future day will you be taught by

experience to envy his! The world's riches are daily becoming

poorer, and its pleasures more tasteless; and what will they

be, and how will they appear, when eternity is at hand!

Whereas affliction is the special token of our Father's love,

conformity to the image of Jesus, and preparation for His

service and kingdom. It is the only blessing that the Lord

gives, without requiring us to ask for it. We receive it,

therefore, as promised, not as threatened; and when the

"peaceable fruits of righteousness," which it works in God's

time and way, spring up in our hearts, humbly and gratefully

will we acknowledge the righteousness of His judgments, and

the faithfulness of His corrections.



by

Charles Bridges

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