"Lord, in trouble have they visited you, they poured out a prayer when your chastening was upon them." (Is 26:16)
The visitation whereof our prophet speaketh, is only proper to the sons of God, who in the time when God taketh from them the pleasures of the world, or showeth his angry countenance unto them, have their recourse unto him, and confessing their former negligence, with troubled hearts cry for his mercy. This visitation is not proper to all afflicted, but appertaineth only to God’s children; for the reprobate can never have access to God’s mercy in time of their tribulation, and that, because they abuse, as well his long patience, as the manifold benefits they receive from his hands. For as the same prophet heretofore saith, “Let the wicked obtain mercy, yet shall he never learn wisdom; but in the land of righteousness (that is, where the true knowledge of God aboundeth,) he will do wickedly;” which is a crime above all others abominable. For to what end is it, that God erecteth his throne among us, but that we should fear him? Why doth He reveal his holy will unto us, but that we should obey it? Why doth He deliver us from trouble, but that we should be witnesses unto the world, that he is gracious and merciful? Now, when men hearing their duty, and knowing what God requires of them, do malapertly fight against all equity and justice, what I pray you do they else, but make manifest war against God; yea, when they have received from God such deliverance, that they cannot deny, but that God himself hath in his great mercy visited them; and yet they continue wicked even as before? What deserve they, but effectually to be given over unto a reprobate sense, that headlong they may run to ruin both of body and soul. It is almost incredible, that man should be so enraged against God, that neither his plagues, nor yet his mercy showed, should move them to repentance, but because the Scriptures bear witness of the one and the other. Let us cease to marvel, and let us firmly believe, that such things as have been, are even presently before our eyes, although many, blinded by affection, cannot see them.
Ahab (as in the book of Kings it is written) received many notable benefits of the hand of God, who did visit him in diverse sorts; sometimes by his plagues, sometimes by his word, and sometimes by his merciful deliverance. He made him king, and for the idolatry used by him and his wife, He plagued all Israel by famine. He revealed to him his will and true religion, by the prophet Elijah; he gave to him sundry deliverances; but one most special, when proud Benhadad came to besiege Samaria, and was not content to receive Ahab’s gold, silver, sons, daughters, and wives, but also required, that his servants should have whatsoever was delectable in Samaria. True it is, that his elders and people willed him not to hear the proud tyrant. But who made to him the promise of deliverance? and who appointed, and put his army in order? who assured him of victory? The prophet of God only, who assured him, that by the servants of the princes of the provinces, who in number were only two hundred, thirty and two, he should deface that great army, in the which there were two and thirty kings, with all their forces. And as the prophet of God promised, so it came to pass. Victory was obtained, not once only, but twice, and that by the merciful visitation of the Lord.
But how did Ahab visit God again, for his great benefit received? Did he remove his idolatry? did he correct his idolatrous wife Jezebel? No, we find no such thing; but the one and the other we find to have continued, and increased in former impiety. But what was the end hereof? The last visitation of God was, that dogs licked the blood of the one, and did eat the flesh of the other.
In few words, then, we may understand, what difference there is betwixt the visitation of God upon the reprobate, and his visitation upon his chosen. The reprobate are visited, but never truly humbled, nor yet amended. The chosen being visited, they sob, and they cry unto God for mercy; which obtained, they magnify God’s name, and after declare the fruits of repentance. Let us therefore that hear these judgments of our God, call for the assistance of his Holy Spirit, that howsoever it pleaseth him to visit us, that we may stoop under his merciful hands, and unfeignedly cry to him when he correcteth us; and so, shall we know in experience, that our cries and complaints were not in vain.
Ahab (as in the book of Kings it is written) received many notable benefits of the hand of God, who did visit him in diverse sorts; sometimes by his plagues, sometimes by his word, and sometimes by his merciful deliverance. He made him king, and for the idolatry used by him and his wife, He plagued all Israel by famine. He revealed to him his will and true religion, by the prophet Elijah; he gave to him sundry deliverances; but one most special, when proud Benhadad came to besiege Samaria, and was not content to receive Ahab’s gold, silver, sons, daughters, and wives, but also required, that his servants should have whatsoever was delectable in Samaria. True it is, that his elders and people willed him not to hear the proud tyrant. But who made to him the promise of deliverance? and who appointed, and put his army in order? who assured him of victory? The prophet of God only, who assured him, that by the servants of the princes of the provinces, who in number were only two hundred, thirty and two, he should deface that great army, in the which there were two and thirty kings, with all their forces. And as the prophet of God promised, so it came to pass. Victory was obtained, not once only, but twice, and that by the merciful visitation of the Lord.
But how did Ahab visit God again, for his great benefit received? Did he remove his idolatry? did he correct his idolatrous wife Jezebel? No, we find no such thing; but the one and the other we find to have continued, and increased in former impiety. But what was the end hereof? The last visitation of God was, that dogs licked the blood of the one, and did eat the flesh of the other.
In few words, then, we may understand, what difference there is betwixt the visitation of God upon the reprobate, and his visitation upon his chosen. The reprobate are visited, but never truly humbled, nor yet amended. The chosen being visited, they sob, and they cry unto God for mercy; which obtained, they magnify God’s name, and after declare the fruits of repentance. Let us therefore that hear these judgments of our God, call for the assistance of his Holy Spirit, that howsoever it pleaseth him to visit us, that we may stoop under his merciful hands, and unfeignedly cry to him when he correcteth us; and so, shall we know in experience, that our cries and complaints were not in vain.
