Lamentations 4:2-12 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!… 1. It is often the lot of God's people to spend the former part of their life in much worldly pleasure, and the latter in great misery. (1) Because many have their share in the world till they be called to the knowledge of Christ, which is often at the ninth or last hour. (2) God seeth it meet to let many of His children have experience of good and evil. (3) It is the nature of our corruptions to lead us to abuse prosperity, which God, will punish in His children in this life. 2. Many are most delicately brought up, that afterward come to great want and extremity. (1) Their parents make fondlings of them, and do not put them to any lawful work in their youth, and so they prove unfit for any in their age. (2) God will punish both the folly of the parents, and the vanity of the children, for the example of others. (3) Disordered education increaseth the number and height of sin, which must needs pull in the punishments for sin after it. 3. In a general calamity, they are most subject to ruin that in time of prosperity are freest from it by their abundance of worldly things. (1) They are most likely to have committed the greatest sins in the abuse of God's blessings. (2) They have least exercised themselves in the ways to escape danger; persuading themselves to escape if any do. (3) The riches of the wealthiest are the things that spoilers set their eyes most upon: for which they will be most extreme with the owners thereof. (J. Udall.) Parallel Verses KJV: The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! |
    |