Jeremiah 8:19-20 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion?… The great thing is to ascertain the fact of the Lord's presence with His people. Now, where the Lord's presence is, there are tokens special, peculiar, and infallible, by which it is evidenced. Where the Lord is, everything will go well: the Gospel will triumph, and the righteous will be glad. On the contrary, the Lord's absence is marked by wickedness, carnality, darkness, and dissolution. 1. An indispensable evidence that God is in the churches, we think to be a united, loving people. The Spirit is the source of love; and it is His first fruit. 2. Where this love is present, and in powerful operation, it will produce another evidence — a consistent, holy deportment. Love and purity are inseparable; but purity of heart will be indicated by purity of life. 3. The Lord's presence is always accompanied by special zeal for His glory: a desire to promote His honour, and to extend His kingdom. 4. An invariable accompaniment of the King's presence is liberality in the disposition of worldly substance. His people realise the fact that they are not proprietors, but stewards, to whom is committed treasure, which is exclusively His own. 5. The spirit of humble wailing at His footstool, for the lessons of His wisdom, is another indication of His presence. The churches will be teachable, devout, and obedient in all things. 6. A further evidence of the royal presence is, the possession of high attainments in spiritual things: the citizens of Zion will largely enjoy the comfort of love, the patience of hope, and every blessing provided for them. 7. As a rule, another token of the Lord's presence will be, that while His people walk in His fear, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, they will be multiplied. The message of love, spoken in love, will operate with melting power on the hearts of men. (The Christian Witness.) Parallel Verses KJV: Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? |
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