REFLECTIONS

The Scourging of the Lamb of God

“See, see-the execution of the sentence begins! The executioners fall upon the Holy One like a host of devils. They tear off His clothes; bind those hands which were ever stretched out to do good, tie them together behind His back, press His gracious visage firmly against the shameful pillar, and after having bound Him with ropes in such a manner that He can not move or stir, they begin their cruel task. O do not imagine that I am able to depict to you what now occurs. The scene is too horrible. My whole soul trembles and quakes. Neither wish that I should count to you the number of strokes which are now poured upon the sacred body of Immanuel, or describe the torments, which increasingly with every stroke, sufficed in other cases of this kind to cause the death of the unhappy culprit before the formal execution which this scourging usually preceded. It is enough for us to know that it lasted full quarter of an hour; streams of blood flow from His sacred form. The scourging continues without mercy. The arms of the barbarous men begin to grow weary. New tormentors release those that are fatigued. The scourges cut ever deeper into the wounds already made. His whole back appears an enormous wound.”

-From The Suffering Savior by F W Krummacher First Published in Edinburgh in 1856 Published by The Banner of Truth Trust 2004 Carlisle, PA.

REFLECTIONS

Discouragement to Righteousness is from Satan

“1. If Satan tempts the people of God, that he may discourage them, then they have no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted by Satan. I say, if Satan’s great design, end and aim, in all temptations of the saints, be to discourage them, then they have no  reason to be discouraged because they are tempted, for then they would gratify Satan and fulfill his purpose. Now Satan does tempt that he may tempt; he tempts unto one sin, that he may tempt unto another. He tempts a man to sin against the law, that he may make him sin against the gospel. And what greater sin against the gospel than unbelieving discouragements? He knows or thinks that such and such a person is gone from his kingdom, and he says, Though I cannot hinder his salvation, for he will be saved do what I can, yet I will hinder his comfort and make him go heavily, and if I can but discourage him in his duty, I shall in time cause him to cast it off. His great design is to discourage; and therefore, whenever any godly man is tempted, he should say, well, seeing Satan’s design is to discourage, through the grace of Christ my design shall be to bear up my heart and spirit against all discouragements.”

-William Bridge from A Lifting up for the Downcast  1649  Republished by the Banner of Truth Trust Carlisle  PA  1995  Pp. 154-155.

REFLECTIONS

Payment in Blood

"A worn-out purple robe, once garment of the leader of a Roman cohort, is produced. This is thrown over His back still bleeding from every pore, while the barbarians exult aloud at this supposed witty and appropriate idea. They then break off twigs from a long-spiked thorn-bush, and twist them into a circle, which is afterwards pressed upon His sacred head as a crown. But in order to complete the image of a mock king, they put into His hands a reed instead of a scepter, and after having thus arrayed Him, they pay mock homage to Him with shouts of derisive laughter. The miscreants bow with pretended reverence to the object of their scorn, bend the knee before Him, and to make the mockery complete, cry out again and again, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' It is not long, however, before they are weary of this abominable sport and turn it into fearful seriousness. With satanic insolence, they place themselves before their ill-treated captive, make the most horrible grimaces at Him, even spit in His face, and in order to fill up the measure of their cruelty, they snatch the reed out of His hands and repeatedly smite Him with it on the head, so that the thorns pierce deeply while streams of blood flow down the face of the gracious Friend of sinners.

How can we reconcile such revolting occurrences with the government of a just and holy God! A great mystery must lie at the bottom of them, or our belief in a supreme moral government of the world loses its last support. And is not this really the case? What befalls Christ befalls us in Him, who is our representative. The sufferings He endures fall upon our corrupt nature. In Him we receive the due of our misdeeds. With the shudder at the sight of the martyred Lamb of God, ought to be joined adoration of the unsearchable wisdom and mercy of God and the glorious accomplishment of the counsel of grace. Our hell is extinguished in Jesus' wounds; our curse is consumed in Jesus' soul; our guilt is purged away in Jesus' blood. The sword of the wrath of a holy God was necessarily unsheathed against us; and if the Bible is not a falsehood, and the threatening of the law a mere delusion, and God's justice an idle fancy, not a single individual would have escaped the sword, if the Son of God had not endured the stroke and taken upon Himself the payment of our debts."

-From The Suffering Saviour by F. W. Krummacher  First English Edition 1856  Published by The Banner of Truth Trust  2004  Carlisle, PA.

REFLECTIONS

Hypocrites

"Some individuals make a lot of noise about their religion, but secretly have their hearts set on earthly goals. They pretend to be heaven-bound, but their hearts are full of hypocrisy. Such deceivers are like the eagle who, when he soars highest, has his eye fixed on some carnal prey on the ground.

Hypocrites have always been and ever will be a part of the crowd thronging into the church and mingling with the true saints of God, Their speech is pure, their service admirable; but their hearts are lined with deceit; worst of all, they fool even themselves. The world may mistakenly call them saints, but Christ knows they are devils. What did He say about the master hypocrite, Judas? "Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70).

Truly, of all devils, none is as bad as the professing devil, the preaching, praying devil. God has repeatedly shown His severe displeasure when His so-called people have prostituted sacred things to worldly ends. Of all men, God strikes with the greatest speed the one who gilds over worldly and wicked business with holy pretensions. God has made a solemn promise: "I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and ye shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 14:8).

Among thieves, there is often a scout who searches out where the booty is to be had. He is the brains behind every illicit operation, but he never risks his own neck by actually committing a crime. The devil uses this same tactic by watching how a Christian walks, where he goes, whose company he enjoys. The he decides the best way to rob him of his grace. When the plan is set, he sends someone else to carry it out. Thus he sent Job's wife to tempt him; he sent Potiphar's wife to entice Joseph."

-From The Christian in Complete Armor Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare Published by Moody Press Chicago 1994 First Published in 1655.

Reflections

Thankful to Serve

“Be particularly thankful, O my soul! That God hath made use of thee for the service of His church on earth. My God, my soul for this doth magnify Thee, and my spirit rejoiceth in the review of Thy great undeserved mercy. O what am I, whom Thou tookest up from the dunghill, or low obscurity, that I should live myself in the constant relish of Thy sweet and sacred truth, and with such encouraging success communicate it to others! That I may say, now my public work seems ended, that these forty-three of forty-four years I have no reason to think that ever I labored in vain! O with what gratitude must I look upon all places where I lived and labored; but, above all, that place which had my strength! I bless Thee for the great number of them gone to heaven, and for the continuance of piety, humility, concord, and peace, among them.

Also for all that by my writings have received any saving light and grace. O my God, let not my own heart be barren, while I labor in thy husbandry to bring others unto holy fruit! Let me not be a stranger to the life and power of that saving truth, which I have done do much to communicate to others! O let not my own words and writings condemn me, as void of that divine and heavenly nature and life, which I have said so much of in the world!”

-From Dying Thoughts by Richard Baxter  First Published in 1683  Published by The Banner of Truth Trust  Carlisle, PA  2004.