Psalms 107:10-13. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the most High: therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
These were prisoners in a prison where they were forged to work, and where they found no rest. A picture of a dark soul - a soul over which death spread his dragon-wings. You know what it means to be brought into spiritual death - to feel the chill of spiritual death even to your very marrow, paralyzing you, and binding all your hopes in everlasting frost, do you not? Have you been in dread of the wrath to come? Have you set to work to redeem yourselves, and toiled like slaves, but toiled in vain? Has your heart been brought down from your high notions, and your proud desires, and your boastings, and your loftinesses? Then is fulfilled in you the words of this text - "Therefore he brought down their heart with labour: they fell down, and there was none to help." "Then," but not till then, - "then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses." Proud hearts will not pray. When a man can help himself, he will not cry to God. As long as he has any hope left within the compass of his nature, he will not turn to the God who made him. But what a blessed despair that is which drives us to God! It is like the wave that sweeps the mariner up on to the rook where he is safe. May such a wave of despair catch some of us, and hurl us into safety! They cried and he saved them.
Psalms 107:10-13. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the most High: therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
These were prisoners in a prison where they were forged to work, and where they found no rest. A picture of a dark soul - a soul over which death spread his dragon-wings. You know what it means to be brought into spiritual death - to feel the chill of spiritual death even to your very marrow, paralyzing you, and binding all your hopes in everlasting frost, do you not? Have you been in dread of the wrath to come? Have you set to work to redeem yourselves, and toiled like slaves, but toiled in vain? Has your heart been brought down from your high notions, and your proud desires, and your boastings, and your loftinesses? Then is fulfilled in you the words of this text - "Therefore he brought down their heart with labour: they fell down, and there was none to help." "Then," but not till then, - "then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses." Proud hearts will not pray. When a man can help himself, he will not cry to God. As long as he has any hope left within the compass of his nature, he will not turn to the God who made him. But what a blessed despair that is which drives us to God! It is like the wave that sweeps the mariner up on to the rook where he is safe. May such a wave of despair catch some of us, and hurl us into safety! They cried and he saved them.