The list below is by John Bunyan, from his book "The Acceptable Sacrifice" a short treatise on Psalm 51, on what it means to have a broken and contrite heart.
- 1) MAN is DEAD and must be QUICKENED.
- 2) Man is a FOOL, and must be made WISE.
- 3) MAN is PROUD, and must be HUMBLED.
- 4) Man is SELF-WILLED and must be BROKEN.
- 5) MAN is FEARLESS, and must be made to CONSIDER.
- 6) MAN is a FALSE BELIEVER, and must be RECTIFIED.
- 7) MAN is LOVER OF SIN, and must be WEANED from it.
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MAN DISRELISHES THE THINGS OF GOD, and can take no savor in them until HIS HEART IS BROKEN.
I can testify to the above first-hand having been the fool who for a while, was all of the above, some time ago, And now the cry of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3 seems to continually be on my lips. I don’t intend to say any more about my own particular foolishness, as most long-term readers will already know.
3:1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; 2 he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; 3 surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long. 4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away; he has broken my bones; 5 he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; 6 he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago. 7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy; 8 though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; 9 he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked.
But as I go on my way, I see other fools. Much longer term fools who have never exhibited anything else besides foolishness in the big picture. I was thinking the weekend, as I writhed about my bed in agony of body, if those who mocked and slandered me by calling me a liar and a hypocondriach, if I should ever wish similar upon them, or if that would be a sinful thing to do. We all die once, and most are ill before death, its very rare death is sudden, though it obviously happens. Will they think of me when there time comes, and the way they mocked and slandered someone who isn’t dying in the normal quick bang fire way, yet has that degree of illness? That I lived too long for them to take me seriously? Well, I wasn’t prepared to wish that on them, as it felt wrong. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. But a heart rightly broken? Yes, after having been the fool for a while who took they path they have chosen continuously, yes, I wish them a heart rightly broken. And this post isn’t just addressing those individuals who slandered me, but any who take such a light view of sin who happen by. As I am the fool who has seen affliction, beyond and above most usual means, and it was only having a heart rightly broken, that made me start to fear sin and by consquence, also God. It was the brokenness and torments of conscience, that changed something within me, to turn my back on the folly of earlier. The tears that seem to go unheard and unseen, and the brokenness that often continues, even when on the right path, are constant reminders. As David said, His sin was forever before him, (Psalm 51:3) and that seems to be the case for me too. I think the folly that comes from the proud, stubborn self-will, lord of our heart that Bunyan speaks of, is probably the truest madness I know. I’m not meaning the type of madness where the psyche world comes in and takes care of you, or at least they often unfortunately do, and then you can continue to excuse your sin by giving it a mental health label and so make it respectable. Those who were slandering me a week or so ago, both have mental health diagnoses, both of which their so called symptoms are often nothing besides manifestations of spiritual sickness. And from their behaviour towards me, (and others by one of them in former times) I would say this has been again confirmed. Depressive states are often a symptom of our sick souls, and how we are spiritually blind. Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, did a very good series on this very subject, and I agreed mostly with what he had to say on it. Yet even amongst Christendom, we excuse sin by letting the mental health lablels that have no foundation in God’s Word excuse sin we see, rather than calling it what it is. There "symptoms" will often manifest feelings of pity for the individual involved and so we over-look their sin to cater to their feelings. I am not saying there is never physical causes for depressive illnesses, I know this only too well myself from my dark place. A brain full of toxins is enough to make anyone depressed now and then, and there are often other aggravating factors. No neurological illness doesn’t have depression as a symptom. So, I seem to be blighted all the way around as far as not experiencing my dark place. Yet previously, despite all the mental health labels I had, I have never once been diagnosed as depressed. Its against the core of my nature which is what makes it so hard to endure. As its totally alien to me.
However, to get back on tack, the foolishness of man’s heart, when having no fear of God, a broken heart can and will cure. And so, I hope those who have maligned, mocked and slandered me, (and others who have similar folly and such a light view of sin) have their heart rightly broken. As without it, they are on the wrong path so continuously, chances are they will never got off it, unless there heart be rightly broken by God. If God doesn’t break their hearts, then its a sure sign that He doesn’t have a Father’s love for them. So, I hope for their sake, He does.
A few choice Excerpts from Bunyan’s book:
A wild man or mad man, let him alone and he will greatly busy himself all his life to accomplish that which when it is completed, amounts to nothing: The work, the toil, the travail of such a one comes to nothing, save to declare that he was out of his wits that did it. David, imitating of such a one, scrabbled upon the gate of the king, as fools do with chalk; and like to this is all the work of all carnal men in the world. (1 Sam 21:12-13). Hence, such a one is said to labour for the wind, or for what will amount to no more than if he filled his belly with the East wind. (Eccles 5:16; Job 15:2;)
Thou lovest thy sin, and neither rod nor good words will yet reclaim thee. Well, take heed; if thou wilt not be reclaimed, God will make thee a posset of them, which shall be so bitter to thy soul, so irksome to thy taste, so loathesome to thy mind, and so afflicting to thy heart, that it shall break it with sickness and grief, till it be loathsome to thee. I say thus will he do it if he loves thee; if not, he will suffer thee to take thy course and will let thee go on.
There is a fear of man, fear of losing his favour, his love, his good-will, his friendship. But come now to God; why none fear him, that is by nature, none reverence him; thy neither fear his frowns, nor seek his favour, nor enquire how they may escape his revenging hand that is lifted up against their sins, and their souls because of sin. Little things they fear of losing them, but the soul they are not afraid to lose.
I don’t think we should be surprised by man’s cruelty and inconsideration to others. As mostly it only happens when they are prepared to be cruelest of all to their own souls.
