Joel 3:21

REFLECTIONS

READER! every part of God's word comes in to support the blessed but solemn prophecies contained in this Chapter; when, the Lord shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe, he will come no less to take out of his kingdom all things that offend. That day will burn as an oven, when all the proud, yea, all that do wickedly will be as stubble, and consumed both root and branch. But to the redeemed, Jesus will arise as the sun of righteousness, with, healing in his wings.

My unawakened brother, in our common fallen nature (if peradventure this Commentary should come within your observation) will you suffer me to ask, have you ever duly pondered these things? Have you solemnly thought, equal to the importance of the subject, what you will do, or say, when the Lord shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem? If, in that dreadful day of God, the heavens and the earth shall shake, can the unregenerated, unpardoned sinner, hope to stand in confidence? Is it not important to ask after the way of safety, and to enquire how to escape the wrath to come? If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Ye people of the Lord! Ye that are followers of Jesus in the regeneration; take to yourselves the sweet promises and rich consolations of this most blessed scripture. Your Jesus is coming, and will come to save you. Hear what he saith, and take to yourselves the full comfort of it. You. shall know, Jesus saith, that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion! You shall enjoy his presence, hear his voice, sit with him on his throne. Jerusalem shall then be holy, and be so forever. Then no more strangers shall pass through. No more the Canaanite shall be in the land. No longer the remains of indwelling corruption shall vex the soul; nor the temptations of Satan, or the persecutors of the world afflict. Jesus will have taken away all the remains, and have cleansed all the blood of his people that had not been cleansed. And He will be their joy, their hope, their glory, their portion forever! Amen.

Farewell Joel! servant of our gracious God! farewell until that blessed day when thou, and all the Lord's heritage, come to enjoy the fulfilment of thy prophecies, and enjoy them forever. Thanks for thy ministry, in the short, but precious gospel truths thou hast from thy master, the Lord God of the Prophets, here given us. It is thine honor thus to have been employed, while it is the Church's happiness, to be thus ministered unto. But, blessed forever, blessed be the Lord who hath sent thee with his message! Precious Jesus! give both to him that writes, and to him that reads, grace to improve by thy servant's labors; that that blessedness may be in the lot of both, who hear and keep the words of our God, as the time for the accomplishment draweth nearer. Amen.