1999-11-09 - Port's Faithful Shepherd, Chapter 9

Continued from 1999-11-02

Psalm 135:6,7 "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings forth the wind from His treasuries."

"Get a public spirit to mind things of Jesus Christ, as rationally as if they were your own things, Philippians 2:30,31. Look on the things of others and prefer the saints welfare before your chiefest joy, Psalm 137:5,6, and the Gospels liberty before your own, as Paul did Acts 21:13. To mourn for the sins of the times, as the godly saints did in Ezekiel 9:4, especially lay to heart …

3. The signs of the times, which Hypocrites cannot discern, though they be completely written in the face of the sky. The sad symptoms and pre-signs of approaching judgments, as these seven following signify.
   1. The commonness of sin, for all sorts transgress, in all kinds of open sinfulness, with a high hand against light and nature, and means of grace, Genesis 15:15, Ezekiel 12:3, 22:4.

   2. Contempt of God's ordinances, abuse of His minsters, 2 Chronicles 36:16.

   3. The departure of God's glory from his house of worship, Ezekiel 9:3.

   4. The failure to understand and see when God brings judgments upon us, Leviticus 26:15.

   5. The death of many righteous men, Isaiah 57:1. The carrying away of others into hiding places.

   6. The vials of God's wrath poured upon churches in foreign lands, Jeremiah 17:12,14.

   7. An inundation of spiritual judgments, as a spirit of error, apostasy, superstition, and others. These commonly conclude and end in temporal plagues, Isaiah 6:10,11.

Now O Christian! The Holy Ghost is a public spirit breathing and acting in all the members of the body mystical, pray for it, Luke 11:13, believe for it, Galatians 3:14." Robert Port

If you are really concerned about the coming Y2K experience, don't read more into this than is really there. This was written in 1655.

Of late I have been struck by the public nature of several "Christian" tragedies. Christians, probably not knowing they would stir up such emotion in others, have died and their funerals have been broadcast all over the world. The gospel has been presented at these services to anyone watching. I'm not calling these deaths God's judgment, but rather emphasizing what Port has ended with, that the Holy Spirit is a "public spirit." The Spirit seems to be extra public of late.

I'm not saying we are living under God's judgment because of these unfortunate incidents. But Port has presented us all with a wonderful, Biblical outline of several indicators of being chastened by God due to His displeasure (Psalm 94:12). These are things worth considering and remembering.

The application is simple for us all. Let not, as Port says, the "sins of the times" be our sins. Let us rise up to our holy calling in Christ and live above the base things of the world and serve faithfully our Lord Jesus Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

brutefact@hotmail.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org

God's Faithful Shepherd by Port has been reprinted. If you would like a copy of this work printed with another of his works titled A Holy Alphabet, please send email to: brutefact@hotmail.com. You will receive information about how to obtain a copy of these works by return mail.