Book of Jeremiah
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William Gurnall writes in His Treatise, "Many Mock Righteousness," about the traits of the mocker and what God has in store for such people. While sincerity is the stamp of one who is truly seeking the LORD, mockery is the stamp of those who despise the LORD and His servants. What I perceive about mockers is that they are the twin of the hypocrite. The trouble for this brand of sinner is that they are soon discovered by their response to holiness. William Gurnall said, The very hint of holiness works up such a strong opposition inside the person that it causes him to vomit out the gall and bitterness of his spirit against it. - end quote
The Word of God also reveals a time when such ones will be discovered.
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isaiah 33:14
Many Mock Righteousness by William Gurnall
Some men are so far removed from being holy themselves that they ridicule those who are. These think the breastplate of righteousness is so foolish that they laughingly point to the saint that wears it in his daily behavior: "Look! There goes a holy brother, one of the pure ones!" But their mocking language does more than scorn the saint's holiness - it betrays the wickedness of their own hearts.
A further degree of ungodliness appears in mocking the holiness of another person rather than only harboring unholiness in oneself. How desperately wicked is that man who not only refuses partake in the divine nature himself but cannot bear the sight of others choosing to following the holiness of Christ. The very hint of holiness works up such a strong opposition inside the person it causes him to vomit out the bitterness and gall of his own spirit against it.
God reserves the chair for this kind of sinner and seats him above all his brethren in iniquity. Blessed is the man that walked not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). In this case the scorner is set as chairman at the counsel of sinners.
Some read the word scornful as "rhetorical mockers," for there indeed a devilish cleverness in some of these jeerers. Such scorners take pride in polishing the darts they shoot against the saints. The Septuagint translates the phrase as "the chair of the pestilent ones." As the plague is the most deadly of diseases, so is the spirit of scorning among sins.
Very few recover from this sin, for the Bible speaks of sinners almost synonymously with the dead. God warns us not to waste our healing balm of reproof - "reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee" (Proverbs 9:8).
All we can do is write, "Lord, have mercy" on his door - pray for him, but do not try to reason with him.
William Gurnall -- The Christian in Complete Armour
(read more from William Gurnall on the link above)
The Word of God also reveals a time when such ones will be discovered.
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isaiah 33:14
Many Mock Righteousness by William Gurnall
Some men are so far removed from being holy themselves that they ridicule those who are. These think the breastplate of righteousness is so foolish that they laughingly point to the saint that wears it in his daily behavior: "Look! There goes a holy brother, one of the pure ones!" But their mocking language does more than scorn the saint's holiness - it betrays the wickedness of their own hearts.
A further degree of ungodliness appears in mocking the holiness of another person rather than only harboring unholiness in oneself. How desperately wicked is that man who not only refuses partake in the divine nature himself but cannot bear the sight of others choosing to following the holiness of Christ. The very hint of holiness works up such a strong opposition inside the person it causes him to vomit out the bitterness and gall of his own spirit against it.
God reserves the chair for this kind of sinner and seats him above all his brethren in iniquity. Blessed is the man that walked not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). In this case the scorner is set as chairman at the counsel of sinners.
Some read the word scornful as "rhetorical mockers," for there indeed a devilish cleverness in some of these jeerers. Such scorners take pride in polishing the darts they shoot against the saints. The Septuagint translates the phrase as "the chair of the pestilent ones." As the plague is the most deadly of diseases, so is the spirit of scorning among sins.
Very few recover from this sin, for the Bible speaks of sinners almost synonymously with the dead. God warns us not to waste our healing balm of reproof - "reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee" (Proverbs 9:8).
All we can do is write, "Lord, have mercy" on his door - pray for him, but do not try to reason with him.
William Gurnall -- The Christian in Complete Armour
(read more from William Gurnall on the link above)