BY THE LATE REV. JOHN ROSS, BRUCEFIELD, ONTARIO.
“And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust” (Ps. lxxviii. 18).
IT is the very nature of lust, of every lust, to ask meat for itself. It wants food. Every lust is hungry and it wants its belly filled. It is importunate for this. It will plead for it, weep for it, murmur and rage for it. It would stone to death anyone who may come between itself and the food which it wants. The lust of pride, the lust of malice and revenge, the lust of wealth and power, the lust of uncleanness. All these want meat, and they are as impatient for it as a hungry belly is for food. To ask meat for our lusts is to be tempting God. (1) For we are made to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever, and whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we should do all to the glory of God. (2) We should cherish gratitude to God for what He bestows upon us. (3) We should learn to be content with such things as we have. (4) We ought to be applying ourselves diligently to the discharge of the duties which we owe to God and man. If instead of doing these things, we are asking meat for our lusts, do we not tempt God? (5) All that God bestows upon us He does to make Himself known to us as good and bountiful and long-suffering that He may call us back to Himself as the source of happiness. He would have you follow hard after Himself—feel after Him if haply you might find Him. He would have the whole desire and strength and ardour and love of your soul go forth in love to Himself. Is it not tempting God to find you bent only on asking meat for your lusts? Can He but be displeased with you? Can you think it to be an indifferent matter to Him how you act in such a case? The meat of lust chosen rather than God and then to ask that meat of Him. I will not have Thee, but give me this piece of meat for my lust. The love of Christ which passeth knowledge you wont have, but you must have the love of this man—the love of this woman—nothing else can make you happy, and if you do not get it all things are gone awry, and nothing will comfort you. You tempt God in your heart by thus asking meat for your lust. Can He be but grieved at the choice which He sees your heart is making? Can He but be jealous at the strength and life with which your heart goes out after meat for your lusts, and the feebleness, langour and reluctance with which it turns to Himself? Are you not tempting God? Are you not tempting Him to give you that piece of meat for your lust—to give you what you desire, but to send leanness to your soul? Are you not tempting Him to say, “He is joined to his idols, let him alone?” Are you not tempting Him to give you up to your lusts? “My chosen Israel would have none of Me, so to the lust of their own hearts I them delivered.”