though he would say: Ye may not do nor leave undone this thing for
the sake of men, but ye ought to humble yourselves under the hand of
God. God's hand is powerful and mighty in a twofold respect: It
dashes down and overthrows the proud and self-secure, however hard
and iron their heads and hearts may be. They must languish in dust
and ashes; yea, must lie despondent and desperate in the anguish and
torments of hell, if he touch them but a little with the terrors of
his anger. These are experiences through which the saints also pass,
and concerning whose severity they make lamentation. "For thine
arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no
soundness in my flesh because of thine indignation," Ps 38, 2-3. "For
I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.
Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast taken me
up, and cast me away," Ps 102, 9-10. "I am consumed by the blow of
thy hand. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou
makest his beauty to consume away like a moth," Ps 39, 10-11.

THE REWARD OF HUMILITY.

26. In the second place, God's hand is mighty to raise, to comfort
and strengthen the humbled and the fearful, and, as Peter says here,
to exalt them. Those who in terror have been cast down should not,
therefore, despair, or flee before God, but rise again, and be
comforted in God. God wants it preached and published that he never
lays his hand upon us in order that we may perish and be damned. But
he must pursue this course in order to lead us to repentance;
otherwise we would never inquire about his Word and will. And if we
seek grace, he is ready to help us up again, to grant us forgiveness
of sins, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. The Psalms and the
Prophets here and there speak of this. "Jehovah hath chastened me
sore; but he hath not given me over unto death," Ps 118, 18. "Jehovah
raiseth up them that are bowed down," Ps 146, 8.

27. God will "exalt you in due time," says Peter. Though God's help
be delayed, and the humbled and suffering seem to lie oppressed all
too long under God's hand, and on that account to languish,
nevertheless, let them hold to the promise Paul has given: God "will
not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able," 1 Cor 10, 13,
but he will hear your cry, and will, at the right time, help; and
with this let them be comforted. But again, let the proud fear, even
though he permit them to go unpunished