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##### Counsel Four: Get the Breach between God and Your Souls Closed Up

{Since the Heavenly Trade Is the Best Trade…

Exhortation and Counsel to Earthly Traders

Counsel Four: Get the Breach between God and Your Souls Closed Up}

Fourth, If God has made breaches in your commerce, get the breach between God and your soul closed up. “Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed” (Hosea 4:1–2 NASB). There is a division between God and a sinning people, and such are we. Sinners contend with God, and God, by afflictions, contends with them. And until this division is healed, there is no peace. “And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins” (Leviticus 26:23–24 NKJV). Hear the word of the Lord. Lay this to heart: those who strive with God will perish. There is no contending with God; we must bow or break, return or be ruined. “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil” (Isaiah 1:16 ESV). Get your sins washed away by sound repentance. Get the benefit of Christ’s blood by saving faith. Set upon a thorough reformation, personal, family, and public according to your station in life. Carry away the uncleanness of your heart, hands, house, and land to the Kidron valley (2 Chronicles 29:16).1246 If you want to enjoy mercies on your commerce, remove sin from your business affairs. Let every man take his censer1247 and stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30)1248 and pour out strong cries that the Lord would be merciful again, that the Lord would cease from His fierce wrath and turn again and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14),1249 bless our substance, accept the work of our hands (Deuteronomy 33:11),1250 and dwell in our land.

1246“So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the Lord they brought out to the court of the house of the Lord. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valley” (2 Chronicles 29:16 NASB).

1247censer: a container in which to burn incense.

1248“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none” (Ezekiel 22:30 ESV).

1249“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV).

1250“O Lord, bless his substance, And accept the work of his hands; Shatter the loins of those who rise up against him, And those who hate him, so that they will not rise again” (Deuteronomy 33:11 NASB).

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