Ever Look to JESUS

"Remember Lot's wife." —Luke 17:32 [KJV]

It may do a disciple much good, it can do him no harm, to call to mind the judgments of his God. Hence he may learn from others' harm to be more wise and wary. If he sees professors fall away, it teaches him to take heed; it tends to lay him low in humility at the feet of Jesus, and excites gratitude and love in his heart, and makes him cry out in astonishment, Why am I not fallen! How am I kept! "Glory to grace!" 

It is well, O believer, ever to remember thou standest by faith; "Be not high minded, but fear." O, fear to look back with a wishful eye, or a lusting heart, to the sinful vanities of a carnal world. Remember Lot's wife. What of her? She loitered; she did not keep up with her husband; she was behind him. So, soul; if thou dost loiter, and not keep close with Jesus thy Husband, thou wilt be in danger. "She looked back from behind him." Here was an act of folly, unbelief, and disobedience: folly, in thinking, as she was behind Lot, he could not see her look back. Unbelief, in not stedfastly crediting God's word. Disobedience, in looking back to Sodom, contrary to His word, instead of looking forward, and up to the Lord. 

O soul, forget not Jesus sees the looks of thy heart if they are to this perishing world. He sees the unbelief of thy heart, if thou forgetest Him, and lookest to any thing but Him for happiness. He will punish disobedience to His voice, "follow Me." "She became a pillar of salt."—Genesis 19:26. A lasting monument of God's judgment. Though we never see this pillar of salt, yet we may see such every day. How many seem to turn their backs upon the world, and escape to Jesus, but their eyes look again to it. Looking begets longing; their feet are again entangled in its snares, their hearts bewitched with its smiles, they are hugged to death in the world's embraces, and become as a pillar of salt: a monument of God's judgment upon their conduct. 

It is supposed Lot's wife retained her natural shape in this pillar: so in such professors there is all the appearance of the form of religion kept up; but the heart, the spirit, the life and power of it, are entirely extinct in their souls. Their very hearts are given up to the world, and are as cold and as dead to God as Lot's wife, when she became a pillar of salt, was to the things of this life. The eye is a great inlet to temptation. Saints have woefully experienced this! David did. He saw; then he longed after enjoyment. 

O believer, Jesus is thy object. Here looking may beget love and longing, without danger of hurt; yea, with the greatest certainty of good to thy soul. Ever look to Jesus, remember Him; so wilt thou, with Paul, "forget the things that are behind, and press toward the mark of the prize of thy high calling in HIM. Thou hast escaped for thy life." It is the command of thy God, in love to thy soul, "Look not behind thee."

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)