I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.I haven’t obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
3 sermons cite this verse
The devil has not only a great speculative knowledge, but he has a sense of many divine things, which deeply affects him, and is most strongly impressed on his heart. As, 1. The devils and damned souls have a great sense of the vast importance of the things of another world. They are in the invisible world, and they see and know how great the things of that world are: their experience teaches them in the most affecting manner. They have a great sense of the worth of salvation, and the worth of immortal souls, and the vast importance of those things that concern men’s eternal welfare. The parable in the latter end of the 16th chapter of Luke teaches this, in representing the rich man in hell, as entreating that Lazarus might be sent to his five brothers, to testify to them, lest they should come to that place of torment. They who endure the torments of hell have doubtless a most lively and affecting sense of the vastness of an endless eternity, and of the comparative momentariness of this life, and the vanity of the concerns and enjoyments of time.—They are convinced effectually, that all the things of this world, even those that appear greatest and most important to the inhabitants of the earth, are despicable trifles, in comparison of the things of the eternal world. They have a great sense of the preciousness of time, and of the means of grace, and the inestimable value of the privileges which they enjoy which live under the gospel. They are fully sensible of the folly of those that go on in sin; neglect their opportunities; make light of the counsels and warnings of God; and bitterly lament their exceeding folly in their own sins, by which they have brought on themselves so great and remediless misery. When sinners, by woeful experience, know the dreadful issue of their evil way, they will mourn at the last, saying, “How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof, and have not obeyed the voices of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!” Prov. iv. 11-13. …
… and my heart despised reproof, and I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me. One of these days, there'll be some of you sitting in this place today who say, why didn't I listen to the pastor? Why did I not listen to the Word of God? My dear friend, you were going to be so disappointed. You're going to live the life. You're going to say, this is the way to joy. This is the way to happiness. This is the way to fulfillment. But it is not. The living Bible translates this verse this way, oh, if I had only listened. Why wouldn't I take advice? People say, this is what liberates. It doesn't liberate. Sweden has an open society. They have been liberated sexually, but no nation has a higher suicide rate than Sweden does. Satan offers high wages, but he pays in counterfeit money. And there is that disappointment. You get what you want. You're not going to want what you get. And then number four, there's disgrace. Look if you will in verse 14, I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. What does that mean in plain English? The living Bible says, for now I must face public disgrace. You can only hide it so long. One of these days, sir, God is going to expose you. One of these days, young lady, your sin is going to be made known. …
Their bounds are unchangeably set, and when they are come to those bounds they must go, and must leave all their worldly good things. If they have lived in outward glory their glory shall not descend after them; they get nothing while they live that they can carry away. Eccles. v. 15. “As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.” He must leave all his substance unto others. It they are at ease and quietness, death will put an end to their quietness, will spoil all their carnal mirth, and will strip them of all their glory. As they came naked into the world, so naked must they return, and go as they came. If they have laid up much goods for many years, if they have laid in stores, as they hope, for great comfort and pleasure, death will cut them off from all. Luke xii. 16, &c. “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? and he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years: take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool! this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided.” If they have many designs and projects in their breasts for promoting their outward prosperity and worldly advantage, when death comes, it cuts all off at one blow. Psalm cxlvi. 4. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” And so whatever diligence they have had in seeking their salvation, death will disappoint all such diligence, it will not wait for them to accomplish their designs and fulfil their schemes. If they have pleased, and pampered, and adorned their bodies, death will spoil all their pleasure and their glory; it will change their countenances to a pale and ghastly aspect. Instead of their gay apparel and beautiful ornaments, they shall have only a winding-sheet; their house must be the dark and silent grave; and that body which they deified, shall turn to loathsome rottenness, shall be eaten of worms, and turn to dust. Some wicked men die in youth, wrath pursues them, and soon overtakes them; they are not suffered to live out half their days. Job xxxvi. 14. “They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.” Psalm lv. 23. “But thou, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days.” They are sometimes overtaken in the very midst of their sin and vanity; and death puts a sudden end to all their youthful pleasures. They are often stopped in the midst of a career in sin, and then if their hearts cleave ever so fast to those things, they must be rent from them; they have no other good but outward good; but then they must eternally forsake it, they must close their eyes for ever on all that has been dear and pleasant to them here. …