May the effort "to speak a word to him that is weary" be attended with the Divine blessing, and may many of God's tried and suffering ones realize in their hours of weakness, pain, and distress, the soothing, elevating, and strengthening power which lies in Christ.
If, through the blessing of the Eternal Spirit, this volume shall convey to any child of affliction one gleam of soothing and hope, it will impart additional sweetness to the dealings of our Heavenly Father, to whom all glory shall be ascribed, even to Him "who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted of God."
May grace be imparted to us to improve the various dealings of our Heavenly Father--that our hearts may be purified--our affections raised to the things which are above, and our earthly will brought into conformity with the will of God. May we be kept by faith ever looking up to Christ--dwelling in Him and He in us, so that "beholding, with open face, as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we all may be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
THE CHASTENING ROD
"Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects--therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty."--Job 5:17
Happiness! How little does the word mean when used in its ordinary sense! We generally esteem those happy who enjoy uninterrupted health, and are apt to imagine that all happiness is gone when they are laid on a bed of sickness. But it is not so. To many of God's children the time of sore trial has been a time of peace and joy--a time to which they have looked back with the deepest gratitude. Not that sickness is in itself desirable, but it is precious. In the buoyancy of health--when our sky is clear--our sun shining brilliantly--and our hearts are full of hope--oh, how prone are we to forget our true character of "strangers and pilgrims" here! how insidiously does the world entwine itself around our heart-strings! and how slowly do we advance in our heavenward journey. But when the sky is darkened, and the heavy clouds are rolling overhead--when we are laid prostrate--weak and helpless--then is it that we are brought to realize the frailty of our nature, and to become conscious of the truth that "this world is not our rest."
In the midst of our heedlessness, God summons us to an audience. He who knows the secrets of all hearts, has seen that within us which must be corrected. He has discovered us wandering, and He would bring us back. He has watched us paying our homage to the creature, and He would remind us of our duty to Him--the Creator. He has noticed the gradual yielding of the heart's affections to things "seen and temporal," and He would have us give more earnest heed to the things "unseen and eternal."
"Happy is the man whom God corrects." Yes, assuredly, because it is a proof that He cares for us. We are not left to wander on without a father's care, but when our steps are fast nearing dangerous ground, His hand of love is outstretched--when we are likely to stumble on the dark mountains, He points to the path of safety--when the siren voice is alluring us further and further away, He summons us back, and Himself condescends to become our Guide. But He will not commune with us in the midst of our heedlessness and folly. He must first draw us aside--away from the scenes in which we foolishly delighted, away from the companions who were making us as worldly as themselves--away even from our daily occupation--He would have us be alone with Him.
We are laid on a sick-bed--health vanishes like a dream, friends begin to look anxious--and we are made to pass through days and nights of weariness and pain. All nature wears a gloom around us. The sun still shines, but, for us, he is draped in sadness--the flowers still bloom, but we cannot enjoy their fragrance--the seasons change, but they seem ever tending towards dreary winter.
This is the trial-time of sickness. There is much to be endured--much to be struggled against. Hard thoughts enter into the soul--tempting, sinful, unholy thoughts--which would lead us to question God's goodness and mercy--as if He took delight in the sufferings and sorrows of men.
At such a time there is little peace or comfort--and often those who wish to advise and comfort come too soon. We cannot, as yet, feel that "all is well;"--we are not, as yet, happy in being corrected. They would have us at once "be of good cheer," but it may not be.
And, methinks, God does not intend we should. We must be brought to solemn thought--to heart-searching--to earnest, importunate prayer. The love of the world must be weakened, the cords which knit our heart-strings must be snapped asunder, the longings for earth's giddy joys must be driven from the soul, before we can have the "happiness" of a corrected child. But when again we turn "with our whole heart to the Lord," feeling not only that it is a "Father's hand" which has been laid on us, but that that "Father" desires by this correction to draw us more closely to Himself, then does He impart His promised peace; then does He give strength to bear meekly the burden laid upon us; and then, above all, is the blessed assurance realized, "Fear not, I am still with you--I will not leave you nor forsake you."
Oh! who shall say that the "chastening time" is not a precious one when such is the blessed result? who will for a moment doubt the happiness of the tried one when thus "the light of his Father's countenance has been lifted up," and the Lord has "strengthened him upon the bed of languishing?"
Fellow-sufferers! we may not all of us have realized this blessed condition as ours--we may be still under the cloud--as yet the struggle may be only going on. Let us not give way to despair. Let us hope on, let us pray for grace to see God's hand in our sickness, to acknowledge that "in faithfulness He has afflicted us," and to learn those lessons He designs to teach us. Let us wait on the Lord. He will not long delay His coming. In some blessed way He will answer us. If He withholds the blessing of health, He will give the more precious one of His own presence. If He sees fit to continue our pain and suffering, He will impart strength equal to bear them. If He prolongs the time of bodily weakness, He will convey to the soul spiritual nourishment, and "strengthen us with all might in the inner man."
Father of mercies, and God of all comfort to whom belong the issues of life and death, look down with compassion upon Your frail and afflicted servant. Oh, enable me to acknowledge the mercy of Your dispensations, and, without murmuring or doubting, to accept all things as coming from You. Give me strength against all my temptations, and patience under all my sufferings. In the midst of all my fears and anxieties, I would give You thanks for Your sparing mercy. I have grievously sinned, O Lord, and merit Your hot displeasure. But I would cast myself wholly upon Your mercy in Christ Jesus. Oh, hear me in the day of trouble. Send help from Your sanctuary, and strengthen me from Zion. Give me grace, O Lord, in remembrance of Your past loving-kindness, so to trust in Your goodness, to submit to Your wisdom, and meekly to bear what You think fit to lay upon me, that I may be brought to say at the last, "It was good for me that I was afflicted." Grant this measure of grace unto Your servant for Your Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
"Your way is in the sea, and Your path in the great water, and Your footsteps are not known."--Psalms 77:19
