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Copyrighted , 1 896 , byH EN RY A LTEMU
S .
“N C R ESS
H E N RY A LTEMUS ,M A N UF A CTU
R ER ,
PH ILA DELPH IA .
IT is the purpose of this volume to set
before the bel iever some of the gracious
prom i ses of God ’s Word,and to suggest
some thoughts which may prove consola
tory a nd encouraging to the Christian p i l
grim,as he journeys onward to his heavenly
home .
May the Divine bless ing attend an earnest
and humble effort to m inister comfort to the
downcast,strength to the weak
,a nd courage
to those who have set thei r faces ! ionward !
J . A . M .
CONTENTS .
PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEYPROMISED B LESS INGSTH E B ow IN THE CLOUDDUTY AND INTERESTGUARDIANSH IPJEHOVAHCONTENTMENTD ILIGENCEDAILY STRENGTHPROGRESSA SSURANCECAREFULNESSA BIDING W ITH GODGRATITUDEPRAYERD IVINE TEACH IN GFIDELITYGOD’S PRESENCER EST
PREPARAT ION FOR TH E
JOURNEY.
PSALM lxxx iv . I I .
The Lord God i s a sun a nd Sh ie ld : the Lord w ill glvegrace a nd glory : no good thing w il l he withholdfrom them that walk uprightly .”
ECCL . V111 . 1 2 .
Sure ly I know that it shall be wel l with them that fea rGod
,which fear before him .
”
IS A . iii . IO .
Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him .
PROV . xxi . 2 1 .
H e that followe th after righteousness a nd mercy,find
eth life , righteousness, a nd honor .”
PSALM xxiii . 6 .
Surely goodness a nd mercy shall fol low me all thedays Of my life .
”
PHILIP . IV .
My God shall supply all your need according to hisriches i n glory by Christ Jesus .”
( 10)
THE PATHWAY OF PROMISE.
PREPARATION FOR TH E JOURNEY .
GEN . xxviii . 20, 2 1 .
A nd Jacob vowed a vow ,saying, if God will be with
me,a nd will keep me i n this way that I . go
,a nd will
give me bread to ea t, a nd raiment to put on , so thatI come again to my father ’s house in peace , thenshall the Lord be my God .
”
HEN he uttered these words,the
patriarch was a sol itary,friendless
ex i le . He had left h is father ’s home,— his
heart b ig with sorrow,a nd his eyes suffused
with tears . The path of life,al l dark a nd
uncertain,lay before h im
,a nd the close Of
h is first day ’s j ou rney found him weary a ndben ighted
,with no better accommodation
than the cold earth for a bed,a nd a stone
for h is pil low . More than 400 miles Of wi ldand inhospitable deserts were to be traversed
,
a nd he was‘qu ite uncertain what receptionhe might meet with at Haran . Most wisely
,
therefore,did he resolve to enter into cove
nant with God,a nd suppl icate the D ivine
(1 1 )
fl
1 2 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PR OM ISE .
protection a nd bless ing at the outset Of hisj ourney . H is desires were moderate
,h is
wishes few !“ to be kept in the way
,
“ to have bread to eat a nd raiment to puton
,
”— these were the requests he humbly
preferred when erecting the remembrancestone at Bethel .What a su itable preparation for his j our
ney ! Reader , have you thus besought theDivine ble ss ing P— have you thus covena nted with God
,a nd ded icated yourself to
H im You have’
ente red on your pilgrimage
,-a n unknown path l i es before you ! are
you sti l l a travel ler through the desert Ofthe world without a Gu ide P— j ourneyingyou know not whither
,with no Friend to
keep you“
in the way ”no
“ covenant ”
blessings,which alone are worth possessing .
Oh,th ink how i t fared with Jacob . He
trusted God . H e entered on a long a nd
painfu l course O f discipl ine,
— dark cloudsgathered round him
,
— the storm a nd tempest beat
,
—he passed through years Ofm ingled j oy a nd sorrow
,
—he cou ld S ing Of“ mercy a nd Of j udgment
,— was he d isa p
pointed in the end Listen to his langua ge,
when,once more return ing
,with joy a nd
PREPAR A TI ON FOR TH E jOUR N E Y. I3
gladness,to his native plains
,a nd pitching
his tent in security a nd peace,
0 God Ofmy father Abraham a nd God Of my fatherIsaac
,the Lord which saidst unto me
,Return
unto thy country,a nd to thy kindred
,a nd I
wil l deal we l l with thee ! I am not worthyO f the least Of al l the me rcies a nd O f al l thetruth which thou hast showed unto thy ser
vant ! for with my staff I passed over thisJordan
,a nd now I am become two bands .
”
From the days Of his youth he had been a n
exi le from his father ’s house,
-his best yearshad been Spent in a strange land
,amid toi l
a nd hardship . But we find h im now,at the
end Of twenty years once more within S ightof his native land . There
,by h is S ide
,
rolls the river,once SO famil iar to h is eye
,
— there l ie the plains a nd the hi l ls,ove r
which,when a boy
,he had SO Often roamed
,
a nd what is his testimony ? Dwel ls he on
the ye a rs'
of bitterness a nd to i l that haverolled over h im
,S ince last he cl imbed these
h i lls,a nd wandered by th is stream P Have
the terms Of the Bethel covenant remainedunfulfil led ? a nd does he th ink with regretUpon h is chequered pathway P Ah
,no not
a word Of complain ing is heard ! not a feel
14 TH E PA THWA Y OP PR OMISE.
ing O f dissatisfaction finds place in h is sou l— the faithfulness
,the care
,the love Of his
covenant God,
— the b less ings strewed so
profusely on his pathway,
—are al l he cannow think O f. He Speaks Of noth ing else .
“ Wi th my staff,he says
,
“ a poor,friend
less,destitute wanderer
,I left my paternal
home . Wel l do I remember th is flowingstream . Wel l do I recol lect the
'
time whenlast I crossed it
,my staff my only support
,
a nd almost my only prope rty . But now,
how a ltered are my circumstances — Oh !
the unerring faithfu lness,
— the amazing goodness a nd mercy Of my God —
“I am be
come two bands ! I have flocks a nd herds,
men-servants a nd women-servants ! the out
cast has become a prince ! God ’s promiseis fu lfil led . He has kept
”
me by the w a y ,
a nd there fore I have prospered .
” “ I amwith thee
,
” was the Bethel promise,
a nd
will bring thee again into th is land .
” Truthhas accomplished what mercy covenanted .
Reade r ! God ’s se rvants have ever foundHim faithful to H is word . He cannot denyHimse lf. That covenant has never beenbroken on His part. However chequeredmay have been thei r h istory
,l ike Jacob
,
PR EPAR ATI ON FOR TH E jOUR N E Y. 1 5
they have at length had reason to declare,
I have never been forsaken,— the Lord has
never left me .
”A nd why P He is ever the
same. Has He said,H e wil l never leave
His people nor forsake them i’ the word Hehas spoken must be fulfil led . Heaven a nd
earth may pass away,but not one jot or
tittle which He hath spoken shal l pass unti lal l be fulfil led . Enter
,then
,into cove
nant with God . Take H im as you r Gu ideby the way
,
”a nd you too wi l l one day be
able to say,He promised to keep me
,
a nd He has kept me . He said,He wou ld
strengthen me in the hou r Of trial,a nd H e
has strengthened me . He said,H e would
be a present help in trouble,a nd in trouble
He has been my help . He told me,i f I
would acknowledge H im in al l my ways,
He wou ld di rect my paths,a nd He has di
rected them . He said,He would be my
refuge in storms,a nd
,when storms have
assai led me,He has been my refuge . Though
heart a nd flesh Shou ld faint a nd fai l me,the
Lord wil l be the strength O f my heart,a nd
my portion for ever.”
Reader ! let th is be your prayer : O
1 6 TH E PA THWA Y OF PR OMISE.
God,the Strength of the needy , the Helper
o f al l them that flee to Thee for succor,
vouchsafe to be my Guide in l ife . Pourupon me the ri ches O f Thy Grace
,a nd SO
sanctify a nd bless me,that I may serve
Thee henceforth in body a nd soul,a nd l ive
in Thy holy love a nd fear unto my life ’send .
”
Our night may be a starless night,Our path a tangled maz e !But yet, our eyes Shall soon beholdThe morning ’ s golden blaz e !
! eeping our gaz e upon the East ,Leaving the night behind ,
With the will to find the light increasedA nd strengthen
’d in our mind !The sun shall rise
, the g loom depart,Lost in the strength of day ,
For earnest love a nd trustful heartA re sure to find a way .
DEUT . vn . 9 .
! now therefore that the Lord thy God, he 15 God
, the
faithful God , which keepe th covenant a nd mercywith them that love him a nd keep his commandments, to a thousand generations .”
N UMB . xxiii . 1 9 .
God is not a ma n ,that he should lie ! neither the son
of ma n,that he should repent ! hath he said , a nd
shall he not do it ? or hath he Spoken ,a nd shall
he not make it good
JOSH . xxiii . I4 .
A nd , behold , this day I am going the way of a ll theearth ! a nd ye know in all your hearts, a nd in allyour souls
,that not one thing hath failed of all the
good things which the Lord your God spake con
cerning you ! all a re come to pass unto you , a ndnot one thing hath failed thereof.”
PSALM xviii . 30 .
A s for God,his way is perfect the word of the Lord
is tried ! he is a buckler to a llthose that trust in him .
PSALM cxix . 89 , 90 .
For ever, 0 Lord , thy word is settled in heaven ,Thy
faithfulness is unto all generations : thou hast established the earth , a nd it abideth .
”
H EB . x . 23.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith w ithoutwavering ! (for he is faithful that promised .)
PROMISED B LESSINGS .
GEN . viii . 22 .
While the earth remaineth , seed-time a nd harvest , colda nd heat, a nd summer a nd winter, a nd day a nd night,sha llnot cease .
”
EN TUR IES have elapsed S ince th ispromise was given
,a nd to many it
now appears as a n i dle word The brighta nd beautifu l Open ing blossoms Of Spring ,
— the ri ch glow Of summer verdure,
— theprofusion a nd bounty of harvest
,
— the frosta nd cold Of winter
,— are regarded merely as
matters Of course,
— insp i r1ng neither hopenor fear
,—awaken ing no emotion Of grati
tude or consolation in the sou l . Not S O wasi t at the time when they were first uttered .
Then,the whole earth had j ust been swept
by the devouring deluge,
— then everyth ingseemed unfix ed a nd uncertain— the fountainsOf the great deep had been broken up ,
— these a
,once confined with in i ts boundaries
,had
rol led in upon the land,— the windows of
heaven ha d been Opened , a nd the waters
(I9)
20 THE PATHWA Y OF PROMISE .
that are above the firma ment swelled thosethat were below . Each gathering cloudm ight mantle the world in final ru in . Eachfall ing drop
’
might Open the slu ices Ofanother deluge . Al l was uncertainty . Whathad‘ happened yesterday m ight occu r again
,
the h i l ls a nd valleys might once more besubmerged
,
—the mighty deep might againbu rst its accustomed l im its
,and the whole
earth become a desolation a nd a “ wreck .
Where was the security to Noah a nd his
sons ? Who could assu re them that thescarcely-subsided se a would not again devastate the land
,and pour its rush ing tor
rents over the face of nature ? Even thatGod who made heaven a nd earth
,
— whoguides a nd governs all th ings according toH is wil l a nd pleasu re .
A nd S O i t was . He gave back to the earththe blessing which had been removed fromi t for a time , a nd restored the feel ing O f
peace and safety to the l ittle remnant thatwas sti l l left. A nd ever s ince
,the seasons
have returned in thei r order,
— the sun ha s
gone forth on his m ighty j ourney,
— theearth has been refreshed by the gentleShowers of heaven
,— a nd the husband
PR OM IS ED B LESSINGS. 2 1
ma n has gathered in the rich treasures Ofharvest .What a proof Of the faithfulness Of God !
He remembers H is promise a nd,mindful
ever of His grace a nd truth,He gives us
a l l th ings richly to enj oy .
”In eve ry retu rn
ing harvest, in every passing year, He hasbeen saying to the ch i ldren Of men
,
“ Mycovenent wil l I not break
,nor alter the th ing
that ha s gone out O f my lips .”
What a proofof the infin i te power Of GodMan may alter the surface Of the earth ! hemay sow
,a nd plant
,a nd reap
,but al l h is
gen i us a nd science cannot clothe the fieldwith golden corn
,or fash ion one leaf Of the
forest tree . The power O f creation God hasretained ! i t i s sacred a nd incommun icablea nd His glory wil l He not give to another .What a proof Of the goodness Of God !
Men have despised a nd defied Him ! theyhave sought to ban ish Him from His own
creation ! yet, sti l l He has continued toShower down His blessings . He his giventhem “ rain from heaven
,a nd fru itfu l seasons
,
fi l l ing thei r hearts with food a nd gladness .
”
Whe rever,on the wide surface Of the world
,
there is the cry Of want,or the utterance O f
22 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
necess ity,there i s a h idden yet intel l igib le
voice that points to the supply. Ma n re
qu ires sustenance,a nd the earth springs with
teeming produce,a nd spreads its wide a nd
unremitting supply Of manna for h is ma intena nce ! Ma n asks for bread
,a nd the dews
have furn ished the i r m in istry,a nd the sower
has gone forth a nd sown,a nd the gen ia l
rains have descended,a nd the sun
,that
m ighty,vegetative principle
,has poured h is
l ight a nd warmth ! A working has beengoing on
,still a nd unseen,
but certain in itsresu lt . The seed cast into the ground ha snot lain dormant : first
,has appeared the
blade,then the ear
,then the fu l l corn in the
ear,a nd then
,waving with myriad gol den
spears,the hosts Of the harvest have awaited
the rejo i c1ng husbandmen a nd the wantsof ma n have been suppl ied .
” Reader,see
you not In all this the incessant i ll ustrationOf a goodness Of God
,
— a confirmation Ofthe truth
,that
,though the mountains may
depart,a nd the hi l ls be removed
,yet H is
kindness Shal l not depart,ne i ther shal l the
covenant O f His peace be removedFour thousand years have well-n igh
elapsed S ince God thus spake to Noah .
PR OM ISED B LESSINGS. 23
Generations on generations have al l passedaway
,a nd yet i t i s as true now as then ,
thatGod hath appointed the moon for seasons
,
a nd the sun knoweth h is going down .
”
Christian,see
,in the retu rn O f harvest
,a nd
the success ion Of seasons , a n evidence O f thefaithfu lness
,the power
,a nd the goodness Of
vour covenant God .
Father of mercies,from whom cometh
down every good a nd every perfect gift,a nd
who keepest covenant unto al l generations,
impress me with a sense O f Thy faithfu lness,
Of Thy power,a nd Of Thine unmerited good
ness ! a nd enable me to Show my gratitudeby a sober
,faithfu l
,a nd charitable use Of al l
Thy mercies,to the good Of my brethren
,
and the glory Of Thy blessed name .
”
Since Thou , the everlasting God ,My Fa ther art become ,Jesus
,my Guardian a nd my Friend
,
A’
nd heaven my final homeI we lcome all Thy sovere ign will ,For all that wil l i s love ,
A nd , when I know not what Thou dost,
I wait the light above .
THE PA THWA Y OF
Thy coven a nt, in the darkest gloom ,
Shall heavenly rays impart ,Which , when my eyelids close in death ,S hall warm my chilling heart .”
R OM. vi . 9, 18 .
! nowing that Christ , be ing raised from the dead , diethno more ! death hath no more domin ion over, him .
Being then made free from sin, ye became the ser
vants of righteousness .
R OM . viii . 33, 34 .
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God ’ s elect ?It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemne th It is Christ that died , ye a rather, that is risenagain , who is even at the right hand of God , whoalso maketh intercession for us .”
ISA . xliii . 25 .
I,even I , am he that blotteth out thy transgressionsfor mine own sake , a nd w ill not remember thysins .”
H EB . x . 1 7 .
A nd their sins a nd iniquities will I remember no
more .
”
JER . xxxi . 34 .
A nd they shall teach no more every ma n h is ne ighbora nd every ma n his brother
,saying
, ! now the Lordfor they shall all know me , from the le ast of themunto the greatest of them , saith the Lord for Iwill forgive the ir iniquity, a nd I will rememberthe ir sin no more .
”
PSALM xlvi . I , 2 , 3.
God i s our refuge a nd strength , a very present help introuble : therefore will not w e fear, though the
earth be removed , a nd though the mountain s becarried into the midst of the sea ! though the w a
ters thereofro a r a nd be troubled , though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”
(26)
THE BOW IN THE CLOUD .
GEN . 1x . 16.
A nd the bow shall be in the cloud , a nd I will lookupon it
,that Imay remember the everlasting covenant
between God a nd every living creature of all fleshthat is upon the earth .
”
ATURE again smiles,and emerges
from beneath her watery covering.
The prom ise of Him who cannot l i e isgiven
,that a second flood sha ll no more
destroy the earth . A nd what is to be theS ign
,
— the enduring remembrance-token ?“ I do set My bow in the cloud .
” There ithad been
,perhaps
,before
,encircl ing the
heavens with its belt Of golden hues,but
now i t was destined to awaken new thoughts,
a nd to inspi re gratefu l emotions in the heartOf man
,—now
,i t was to testify Of God ’s
promise,— to be a lasting memorial Of H is
covenant th rough al l gene rations . Often,as
the stormy cloud Should gather in theheavens
,threaten ing to pou r its pent-up
waters on a S infu l world,when the how
(27)
28 THE PATHWA Y OF PROMISE.
a ppeared,it was
!
to be a s the voice Of Goddeclaring the waters Shall no more destroyal l flesh . Nay
,in condescension to human
weakness,the Alm ighty was henceforth to
regard i t a s a remembrancer to Himself OfHis gracious promise
,
“ I w i l l look upon i t,that I may remember the everlasting covenant
The bow in the cloud wa s a pledge Oftemporal blessings ,— to the bel iever, i t isalso a striking type of sp i ritual . Is there nobow Of promise which gi lds another sk y ,
which tells Of wrath averted,of security
insu red ? Yes ! Jesus is the B ow i n thecloud Of heaven ’s . wrath
,assuring the
bel iever,that a fiercer storm
,than a ny that
ever devastated the world , has passed away .
When,to the eye Of faith ,
He a ppears in thespi ritual firma ment
,every fear is d ispelled
,
God wil l not retu rn to destroy ! a nd,as
the rainbow appears with blended colors,al l
melting into each other with the most perfee t harmony
,S O
,i n Chri st
,j u stice a nd
me rcy ! hol iness a nd love , power a nd goodness
,al l combine to form one glor i ous and
resplendent arch .
The rainbow tel ls of the perpetu ity O f the
THE B OW I IV THE CL OUD . 29
covenant. Four thousand years have passed ,
a nd sti l l i t spans the heavens . Christian !see you not in th is a n emblem Of the immutabi l ity Of your God
,in redemption ?
He Himself regards i t as such : “ Thussaith the Lord
,If you ca n break my cove
nant O f the clay,a nd my covenant Of the
n ight,a nd that the re should not be day a nd
night in the i r season ,then may also my
covenant be broken with David my se r
vant — that i s,with Christ a nd H is people
,
of whom David was the type . Thus,the
God Of nature i s al ike unchangeable as aGod of grace .
The rainbow i s a token O f God ’s covenantwith His people . For this
,
” says He,
“ i sas the waters of Noah unto me ! for, as I
have Sworn,that the waters Of Noah should
no more go over the earth,so have I sworn
that I would not be wroth with thee nor
rebuke thee . For the mountains shal l d epart
,a nd the hi l ls be removed
,but my kind
ness Shal l not depart from thee ! neithershal l the covenant O f my peace be removed
,
saith the Lord,that hath mercy on thee .
”
Here,a nd here alone
,i s the security Of the
30 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PROMISE.
Christian,the unalterable purpose of a
covenant God .
He has given them also a Bow in thecloud
,to which
,in every season of impend
ing danger, they may direct the eye of
fa ith .
Reader ! is yours a dark a nd cheerlessd a y ? IS your horizon obscu red by threatening clouds Remember
,the re is the “
bow
in the cloud,the token of the unalterable
covenant O f God . Like the mariner in astormy se a
,you ma y be appalled at the indi
cations of a coming tempest, you may bel isten ing with alarm to the roar Of the angrywaves a nd the hoarse howl ing of the wind .
Lift up the eye Of faith,
— see,yonder open
ing in the clouds ,— yonder faint ray of l ight,
— yonder Splendid Bow in the cloud .
” I tIS to you the covenant-token that rel ief is athand
,for the Lord wi l l look upon i t . It
is H is own promise . You r sorrowing eye ,a nd the eye of your Father in heaven
,wil l
meet in one spot,
—on Jesus Christ,
— a nd
then,as the Lord remembers His covenant
,
a nd th inks upon you for good, you wil l be
enabled to trust in the name Of the Lord,
and stay upon your God .
” Yea,the darker
TH E B OW ! N TH E CL O UD . 3x
the cloud,the more bri l l iant wi l l be the re
flection,
— the heavier the trial,the sweeter
the promise ! for, amid God’s most myste
r ious deal ings , you may discove r marks Of
His power,His love
,a nd His faith fulness .
There are views Of Christ which ca n on lybe obtained beneath a cloudy S k y ,
a nd amidstmany Showers Of tears . Be l iever
,strive
,when
the darkness begins to gather round you,to
look upwards,a nd soon reviving faith w i l l
d iscover the B ow of promise ! the stormwil l be hushed
,
— the lower ing portentousclouds wi l l rol l away
,and you will take up
the language Of the Psalmist,
Thy mercy,
O Lord,i s in the heavens
,a nd thy faithfu l
ness reacheth unto the clouds .”
Think,too
,Of that glorious day
,when
there Shal l be a serene a nd cloudless Sky,
a S k y ,which ca n no more become darkened
a nd obscu red,
— when you w i l l not need th isemblem
,for you wil l have the real ity of
God ’s faithfulness a nd love .
Here, you have no how without a cloud ,
but then shall rise that glorious S un whichShal l neve r set
,whose radiant beams shal l
no more be broken by misty Shadows . Soon,
be l iever,th roughout etern i ty ’s ca lm bright
TH E PATHWA Y OF PROMISE .
ness,you will gaze upon the Bow of you r
Redeemer ’s glory ! a nd , as you gaze ,!
youwi l l Shine
,even as He Shines . For “ we
Shall be l ike H im,when we shal l see Him
as He is .
O God of al l grace a nd mercy,who art
able to supply every loss,to hea levery wound
,
to dry up every tear, a nd to dispel everycloud : Grant that when my sorrowsabound
,my consolations may much more
a bound . May I be sti l l a nd know thatThou art God
,acknowledging Thy right
to do with me as Thou wi llest,a nd con
fid ing in the wisdom a nd goodness O f Thydispensations .”
The sun’ s bright rays a re hidden ,
The rains in floods de scendThe winds with angry murmurs ,The stoute st branche s bend .
A gloom ,the fa ce of nature
A S with a pall doth shroud !Its influence all a re feeling ,But
,— look beyond the cloud !
For, lo ! at length appearethA l ittle streak of light,
DUTY AND I NTEREST.
E ! . xxiii . 25 .
“ A nd ye shall serve the Lord your God , a nd he Shallbless thy bread , a nd thy water ! a nd I will takesickness away from the midst of thee .
PSALM x x x vn . 16.
“ A little that a righteous ma n hath is better than the
riches of many wicked .
”
PROV . x . 22 .
The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich , a nd he a d
deth no sorrow with it .”
PROV . xv . I 6 .
Better is l ittle with the fear of the Lord , than greattreasure a nd trouble therewith .
ECCL . iii . I3.
“ A nd also that every ma n should e a t a nd drink , a nd
enj oy the good of all his labor, it is ofGod
DUTY AND INTEREST.
2 CHRON . x x v . 9 .
A nd A maz iah said to the ma n O f God,But what shall
w e do for the hundred talents which I have given tothe army of Israe l ? A nd the ma n of God answered ,The Lord is able to give thee much more than this .”
MA ! IAH,! ing of Judah
,had S in
fully leagued himself with idolaters .From principles of worldly pol icy
,he
ha d formed a n all iance with the kingdomOf Israe l
,then at enmity with God . The
prophet O f the Lord was thereupon commiss ioned to warn h im Of the consequences
,in
these words,
O king,let not the army of
Israel go with thee ! for the Lord is not
with Israel ” Sti l l,he was left free to act
as he pleased . If thou wi lt go,do it
,be
strong for the battle ! God Shal l make theefal l before the enemy ! for God hath powerto help
,a nd to cast down .
” The king hesita ted . He had given
,out of h is treasury
,
a n hundred talents for the promised he lp !a nd now
,he wou ld receive no equ ivalent .
(37 )
38 TH E PA TH WA Y OE PROMISE.
No assurance even is granted by theprophet that the loss shou ld be repaired . Hei s simply told , that the S i lver a nd the goldare God ’s
,to give or to withhold The
Lord is able to give thee much more thanthis . Amaziah at length yields to thevoice of warn ing . He separates h imselffrom the army that came out of Ephraim
,
a nd Obtains a S ignal victory in the Val leyof Salt.Reader
,th i s narrative is most instructive .
We have on ly given the outl ine . Read iti n your Bible
,prayerfully . You may dis
cover points Of striking resemblance between the case OfAmaziah a nd your own !a nd
,at some period
,you may remember
having asked the same,
question,
“ WhatShall I do for the hundred talents Theclaims of the world Often confl i ct with thoseof rel igion
,a nd a struggle ensues . Duty
says,
“DO th is !
” incl ination,self-interest
,
worldly pol icy demand,But what Sha ll I
have in retu rn for the sacrifice See,the
ma n who has be en induced by the Spiri t ofGod to yield h imself to the service of
Christ,has he no sacrifices Must he not
surrender old habits,desires
,a nd compa n
D UTY A N D INTERES T. 39
i ons,
— habits,which had become engrained
in his nature,a nd friends in whose society
he once took del ight . Yes ! the re are sa crifices . He must exchange the smile ofthe world for its withering frown ! he mustabstain from pleasures
,once congen ial to
h is taste,
-pursu its,which promised h igh
advancement,a nd Obj ects
,on which his
every desire was fixed . A nd th is he mustdo
,trusting S imply to the assurance
,The
Lord is able to give thee more than this .
”
Unbel ief may whisper,
“ But is He alsowil l ing ? Experience might
,
afford con
vincing proof that H e is ! but such doubtsare unworthy of being entertained for amoment . God must be trusted . He asksfor a chi ldl ike confidence . He says
,as of
old to Amaziah,
“ If thou wilt go,do i t .
If you are resolved to continue the unholyal l iance with the enemies of God
,then
,hold
to these pleasu res of the world,retain your
love for Old habits a nd pursu its ! but re
member the fatal consequences . Reader,
know you aught of th is feel ing ,— th is con
fl ict between duty a nd seeming interest ?You l isten to the Sabba th be l l
,as it rings
out a loving invitation to the house of God .
40 TH E PA TH WA y OP PROMISE .
Do y ou ever , feel the risings of a wish to absent yourself on some trivial pretext — thestate of the weathe r
,the visit of a neighbor
,
or the few m i les Of distance . Ah it is theOld Amaziah doubt
,What shal l I have for
the sacrifice ? ” You have a fami ly altar.The sacred hour of devotion comes round !business
,pleasure
,u rge their demands
,
there is a hesitation,a struggle between
duty and worldly inte rest,a nd the question
returns,What shall I have for the sacrifice
of timeA poor sufferer l ives in your neighbor
hood ! he ha s few to speak the word of comfort
,— few to read to him the prom ises of
God,
— duty bids you vis it h is sol ita ry chamber
,a nd bear glad tidings t o the tried
,affli ct
ed one ! but your worldly affai rs press hardupon you,
a nd again you a sk,What shal l
I have for the loss I may sustain ? ”
Christia n ! trust God ! a nd be assured ,that whatever labor you may undergo
,
whatever sacrifices you may make,
theLord is able to give you much more thanthis . Does God requ i re the performanceof a ny duty Then
,let i t be done at what
ever cost,for there your true interest l ies .
42 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PROMISE .
continued,or ended in Thee
,I may glori fy
Thy name,a nd
,finally
,by thy mercy
,Oh
tain everlasting l ife through Jesus Christmy Lord .
”
Is this the way , my Father — ‘Ti s,my child .
Thou must pass through the tangled , dreary WIld ,If thou would ’ st reach the city undefiled
,
Thy peaceful home above .
But enemies a re round — Yes, child , I knowThat where thou least ex pect
’st thou ’ lt find a foe,
But victor thou shalt prove o’e r all below
,
Only, seek strength above .
My Father, it is dark .— Child
,take my hand !
Cling close to Me,
—I’ ll lead thee through the landTrust My all-seeing care ,— so shalt thou stand
’Midst glory bright above .
My footsteps seem to slide .-Child , only raise
Thine eye to Me then in the se Slippery waysI will hold up thy goings ! thou shalt praise
Me for each step above .
O Father,I ’m weary — Child , lean thy head
Upon My breast ! it was My love that S preadThy rugged path hope on still , a ll I have said,
R est,— rest for a ye above .
J. B . M .
GUARDIANSH IP
DEUT . x x x nl. 1 2 .
“A nd of Benj a min he said,The beloved of the Lord
Shall dwe l l in safe ty by him ! a nd the Lord shallcover him a ll the day long
,a nd he Shall dwell
between his shoulders .PROV . xviii . IO .
The name of the Lord is a strong tower : the righteousrunneth into it, a nd i s safe
I PET . 111. 13.
“A nd who is he that will harm you,if ye be followers
of that which is good ?
PROV . 111 . 24 .
When thou liest down , thou shalt not be afraid ! ye a ,thou shalt lie down, a nd thy sleep shall be sweet .”
PSALM cxxiv . 8 .
“ Our help i s in the name of the Lord who made heavena nd earth .
”
ISA . xliii . 2 .
When thou passest through the waters , I will be withthee ! a nd through the rivers, they shall not overflowthee : when thou walkest through the fire , thou shaltnot be burnt
,neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee .
”
GUARDIANSH IP.
DEUT . x x x n . 1 0 .
H e found him in a desert land , a nd i n the wa ste howling wilderness ! he led him about , he instructedhim , he kept him a s the apple of his eye .
”
HUS Moses describes God ’s care of
ancient Israel . H ow accu rate thedescription I In the land ofEgypt
,
— groaning under Oppress ive Slavery ,
a nd writhingunder the lash Of heartless taskmasters
,
God found His chosen people . A nd,when
His eye of l ove was fixed upon them,He
led them about,
” from the R ed Sea Shoreto the Promised Land
,
— some times along astraight
,sometimes a ci rcu itous path
,
-a nd
al l the whi le “ He instructed them bymany a providential deal ing
,a nd many a
token Of loving-kindness . He instructedthem by mercies
,
— by warn ings , a nd byjudgments ! -by frequent interpos itions of
His power,
—a nd,by signal proof
,of His
determ ination to bless the obedient,a nd to
punish the transgressor. Yea,He kept
(45)
TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
them as the apple O f H is eye,He Sh ielded
them in the hour of peri l,— H e man i fested
H imself strong In the i r behalf— H e placedaround them the broad Shield of omn ipo
tence,unti l at length He brought them to
the goodly land promised to the i r fathers .
Christian ! see the emblem Of thyself inIsrae l . Where d id God find thee ? Hefound thee in a desert land . Yes
,earth
with al l its lovel iness a nd beauty is a desertplace
,unti l the S inner has been found by
God . There is much,it is true
,to attract
the eye a nd to gratify the sense,but fair a nd
l ovely though it be,in a moral a nd Spiritual
V iew i t is “ a desert la nd .
” The soul ca nfind in i t no sustenance
,— no refuge ! a nd
,
as in a waste howl ing w i lderness,
”i t is
surrounded,on every side
,by dangers , a nd
exposed to countless peri ls. But,Oh i t is
a blessed thing to know,that God seeks
out,a nd finds the wanderer
,in the desert !
a nd,when He ha s found him
,He leads
him about,
not always by a di rect path ,to
the promised land,but by a ci rcu itous route
,
a nd in the right way,to the city of habi
ta tion .
Reader ! has God perm itted thee to en
GUARDIANSHIP . 4 7
counter the Sharp stroke of a ffl iction P HasHe taken from thee the earthly prop
,upon
which thou wert wont to lean al l too fondly PRemembe r ! God i s leading thee about.These unexpected tri a lS
,
— these heartrending be reavements
,
— are j ust SO many tu rnings in thy pilgrimage . NO thorn ha s beenscattered “
on thy path,but what is common
to the one fami ly Of God .
“ This honorhave al l the saints . The Shepherd is leading thee , a s al l the flock are led
,with a
ski lfu l hand,a nd in the right w a y . I t is
th ine to stand,if He bids thee
,or to follow
,
i f He leads .
A nd,O Christian ! IS It not well thou
knowest not the path,along w h ich God is
leading thee ? H ow disheartened wouldIsrael have been
,ba d they known the long
a nd weary pilgrimage wh ich was beforethem
,— the want
,a nd suffe ring ,
a nd privati on Of thei r forty years ’ trave l ! Even so
w ould it be w ith thee,couldst thou look
into the dark a nd myste rious future,a nd
see the rough a nd stony pla ces in l ife ’s path,
— the thorns a nd briars in the hi lls of d ifficu lty
,— cou ldst thou mark
,how Often a nd
how painful ly thou wast to be wounded a nd
48 TH E PA THWA Y OP PROMISE.
stricken,
—cou ldst thou gaze on those grassymounds
,which wil l yet cover the ashes of
the loved a nd cherished,a nd behold thy
self,at the close O f l ife ’s j ourney
,i t may be
,
a worn a n d weary pilgrim,tottering on the
verge of the grave,feeble a nd exhausted
,
with the peri ls thou hast encountered . Ohit is better far to leave al l to God
,
Blind unbelief i s sure to err,A nd scan H is work in vainGod i s hi s own interpreter ,A nd H e will make i t plain .
Although,in leading His people
,God
giveth no account of a ny Of His matters ,yet
,if we put ourselves confid ingly into H is
hands,the longer he leads us
,the more we
shal l be incl ined to trust H im . It is eventhus He “ instructs us
,
”— 1nstructs us in H is
love,a nd faithfulness
,a nd goodness ! He
instructs us in our own weakness and H isal l-sufficiency , -our impotence
!
a nd H is
omnipotence,— our corruption a nd His
grace,
—our own frai lty a nd His constancy,
-Our unbel ief a nd His unwavering faithfulness to H is word . And
,mark the be
liever’
s security,He keeps h im as the a p
so TH E PA TH WA y OF PROMISE.
land of your inheri tance,the strongerw ill
grow the conviction that God is faithfu l toal l H is promises . A S he carries you
,se
curely,over the rough a nd stony places of
l ife ’s journey,you wi l l s ing of mercy a nd Of
j udgment ! a nd,when descending the brink
of the dark waters Of Jordan,wh ich div ide
Canaan from the wi lderne ss,you wi l l take
up the language Of the Psalmist, The Lordis my shepherd
,I shall not want . He
leadeth me in the paths of righteousness forhis name ’s sake . Ye a
,though I w a lk
through the val ley of the Shadow of death,
I wil l fear no evi l,for thou art with me
,thy
rod a nd thy staff they comfort me .
A nd oh ! thrice-an imating prospect ! Asyou stand upon the cloudless summ its of
the heavenly ! ion,welcomed by angel ic
bands,greeted with the loud hosannas of
the redeemed,meth inks this wi l l prove the
burden of yo ur song ,
“ He found me in adesert land
,a nd in the waste howling wil
derness ! He led me about, He instructedme
,He kept me a s the apple of His eye .
”
Oh God ! who hast sent Th ine own Soninto the world to seek a nd save the lost,
GUA RDIANSH IP 5 :
a nd who hast prepared for them that loveThee
,such good th ings a s pass man ’s un
dersta nd ing ,pour into my heart such love
towards Thee,that
,loving Thee above al l
things,I may Obtain Thy promises of gu id
ance a nd strength in th is world,a nd of j oy
a nd happiness at Thy right hand in theworld to come .
Oh ! for that bright a nd happy landWhere , far amid the blest,
‘The wicked cease from troubling, a ndThe weary a re at rest . ’
Where friends a re never parted ,Once met around Thy throne !
A nd none a re broken-hearted ,Since all, w ith Thee , a re one
Yet oh till then ,watch o ’
er us keep,While far from Thee away !
A nd soothe us , Lord , oft as w e weep,A nd hear us when we pray .”
J . S . MON SELL.
ECCL. viii . 1 2 .
Though a sinner do evil a n hundred times, a nd his
days be prolonged , yet surely I know that it shallbewe ll with them that fear God , which fear beforehim .
PSALM 1x . 4 .
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, thatit may be displayed because of the truth .
”
PSALM xx . 5 .
We will rej oice in thy salvation , a nd in the name ofour God w e will set up our banners : the Lord fulfilall thy petitions .
JOHN xiv . 27 .
“ Peace I leave with you , my pe a ce I give unto younot a s the world give th, give I unto you . Let not
your heart be troubled,ne ither let i t be afraid .”
R OM . V . I .
Therefore , being justified by faith , we have peace withGod through our Lord Jesus Christ .”
PSALM cxxix . 7 .
Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ? or whither shall Iflee from thy presence ?
GEN . xxviii . I 7 .
“ A nd he w a s afraid , a nd said , H ow dreadful is thisplace ! this is none other but the house of God, a ndthis is the gate of heaven .
ISA . xlv . 24 .
Surely , Shallone say , In the Lord have I righteousnessa nd strength : even to him shall men come ! a nd al lthat a re incensed aga inst him shall be ashamed .
”
2 COR . v . 2 1 .
“ For he hath made him to be sin for us,who knew no
S in ! that w e might be made the righteousness ofGod in him .
”
(54 )
JEH OVAH .
GEN . x x u . 14 .
“ A nd A braham called the name of that place Jehovahj ireh .
”
E ! OD . xvii . 1 5 .
“A nd Moses built a n altar, a nd called the name of itJehovah-n issi .
JUDGES v i . 24 .
Then Gideon built a n altar there unto the Lord , a ndcalled it Jehovah-shalom .
E ! E ! . xlviii . 35 .
“A nd the name of the city from that day shall be Jehovah-shammah .
JER . xxiii . 6 .
“ A nd this is his name whereby he shall be called , Jehovah-tsidk enu .
”
HE sorest trial ofAbraham ’s faith hadj ust ended
,
— his well-be loved Isaacwas saved from the sacrificial altar
,a nd
another offering was presented in his stead .
Well,then
, ,might the patriarch rear a
stone Of remembrance,with the inscription
graven on his own heart,The Lord wi l l
provide .
”
56 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
Moses,the leader of Israel
,with the rod
Of God In his hand,was seated on the top
of a h i l l,in the val ley of Reph idim . Beside
h im stood Aaron and Hur,supporting his
arms in the attitude of prayer. Beneath,the
hosts of Israel a nd Amalek were engagedin stem a nd bloody confl ict . V ictory
,
h itherto had leant to neither S ide,for any
length of t ime . When the hands Of Moseswere raised
,then Israel prevailed a nd
,when
they were let down,Amalek prevai led . But
now it w a s no longer uncertain . The threeun ited suppl iants implored Divine help !“a nd Joshua d iscomfited Amalek and h is
people with the edge of the sword .
” Now onder a feel ing of security wa s experiencedby Moses
,a nd that future danger was no
l onger dreaded — no wonder that the mottoo f h is remembrance-stone was th is
,
“ TheLord my Banner .”
A dark cloud had gathered upon Israel,
— they had forgotten the wonders of theLord
,a nd H is mighty doings in thei r be
half. The hosts O f M id ian prevai led againstthem
,a nd the last ray Of hope seemed to
have vanished . Their cry for help and del iverance
,sent up in the hou r of extremity,
d iv i sIon Of the land among the twelve tribes,
a nd the extent of the glorious c ity,gave th is
a s its great a nd glorious distinction,Jeho
va h-shammah,
The Lord is thereThe prophet Jeremiah
,when foretell ing
the advent of Mess iah,the righteous Branch
,
who was to make satisfaction for the s ins ofHis people
,a nd by His Obedience
,and suffer
ings,a nd death
,re conci le them to a n offended
God,speaks O f Him by a name dear to'
everybel ieve r
,
“ Jehovah-ts idk enu,
” The Lordour righteousne ss .
”
Christian ! hast thou no stones of remembrance A long the pathway Of thy l ife a rethere no memorials of Jehovah ’s love Ah
,
yes ! Thou , too , canst tellOf seasons O f d a nger a nd distre ss — when prayer prevai led onh igh
,
-when,from the depths of thy trouble d
soul,the cry ascended heavenward
,Lord
send help out of ! ion,
a nd del iverance w a svouchsafed . The enemy came in upon youl ike a flood‘
! but even then ,when ( the con
te st was fie rcest,a nd the battle raged hottest
,
the Spi rit Of the Lord l ifted up His standard
,a nd the v ictory was thine . Surely
,i n
such a n hou r,this w a s the language
,Of thy
jE H O VA H . 59
sou l,
Jehovah-n iss i,
The Lord mybannenOr
,look backward again . Remember that
time,when some heavy trial
'
was impendingover thee
,some sore bereavement was dread
ed,a t the prospect of which
,thy very heart
fai led thee,a nd the sunsh ine Of thy life was
w rapt in deepest gloom . But thy God inmercy spared the blow
,— the trial came not
,
— the bereavement was stayed,a nd again the
voice Of rej oicing was heard in thy home .
A nd,i f a n anxious thought sti l l l ingered in
thy heart,a nd the shadow Of the cloud sti l l
darkened at times thy pathway,Oh was not
this,to thee
,a cheering a nd consolatory
thought,that come what may
,He who lis
tened to thy prayer for del iverance,would
also l isten to thy prayer for grace,a nd that
the covenant between thee a nd thy God,per
mitted thee to utte r these blessed wordsJehovah-j i reh
,The Lord wil l pro
videYes
,bel iever ! a nd times there may have
been in thy past h istory,when the burden
of S in was pecu l iarly Oppress ive,when thy
sou l was bereft Of comfort a nd peace,a nd
as,with trembling step a nd aching heart
,
60 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
thou d idst pursue thy weary j ourney,the
language of thy burdened Spirit was that ofDavid
,
“ My sou l IS cast down with in me .
For thee,there w a s no comfort in theWord ,
no j oy i n the means of grace , no happinessin prayer . Like a ben ighted travel ler
,thou
wert groping in darkness,a nd
,al l the whi le
,
the wh ispered inqu i ry a nd taunt of thegreat adversary w a s
,Where is now thy
God ?”
But thy trial hour came to a close . TheComforter ’s voice again w a s heard ! thel ight
,of thy Father ’s countenance shone
upon thee ! a nd,once more glad a nd
j oyous,the prayer O f Gideon became
th ine,Jehovah-shalom
,The Lord send
peace .
Reader ! thou hast entered the sanctuarythou hast taken thy place at the commun iontable . Has the language O f thy sou l beenth is Jehovah-shammah ,
The Lordis there Trusting no longer ' in thyself,but coming to the mercy-seat, poor, hungry ,
a nd pen i tent,w a s th is thy prayer — “
O
God,have mercy upon me a miserable
s inner . Pardon a nd accept me,for the sake
of Him whom Thou‘
hast revealed a s
jE H O VA H . 6 I
‘Jehovah-ts idk enu,
’ The Lord our righteousness . ’
Why should I fear the darkest hour,Or tremble at the tempest’ s power ?Jesus vouchsafes to be my Tower
Though hot the fight , why quit the field ?Why must I e ither flee or yield ,Since Jesus is my mighty Shie ld ?
When creature comforts fade a nd d ie ,Worldlings may weep, but why should IJesus still lives, a nd still is nigh
I know not what may soon betide,
Nor how my wants may be supplied !But Je sus knows a nd will provide .
’
Though sin would fill me with distress ,The throne of grace I dare address,For Jesus is my R ighteousness .
Though faint my prayers a nd cold myMy steadfast hope Shall not remove ,While Jesus intercedes above .
A gainst me earth a nd hel l combine ,But on my side is power D ivineJesus is all a nd H e is mine .
”
E ! OD . xxiii . 25“A nd ye shall serve the Lord your God , a nd he sha llbless thy bread
,a nd thy water ! a nd I will ta ke
S ickness away from the midst of thee .
DEUT. xxvi . I I .
“A nd thou shalt rejoIce in every good thing which theLord thy God hath given unto thee , a nd unto thinehouse , thou , a nd the Levite , a nd the stranger thatis among you .
”
PSALM x x x vn . 16.
A little that a righteous ma n hath is better tha n the
riches of many wicked .
”
PHILIP. iv . 1 1 .
Not that I speak in respect of want : for I have learnedin whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content .
1 TIM . vi . 6 .
“ B ut godliness with contentment is great gain .
66 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PROMISE.
in whatever state I am,therewith to
,
be con
tent . Christian ! rel igion forbids thee notto acqui re riches
,
— to be industrious in thyworldly call ing . But
,if thy plans shou ld
prosper,
—thy barns be fi lled with plenty,
a nd thy treasures be increased ,— remember,there is danger in thy fu lne ss . Thy heartmay be weaned from God
,a nd al l thy best
a nd purest affections may be perverted .
“ The fear of the Lord alone ca n keep theesafe . Then wilt thou regard thyself a s asteward
,bound to devote thy substance to
the glory of God,a nd to promote H is cause
a nd kingdom on the earth . A nd,Should thy
lot be one of pove rty,sti l l
,the fear of the
Lord ” wi l l keep li ne from repin ing . B e
th ink you,how many a re
,in sorer straits
,
who have to bear heavier burdens,a nd on
whose every plan seems to have beenwritten the inscription
,
“ Fai l ure a nd d is
appointment .” Because your path has for aseason been a thorny one
,-because some
Of you r hopes have been bla sted,
— becauseeveryth ing is not ordered according to yourwishes
,are you to S it down
,murmuring a nd
dissatisfied ? Are you wiser than yourheaven ly Father Would He lay upon you
CONTENTMENT. 67
a n unnecessary burden ? Nay,ha s He not
told you ,
— has not your own experienceproved
,
— that riches alone cannot conferhappiness — that better i s the crust of breada nd the cup of water
,with God ’s bless ing
,
than al l the riches Of the earth w ithout Hisfavor Seek
,by His grace
,to learn content
ment with thy lot,to regard it as the a p
pointment of thy heavenly Father . Whenthy cup i s ful l , pray that it may be carriedwith a grateful hand ! when the stream of
earthly happiness is dried up ,lean on the
arm of thy covenant God,a nd sa y ,
“A l l wasneeded . Look forward
,Christian
,what
ever be thy ci rcumstances,to your portion
in etern ity . Let the language of yoursou l be
“ From darkness here , a nd d reariness,We a sk not full repose
Only be Thou at hand,to bless
Our trial hour of woes .Is not the pilgrim ’ s toil o ’
erpa i d
By the clear rill a nd palmy shade ?A nd see w e not, up earth ’ s dark glade ,The gate of heaven unclose
Riches profit not in the day of wrath !but
, hav ing the“ fear of God
,a nd being
68 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PROMISE .
numbered among H is chosen ones,thou art
secure Of happiness . Heaven a nd i ts j oysawait thee ! the pleasures which are at God
’sr ight hand shal l be thine the riches Of
etern ity thou shalt inheri t,when thrones
a nd domin ions,a nd al l that earth contains,
S ha llcrumble into ashes . Submit thyself,
then,without a murmur to the hand of God
,
to assign thee prosperi ty,or to vis it with
advers ity. Seek thus,not only to secu re
thine own peace a nd comfort,but to be a
blessing to al l around thee ! for, a contentedmind Sheds a halo on every side
,a nd diffuses
happiness wherever it exists . A nd,forget
not,that true contentment cons ists “
in aready a nd cheerfu l compliance with the wi l lOf God
,
— in our patient continuance in our
honest employments a nd call ings ,— in our
thankful use of external bless ings,a nd our
honest endeavors to procure them,
— in thedi l igent effort to do good in our stations
,so
long as we continue in them! a nd not,
either in shunn ing all contact with the world,
or murmuring because some other pos itionhas not been ass igned us Let this
,then
,
be the spiri t of your dai ly prayer
CONTENTMENT. 69
Vouchsafe us,O Lord
,Thy heavenly
grace,that we may learn
,in whatever state
we are,therewith to be content . May we
S O learn to do a nd endure Thy wil l,that at
length,through the disc ipl ine here under
gone,we may be fitted for Thy heavenly
kingdom,through Jesus Christ our Lord .
0 faithless , unbelieving heartS o slow to trust that tend ’
rest Friend,Who a ye will needful strength impart,Who lovmg ,
‘loves unto the end .
’
No longer doubt , nor fear nor grieve ,Nor on uncertain evils dwe ll
Past, pre sent, future , calmly leaveTo him who will do a ll things well .
Fa ther,I know th a t all my life
IS portion’d out for me
A nd the change s that w ill surely come,I do not fear to see !But I a sk Thee for a patient mind ,Intent
t
on pleasing Thee .
I ask Thee for a thoughtful love,
Through constant watching,wise ,
To mee t the glad with joyful smiles,A nd to wipe the weeping eyes !
70 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
A nd a heart at le isure from itself,To soothe a nd sympathiz e .
I would not have the restless way,That hurries to a nd fro ,
Seeking for some great thing to do,O r secret thing to know
I would be treated as a child,
A nd guided where I go .
Wherever in the world I am ,
In wha tso’er estate ,
I have a fellowship with heartsTo keep a nd cultivate ,
A nd a work of lowly love to do,For the Lord on whom I wait.
So I ask Thee for the daily strength ,To none that ask denied
,
A nd a mind to blend with outward lifeWhile keeping at Thy side ,Content to fill a little space,If Thou be glorified .
A nd if some things I do not askIn my cup of blessing be
,
I would have my spirit fill’d the moreWith grateful love to Thee ,
A nd careful less to serve Thee much ,Than to please Thee perfectly .
There a re briars besetting every path,Which call for patient care
There i s a cross in every lot ,A nd a n earnest need for prayer !
CONTENTMENT. 7 :
But a lowly heart that leans on TheeIs happy everywhere .
In a service which Thy love appointsThere a re no bonds for me
,
For my secret heart is taught ‘the truth ’
That makes Thy children free !A nd a life of self-renouncing love,Is a life of liberty .
”
PR OV. x . 4 .
H e becometh poor that dealeth with a slack handbut the hand of the diligent maketh rich .
”
PROV . xii . 24 .
The ha ndT
Of the diligent shall bear rule : but the sli
othfulShall be under tribute .
PROV. xxi . 5 .
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousnessbut of every one that is hasty only to want .”
PROV . x x n . 29 .
“ Seest thou a ma n diligent in his business ? he shallstand before kings ! he shall not stand before meanmen .
”
PROV . xxviii . 19 .
H e that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread ! buthe that followeth after vain persons shall havepoverty enough .
”
2 PETER i . 5 , 10 .
“A nd beside this, giving all diligence , add to your faith ,Virtue ! a nd to virtue , knowledge . Wherefore , therather, brethren ,
give diligence to make your callinga nd e lection sure : for if ye do these things, ye shallnever fall .”
2 PETER iii . 14 .
Wherefore , beloved , see ing that ye look for such things,be diligent th a t yema y be found of him in peace,without Spot
, a nd blameless .”
DILIGENCE .
ECCLES . ix . IO .
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , do it with thymight : for there i s no work , nor device , nor knowledge , nor wisdom ,
in the grave , whither thou goest .
E have he re a solemn warn ing, pe
culia rly impressive to some, yet
applicable to al l . To the aged Christian,
these words seem to sa y ,
“You are nearing
the grave,a nd you have sti l l much to do .
Seek to real ize the position in which youstand . You are ‘a worker
,toge ther with
God,
’
in the world,
— placed here to advanceH is glory
,
— to promote the inte rests Of H iskingdom
,
— to improve eve ry talent intrustedto your care . The time
,in which you ca n
labor a nd Show dil igence,i s rapidly pass
ing away . Opportun ities Of doing good arenot to be recalled at wil l . If not se izedupon at the moment
,they are gone for ever.
The sunsh ine i s decl in ing,
— the Shadow sare fall ing longer a nd deeper around you
,
— the even ing Of l ife is closing in,— the last
,
(75 )
76 TH E PA TH WA Y OP PR OMISE.
the eleventh hour wi l l soon be here ! therefore take heed
,a nd whatsoever thy hand
findeth to do , do it with thy might .To the young
,a S im ilar warn ing Is g iven
,
Look abroad on the world,
— see,there
,
the fie ld for labor,the field thou art cal led
upon to assist in ti l l ing . Are there no hungry to be fed ? no na ked to be clothed no
ignorant to be instructed Have you timefor pleasu re a nd gaiety
,
— t ime for worldlyconverse a nd the festive scene
,
— but nonefor works of charity a nd labors O f love ?H ow i s i t with you r own Spiritual conditionAre you growing in grace ? increasing inthe love of praye r ? more earnest in studying God
’sWord in seeking the i l l uminationOf the Holy Sp irit ? Remember who itw a s that suggested the momentous question
,
‘What shal l i t profit a ma n i f he gainthe whole world
,a nd lose h is own sou l ? or
what Sha ll a man give in exchange for his
He,who is indifferent about h is own state
before God,wi ll scarcely be interested in
regard to the condition of h is fellow-men .
TO struggle in behalf of others,we must
first struggle for ourselves— real re l igi on
DILIGENCE. 77
knows nothing Of that spurious charitywhich would attend to al l to the neglect ofself
,a nd seek to promote the salvation of
the souls of others,whilst the ma n suffe rs
his own to perish . Eve ry man ’s own sou lis
,to h im
,a treasury Of heavenly treasures
,
— the salvation O f that sou l ought to be toh im “ the one thing needful .” See you
swimmer struggl ing amid the foaming b i llows
,
—he gazes round h im with a n anxiouseye ,
—he grasps the floating span— his shipmates are wrestl ing with the angry waves
,
— but what to h im is the dange r of otherscompared with his own — he sees the distant Shore
,— Oh ! that he might plant h is
foot on the stable rock,
— he presses on,
leaves behind him the struggl ing crowds,
his first a nd chie f anxiety is to reach theshore
,
— to save his ow n l ife . O r,see that
crowded hal l where thousands have assembled to hear the message of the gospe l
,
— a
cry is raised that the bu ilding has givenway
,— the immense assemblage is moved
,
— Onwards the excited thous a nds rush,
friends,acquaintances
,a llare le ft behind
,
escape i s the on ly,the all-pervading thought !
a nd,as they hurry along
,every eye is fixed
TH E PATHWA Y OF PROMISE .
on the doorway,a nd every heart beats w ith
the des i re for self-preservation . Even so,
with regard to the salvation of the sou l .Escape for thy l ife
,
” i s the warn ing given !the time lS ~Sh0rt a nd uncertain
,
— i f you do
not secu re it before you go to the grave,afterward i t wi l l be imposs ible .
A nd,i f the re is much to be done for our
selves,there is much
,too
,for others . H ow
numerous the claims from the domesticC ircle ! Parents ! those ch i ldren who sur
round you,look up to you for instruction !
a nd th is you are to enforce,by the un i form
i l lustration of a holy a nd devoted l ife,a nd
by the fe rvor Of persevering a nd importunateprayer . Have you a fami ly altar ? IS theSabbath hallowed in your dwelling Haveyou endeavored to Obey the Saviour ’s inj unction
,
“ Suffer them to Come unto me,
a nd forbid them not ?”
Reade r ! whosoever thou art , there is aw ork ass igned thee . Something ma y bed one for God
,— some department of Chris
t ian benevolence there is,in which thou art
called to put forth the activities Of thynature . I t does not requ ire very splendidtalent to be use ful . The great th ing wanted
,
DILIGENCE . 79
is a s incere and earnest desire to do good .
God requi res of you,not according to what
you have not,but accord ing to what you
have . Oh,how many are there
,l iving on
from day to day in selfish indolence,instead
of laboring to do what they ca n,
”in the
c ircle in which they move,for the good O f
men,a nd for the glory of God ! H ow many
a re Spending thei r l ives without one effortto make a bad world better ! ” They aresatisfied if they lead
,as they imagine
,harm
less live S,
—forgetting,that s ins O f omission
as wel l as S ins Of commiss ion,
— duties neglected as w el l as duties performed
,are noted
d own in the book Of God ’s remembrance .
Christian reader ! are you doing“ what
y our hand findeth to do in the work Of theLord ? Tha nk God ! there is no one without Opportun i ty
,
— no one without encour
a gement. The ma n,to whom God has
intrusted the talent Of wealth,may help in
sending the gospel,
— the good news Of aSaviour ’s love
,
— to those who have neveryet heard O f. the name Of Jesus . He ma ysend the devoted miss ionary to bear thet id ings Of salvation to far-distant lands
,a nd
w hat is h is encouragement ? My word
80 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PROMISE.
shal l not retu rn unto me void,but i t Shal l
accompl ish that wh ich I please,a nd prosper
in the th ing whereunto I sent i t .” Th i s ish i s encoura gement
,
— better far a nd moreendu ring . than the monumenta l tab let
,
that every sou l converted,is reclaimed to
God,
— every sou l brought to the savingknowledge Of Christ
,becomes a n hei r Of
eternal l ife,— every sou l rescued from the
domin ion of Satan,from the tyranny of S in
,
is a glorious monument Of Divine powerand Divine grace
,that wil l stand imperish
ably through etern ity to honor God .
The Christian whose power is morel imited
,may sti l l contribute to th is glorious
work according as the Lord has blessedhim
,—yea even although he treads the path
of poverty,a nd can spare but l i ttle of his
worldly substance,— he ma y give kind a nd
sympath izing words,
— he may cheer a nd
encourage others in wel l-doing,— he ma ybe a friend to the friendless a nd a strengthener Of them who are ready to faint ,— he
may a ddress the words of warn ing to thosewho are careless a nd indiffe rent about theirreligious interests
,— a nd
,above al l
,he ma y
exercise a powerfu l a nd persuasive influence,
82 TH E PATHWA Y OF PROMISE.
etern ity— while al l purchased by the bloodOf Christ— wi ll be conferred according tothe amount Of di l igence a nd fidel ity shownupon earth . A nd whilst i t i s
,indeed
,a
glorioust h ing ,to have a n entrance into that
bright world of bl iss,which eye hath not
seen,nor ear heard
,neither hath entered
into the heart of ma n ! yet,Oh
,su rely the
true chi ld of God shou ld desi re,not on ly to
enter,but to enter j oyful ly
,
— to enterabundantly
,
”— to secure the most radiant
prize— the choicest crown Of glory,— to
have a pla ce near the celestial throne,a
lofty station in the Saviour ’s kingdom . Tobe privi leged to enter the gates of theheaven ly Jerusalem
,is a n honor far too
great for s inful ma n ! a nd , he who is permitted to mingle with the glorious companywho stand upon the sea
'
of glass,wi ll find
ete rn i ty too Short to utter al l h is Saviour ’spraise . But
,as a n eminent servant of God
has said,i t is indolence
,a nd not humil i ty
,
which would make contentment with thelowest a reason for not aspiring to theh ighest. TO tel l you,
therefore,that there
is no knowledge nor device in the gravewhither thou goest
,
— it i s tel l ing the w res
D ILIGENGE. 83
tler,that the glass is runn ing out
,a nd the
game is not won,— it i s tell ing the warrior
,
that the Shadows are thicken ing,a nd the
victory is not complete,-it i s tel l ing the
racer,that night i s drawing on
,a nd the goal
is not reached . I t is j ust blowing a n alarmpeal — j ust the upbraiding of lethargy
,
j ust the an imating to effort. Is it a time tobe idle
,when each moment ’s delay may
take a pearl from the crown,— sway from
the sceptre ? Is it a time to be inactive,
when every second leaves me a step lowerthan I might have ascended in the scale oftriumph a nd of majesty
,
IS it a time to S itwith folded hands
,when the grave is open
ing ,a nd there is work to be done which can
on ly be done here,a nd the day i s approach
ing ,on which rewards shal l be bestowed
,
a nd perhaps,as yet
,I am but last in the
rank Of candidates ?”
Rather,ought we not to rouse ourselves
to redoubled dil igence,
— to man ly,vigorous
effort,
— to toi l,endurance
,suffering
,a nd
Shame,i f need be
,for the cause of Christ ?
saying,
“ Whatsoever our hand findeth todo
,
” God helping us,
“we wil l do it w ith
84 TH E PA THWA Y OF PP OMISE .
our might : for the night is far spent,and
the day is at hand .
Reader ! labor to do God ’s work,and be
th is you r daily prayer“N ow may grace be imparted to each
one of us,
— S O to bel ieve a nd to rej o ice inChrist Jesus
,
— so to follow'
H is footsteps,
a nd to imitate H is example,
—that,final ly
,
we may all meet together,a s His ransomed
people,in the heaven ly k ingdom
Oh ! grant that I may love Thee first ,The source of all
,
my heart desires !While forth upon my brethren burstThe kindly beams Thy love inspires .
Give me strong faith , (9 know ,to feel,
A nd to be lieve Thee ever near !Watching my wayward Spirit’ s weal,R ece iving each repentant tear .
So, safe ly through this world ’ s turmoil,Unhurt , untainted , may I roam ,
IIntil o ’erpa st each mortal toil ,Ifi nd i n lzea ven a w elcome home.
DA ILY STRENGTH .
DEUT . xxxiii . 27 , 29.The eternal God is thy re fuge , a nd underneath a re the
everlasting arms : a nd he Shall thrust out the enemyfrom before thee , a nd shall sa y, De stroy them .
H appy art thou , O Israe l : who i s like unto thee ,O people saved by the Lord , the shie ld of thy help,a nd who is the sword of thy excellency ! a nd thineenemies shall be found liars unto thee ! a nd thoushalt tread upon the ir high places .”
PSALM x 1. 1 7 .
But I am poor a nd ne edy ! yet the Lord thinketh uponme : thou art my he lp a nd my del iverer ! make no
tarrying, O my God .
ISA . xli . IO,13, 14 .
Fear thou not ! for I am with thee : be not dismayed !for I am thy God : I willstrengthen thee ! ye a , I willhelp thee ! ye a , I will uphold thee with the righth a nd of my righteousness . For I the Lord thy Godwill hold thy right hand
,saying unto thee , Fear
not : I will he lp thee . Fear not, thou worm Jacob ,a nd ye men of Israe l ! I will help thee , saith theLord
,a nd thy R edeemer, the H oly One of Israel .”
R OM . viii . 31 .
What shall w e then say to these things ? If God befor us, who ca n be against us ? ”
H EB . xiii . 6 .
So that w e may boldly say , The Lord is my he lper, a ndI will not fear what ma n shall do unto me .
”
(86)
DAILY STRENGTH .
DEUT . xxxiii . 25 .
“A S thy days, so shall thy strength be .
HE Christian i s frequently comparedto a pi lgrim
,trave l l ing onwards
through a dreary wi lderness,to the prom
ised land O f Canaan,
-a nd his expe rienceis varied a nd chequered . The path before”h im may be steep a nd arduous
,
— he mayhave to pass through rough a nd stonyplaces — through dark
,th ick forests
,a nd
rapid streams,a nd raging hurricanes
,— h is
days may be such,as to requi re great
strength,a nd energy
,a nd patience . Often
times,when he strives to anticipate the fu
tu re,his heart s inks with in h im
,his cou rage
fai ls,a nd he is apt to give way to despond
ency a nd doubt . But,such a promise as
that vouchs afed to Asher,a nd to al l the
true Israel of God,may wel l suffice to calm
the bel iever ’s fears,a nd rean imate h is fain t
ing Spirit . It is true,that change s a nd
(87)
88 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
vic iss itudes w illcome,
— true,that the heart
,
which to-day is cheerfu l a nd happy,may
to-morrow be wounded a nd bleeding — true,
that the fu l l cup,now held w ith gladness
,
may be da shed in pieces,ere the l ips have
tasted the refresh ing draught,
— true,that
the bright hope,which
,l ike a gu iding star,
al lu res the travel ler onwards,may speedi ly
be enwrapt in pitchy gloom,
— but whatthen ? To the ch ild of God
,there is a sup
ply Of strength to meet the hou r Of trial .He is not permitted to escape from thebu rden
,the cross
,the d ifficulty ,
— but he i senabled to make h is way through them al l
,
-to struggle with a nd finally to overcomethem . Many a time
,when the bel iever ha s
been welln igh crushed under the oppressivewe ight
,
— when,conscious that ordinary
strength would not avai l,he has cried unto
the Lord,a nd a fresh supply of grace has
been vouchsafed to me e t the emergency,
SO that he cou ld sa y with Da vId,I waited
patiently for the Lord a nd he incl ined untome
,a nd heard my cry. He brought me up
also out of a n horrible pit,out of the miry
clay,a nd set my feet upon a rock
,and es
ta blished my goings . A nd he hath put a
99 TH E PA THWA Y OP PROMISE .
culty he is ca l led on to encounter,by each
trial he is summoned to bear,by each virtue
he is requ ired to cal l into exercise,becomes
more V igorous,earnest
,faithful
,a nd Christ
l ike . H is e soul i s gradual ly train ing a nd
strengthen ing — by duty, trial , a nd endurance here
,
— for glory,honor
,a nd immor
tal ity hereafter . A nd i f,at a ny time , amid
the rough a nd rugged parts of l ife ’s j ourney,
his feet are not kept from fal l ing nor h iseyes from tears
,the reason most p robably
is,that he ha s already fai led to improve the
strength a nd grace imparte d — that,l ike a
sword lying in the scabbard,his rel igion
has not come into active , daily exercise ,amid the lesser duties
,trials
,a nd struggles
which have marked his p revious history .
For i f,when ove rwhelming griefs a nd sou l
agon i zing troubles come upon us,we would
be calm,patient
,a nd sum S S Ive
,we must
have long a nd sedu lously exe rcised the
g races Of the Christian character, amid them inor anxieties a nd the lesser sorrows Ofdai ly l ife . Reade r ! imagine not
,that on ly
w hen in sore straits a nd press ing emergenc ies
,are you requ ired to make rel igion your
stay,a nd to exercise the spiri t which it en
B AIL Y STRENGTH. 9 1
j oins — imagine not,that in the time O f
S ickness or the solemn hour of death , youca n lay hold O f gospe l promises at wil l
,a nd
derive from them consolation a nd support,
if,in the season O f h ealth a nd the day of
your prosperity,they are not in al l you r
thoughts . If you do , you wil l be miserablydisappointed . To be strong in the Lorda nd in the power of His might ,
” when the
dark storm gathers overhead,a nd the mut
tering thunde r is heard,you must have used
the grace vouchsafed for past eme rgenc ies,
a nd exe rcised the powers which H e hasalready graciously confe rred . Remembe r
,
growth in grace a nd in the knowledge O fourLord a nd Saviou r Jesus Christ
,
” does not
consist so much in extent Of knowledge,as
in depth O f k nowledge — k now ing th ings bette r : not so much in new duties as in Old du
ties better done,the drudge rie s of l ife gone
through in a brighter,happie r
,a nd more
Christian sp irit,
—knowing that l ife i s madeup ,
in a great measu re,of l ittle a nd com
mon a nd trivial th ings,but sti l l doing these
l ittle a nd trivial th ings with a more s ingleeye to the Lord
,
— with more self-distrust,
a nd the re fore with more dependence upon
92 TH E P A THWA Y OF PROMISE.
GOd,
— with greater humi l ity,
— with moreprayer so that self is gradual ly but su relyextingu ished
,and we become strong
,both
to do a nd endure the wi l l Of God .
” Yes,
be l iever, you are insens ibly , i t may be , yet
most assu redly increasing your spiritualstrength
,by each S ingle act of faith a nd
charity a nd self-denial,
-by showing in yourdai ly walk
,more love
, joy ,peace
,long-suf
fering ,gentleness
,goodness
,faith
,meek
ness,temperance
,
-by you r Christian deportment
,in your fami ly c ircle a nd in the
haunts Of business,amid al l the Occupations
a nd requ i rements Of l ife . In the right performa nce Of one duty , you wi l l become better fitted for the performance of the next.Every fresh victory ove r prid e
,
- ove r van i ty,
-Ove r avarice,over selfishness— over fret
fu lness,makes us stronger for the time to
come,a nd insu res the fulfilment of the
promise,As thy days
,SO shal l thy
strength be . Christian mark again thesewords . They do not give the pledge
,that
we Shall not fee l the burden a nd heat O f
the day . A ll they promise is,that we shal l
get safe ly through . They do not sa y ,that
we Shal l not fee l the weight of our duties,
Y STRENGTH . 93
trials,temptations
,confl i cts a ll they sa y i s ,
that w e Shal l have strength to bear thei rweight
,a nd j ourney on with our load The
grace imparted , wi l l then be sufficient forus
,
— not superabundant,but sufficient for
our actual nece ssities,
— strength equal toour day. Christian ! distress not yourselfabout impending evi ls . You th ink
, you
have not strength for the hour of S i ckness .Use the strength you now have
,in the d a y
of health,a nd the promise wi l l not then fa i l
you . You fear, you have not strength forthe thorny path O f advers ity
,
— tread humblya nd thankful ly the path of prosperi ty
,a nd
you wil l not then be refused consolation a ndsupport. You fear you are unprepared tomeet the ! ing of Terrors
,a nd to enter the
gloomy valley . Live to the glory Of God,
a nd,as beseems you r Christian profess ion
,
a nd,when you are summoned to depart
,His
rod a nd staff wil l then uphold a nd comfort
you. It i s by putting forth the strengthalready gained
,that you may hope to stand
your ground,when greater exe rt ion a nd
more vigorous effort a re demanded .
Strength to encounte r the tempest wi l l begiven when the tempest rages
,— strength to
94 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
breast the foaming surges WIll be givenwhen the htirrica ne ha s actually come
,
strength to grapple with the last enemy wi llbe given when he comes forth to meet you.
Yes,Chri stian ! be assured , , grace a nd
strength wi ll be imparted when you needthem
,as certainly as they wi l l be withheld
before you need them . He who gu ide s you,
knows your necess ities,a nd
,in the day of
trouble,wil l not leave you comfortless .
Journey on,then
,with firInness
,
— relyingon the promise of Him who is faithfu l a ndtrue — your day IS coming
,
—you wi l l , ere
long,enter in to your final rest
,a nd repose
from all your labors,
—you wil l take pos
session O f the promised inheritance,a nd
wil l then acknowledge with a gratefu l heart“A S my days
,SO my strength has been .
Let th is be your dai ly cryO Lord
,increase my strength
,a nd give
me grace,to use i t dai ly for the promotion
o f Thy glory,a nd for the hea lthy /develop
ment of my own soul,that
,in Thy good
time,I may be prepared for another and a
better world .
DAIL y STRENGTH. 95
Source of my life ’ s refreshing springs,Whose presence in my heart sustains me ,
Thy love appoints me pleasant things,
Thy mercy orders all that pains me .
If lonely hearts were never lone ly,If all they wish might always be
,
A ccepting what they look for only,
They might be glad,— but not in Thee .
We ll may Thine own beloved , who seeIn all the ir lot the ir Fath er’s pleasure
,
Bear loss of all they love , save thee ,The ir living, everlasting Treasure .
Well may Thy happy ch ildren ceaseFrom restless wishes prone to sin ,
A nd,in Thy own exceeding peace ,
Y ield to Thy daily d iscipline .
We need as much the cross w e bearA s air w e breathe
, a s l ight w e see
It draws us to Thy side in prayer,It binds us to our strength in Thee .
A . L . WARIN G.
Dreary a nd long our course may be ,But , O our God , it leads to TheeThou art the Light by which w e roam ,
Thou ‘art our everlasting H ome .
Earth a nd its pains w e still may fee l ,But Thou art ever near to heal !
96 TH E PA TH WA y OP PROMISE.
S till as our day , our strength shall be ,For a llour cares a re borne by Thee .
Thy mighty arm to smooth our way,Thy Light to turn our n ight to day ,Onwa rd with firmer steps w e roam ,
On. to our everlasting H ome .
A fli icted soul , to Christ draw near,Thy S aviour
’ s gracious promise hear !H is faithful word declares to thee ,That a s thy day , thy strength Shall be
Let not thy heart despond , a nd say ,H ow shall I stand this trying day ?H e has engaged , by firm decree ,That as thy day , thy strength shall be
Thy faith is weak , thy foes a re strong ,Perhaps the conflict may be long !Yet shall at last thy sorrows flee ,A nd a s thy day , thy strength shall be
When hov’ring death appears in
Christ ’ s presence shall thy fears subdue !H e smiles , a nd sets thy spirit free ,
For as thy days thy strength shall be !
When in that after-world of rest,
Where ransomed souls a re fully blest,H ow time in retrospect shall prove ,The word which told thee a ll is love
JOHN x . 28 , 29 .
A nd I give unto them eternal life ! a nd they Shallnever perish , ne ither Shall a ny pluck them out ofmy hand .
'
My Father, which gave them me,i s
greater than all ! a nd none is a ble to pluck themout of my Father ’ s hand .
”
R OM . V111 . 38 , 39 .
For I am- ~persuaded that ne ither dea th,nor life , nor
ange ls , nor principalitie s,nor powers , nor things
pre sent, nor things to come , nor he ight, nor depth ,nor a ny other creature , Shall be able to separate usfrom the love of God
,which is in Christ Je sus our
Lord .
”
PHILIP . i . 6 .
Being confident of this very thing , that he which hathbegun a good work in you w ill perform it until theday of Jesus Christ .
”
I THESS . v . 23, 24 .
A nd the very God of peace sanctify you wholly a nd
I pray God your whole Spirit . a nd soul , a nd body,be preserved blamele ss unto the coming of ourLord Jesus Christ . Faithful is he that calleth you,who also will do it .
2 THESS . iii . 3.
But the Lord’
s fa i thful, who shall stablish you , a ndkeep you from evil .”
1 PETER i . 5 .
Who a re kept by the power of God through faith untosalvation
,ready to be revealed in the last time .
”
PSALM cxxxviii . 8 .
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me : thymercy
, O Lord , endureth for ever : forsake not the
works of thine ow n hands .”
(98)
PROGRESS .
PROV. iv . 18.
The path of the j ust is a s the shining light , thatshineth more a nd more unto the perfect day .
IF
,in the Word Of God
,the Christian is
l ikened to a pi lgrim,we find also h is
l ife compared to a j ourney ! a nd ,perhaps
,
one reason for th is comparison i s,that he
is always making progress in the way .
There is no standing sti l l . Days,
a nd
months,a nd years
,hurry on with res istless
impetuosity. The chi ld soon passes intothe youth ! the youth into the ma n thema n into the aged veteran lean ing on hisstaff. A nd
,there is another progress made
by every one O f us . There is a path in theformation of characte r
,equally inevitable
,
which must be trodden,whether the resu lt
be good or bad . The events wh ich happen,
— the compan i ons with whom w e associate,
—the deeds of dai ly l ife,
—the very thoughtswhich pass through the min d — al l combinein leading on the ma n
,a nd i n forming his
(99)
100 TH E PA THWA Y OF PR OMISE.
character. This is especial ly true with re
gard to the bel iever in Christ ! a nd how
often i s he exhorted to press forwards a nd
onwards ! “ Grow in grace,a nd in the
knowledge Of Christ .” Give di l igence tomake your cal l ing a nd election su re .
”
“ Press forward to the mark for the prize ofthe high cal l ing Of God in Christ Jesus .“ Be not weary in wel l-doing
,for in due
season ye shal l reap if ye faint not .
” Furthermore
,w e beseech you,
brethren,a nd ex
hort you by the Lord Jesus,that a s ye have
received Of us how ye ought to walk a nd toplease God
,so ye would a Oonnd more a nd
more .
” I t is impossible for the bel iever topause In h is heavenward j ourney . He is
either advancing or going backward,
— not,
w hi le the pulse though feeble yet beats ,— not,
wh ile the eye though dim yet moves , is therea single pe riod when he ca n say
,Here wil l I
rest.” Forwards a nd onwards”must ever beh is motto ! a nd ,
as he grasps with firmness thebanner of the Cross
,a nd gazes upon i t in i ts
blood-stained beauty,a nd sees those golden
letters by th is conque r inscribed upon i t,
he must fol low w he re it leads— engagingin fresh confl icts
,surmounting fresh d ifficult
102 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE .
cuing the eastern horIz on,reveal ing the
dark a nd distant outl ine of the lofty h i l ls,
gra dual ly i l l uminating glen~a nd val ley, a ndsweeping away the l inge ring mists of n ight,-S O
,from the first dawn of spi ritual l ight
upon the sou l,
—even amid gloom a nd
shadow,there is a n onward progress
,
— faith,
a nd hope,a nd love are invigorate d — the
Spiritual understanding is matu red,
— richerconsolations are enj oyed
,a nd the heart ex
pands to the warm rays of the S un of
R ighteousness .”
A nd th is path is most su rely to conductto the perfect day .
” What certain harb ingers Of the ris ing sunare the first streaks ofdawn ! Thick mists ma y hover over theearth
,
— dark clouds ma y
—
shroud ber,— wi ld
i storms ma y sweep along the plains sti l l,in
s i lent a nd undeviating progress,the sun
wil l rise,
— a nd,a s su rely a s he rises
,so will
he attain his meridian splendor. Equal lycertain may w e be
,that the first dawn of
spiritual l ight is the undeviating precursorof a perfect day of glory . The d a y Ofgrace once begun
,must advance . There
may be many h indrances,— clouds of dark
a nd mysterious providences ! but noth ing
PROGRESS. 103
shal l impede its course,
— nothing shallarrest its progress . The Sun risen on the
sou l,with heal ing in His wings
,Sha llnever
stand sti l l,
—onwards it wil l rol l in i tsglorious orbit
,penetrating with its beams
every dark recess,unti l al l mental shadows
are merged a nd lost in its unclouded a nd
eternal splendor. See the Christian,after
he has descended into the gloomy valley,
a nd crossed the bi l lows of the Jordan ! Hestands upon Immanuel ’s Shore
,amid the
Splendors of that everlasting day,whose s un
Shal l set no more . Grace,the day-dawn
,
has now yielded to glory the perfect day .
”
The weary pi lgrim has emerged from theshadows of his pilgrimage
,a nd has entered
that world,of which it is said
,There Shall
be no n ight there .
” Dwells he on the peri lsa nd dangers through which he has passed
,
— the pains,a nd sufferings
,a nd privations
Of h is j ou rney,— the toi ls
,a nd trials
,a nd
anxieties of h is l ife,
-as if they had beentoo numerous
,painfu l a nd agon izing ? Ah ,
no ! Methinks,as he ente rs within the
portals Of the eternal city,with its wal l O f
sapphi re,a nd i ts gate of pear1
,
— as he gazeson the eternal throne
,a nd Him who S its
104 TH E PA TH WA y OP PR OMISE.
upon i t,a nd ta kes up h i s golden harp ,
th is,as it ha s been beautifu lly said
,wil l
form the burden Of h is song Bless theLord
,O my soul
,for H is converting grace
,
— H is prov idential deal ings , -His unceasing care a nd love . Saviour God
,Thou hast
led me by the right w a y ,
—I now see bywhat Thy dispensations towards me wereregulated
,a nd in what happiness they have
ended . I w a s chastened Of the Lord,that
I might not be condemned with the world .
Though I then did sow in tears,yet now I
reap in j oy. Often didst thou tu rn mygloomy n ight into sunny day. Many a
dark cloud of my pilgrimage hast Thoufringed with Thy golden beams . By Thyl ight I have walked through darkness manya long a nd lonely stage , Of my journey .
Blessed Saviour ! I praise Thee for Thy sustain ing grace
,— for Thy cheering presence
,
— for Thine unwave ring faithfulness , forThy tender love — I praise Thee for the
pains a nd sorrows,the a ffl i ctions a nd be
re a vements Of my earthly lot . A l l wereneeded . W i th not one stormy cloud
,— not
one n ight of suffering — with not one in
gred ient in my cup of sorrow could I safely
106 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
Christians with Chri st shall beSoon— a nd for ever.”
J . MON S ELL.
Let R eason vainly boast her powerTo teach her children how to d ie
The sinner, in a dying hour,Needs more than R eason ca n supply
A View of Christ , the sinner’s Friend ,A lone ca n cheer him in the end .
When nature sinks beneath disease,A nd every earthly hope is fled ,
What then ca n give the Sinner ease ,A nd make him love a dying bedJesus ! Thy smile hi s heart ca n chee r,H e
’s blest, e ’
en then,if Thou a rt near.
The gospe l does salvation bring,A nd Jesus is the gospe l theme !
In death redeemed Sinners sing ,A nd triumph in the S aviour’ s name
0 de a th,where is thy sting they cry,
O grave,where is thy Victory
Then le t me d i e the death of thoseWhom Jesus washes in H is blood,
Who on H i s faithfulness repose ,A nd know that H e indeed is God !
A round H is throne w e all Shall meet ,A nd cast our crowns beneath H is fee t .”
! ELLY.
ASSURANCE .
107)
2 S A M . xxiii . 5 .
A lthough my house be not so with God yet he hathmade with me a n everlasting covenant , ordered inall th ings, a nd sure : for this is all my salvation ,
a nd all my desire , although he make it not togrow .
”
H
ISA . lv . 3.
Incline your e a r, a nd come unto me : hear, a nd yoursoul shall live ! a nd I will make a n everlastingcovenant with you , even the sure mercies of David .
H OSEA n . 19 .
A nd I will betroth thee unto me for ever ! yea , I willbetroth thee unto me i n righteousness
,a nd in
judgment, a nd in loving-kindness, a nd in mercies .”
JOEL ifi . I6 .
The Lord also shall roar out of ! ion,a nd utter his voice
from Jerusalem ! a nd the heavens a nd the earthshall shake : but the Lord will be the hope of hispeople
, a nd the strength of the children of Israe l .”
2 TIM . i . 7 .
“ For God hath not given us the S piri t of fear ! but ofpower, a nd of love , a nd of a sound mind .
”
JOB x i . 1 5 .
For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot ! yea ,thou shalt be steadfast, a nd shalt not fear .”
PSALM xxxi . 24 .
B e of good courage , a nd he shall strengthen yourheart
,all ye that hope in the Lord .
”
ISA . x n . 2.
Behold , God is my salvation ! I will trust , a nd not be
afraid : for the Lord Jehovah is my strength a nd
my song ! he also is become my salvation .
”
(108)
1 10 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PROMISE.
year had seen h im more ardent a nd zealousbolde r a nd more abund ant in labors . If
we want to know what h is l i fe w a s,we have
on ly to turn to the 1 1 th chap . of 2 Cor.,
Of the Jews received I forty stripes saveone . Tt e was I beaten with rods
,once
was I stoned,
”&c. That was h is dai ly
,out
ward l ife ! yet we Shall greatly mistake thel ife Of that glorious apostle if we suppose itto have been a gloomy a nd unhappy one .
I t was fi lled with blessedness,— the blessed
ness which arises from inward peace,from
commumon with God in Christ,a nd from
self-sa crifice a nd consecration to H is ser
vice . But,we notice ch iefly the fact
,!that it
i s no beginner who utters these hopefu lwords . NO it i s Pau l
,
“ the aged,
— Pau l,
bending beneath the burden of many years,
— the veteran spi ritual warrior ! for he tellsus
,
“ I am now ready to be offered,a nd the
time of my departure is at hand . I t w a sthus
,at the close of l ife ’s j ou rney
,
— Ou thevery brink Of the Jordan
,when i ts dark
waters were rushing by h is s ide,— that he
e ncouraged the young Timothy,feeble in
constitution,whom he so tende rly loved a s
h is son in the gospel — who w a s entering
ASSURANCE . 1 1 1
into the service from which he was about tobe removed
,a nd who was exposed to the
peri ls a nd hardsh ips from which he was escaping
,to watch in al l things
,endure
affl ictions,do the work Of an evangel ist
,a nd
make ful l proof Of his min istry.
” I t was atth is momentous crisis
,that his faith approved
itself,
—not the leaf,driven by the tempest
,
-not the reed,Shaken with the wind
,
— buta n oa k
,more deeply rooted
,by the raging
blasts of a thousand storms,a nd unmoved
,
when the last mighty whi rlwinds we re sweeping through its branches . He stands beforeus
,in the attitude of calm Christian assu r
ance,with the fire of heaven l ighting Up h is
eye,even while the chain of persecution i s
fretting h is aged frame,a nd the fire or sword
of martyrdom is waiting for its prey . Theshades of eventide are beginn ing to gather
,
but the gleam of a brighte r S k y i s seen be
yond,a nd
,with the assu red conviction
,that
the Object Of h is l ife is fu lly accompli shed,
these are h is impress ive words,
“ I knowwhom I have bel ieved
,a nd I am persuaded
that He is able to keep that wh ich I havecommi tted to Him against that day . Wemay imagine h im in his lonely
,gl oomy cel l
,
1 12 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PROMISE.
rev i ew Ing his past eventfu l l ife, casting hiseye on the peri lous path he had traversed
,
a nd on the Ebenezers with which it w a smarked . He seems to sa y ,
Time was whenI had other hopes a nd prospects
,— when
another ground Of confidence was m ine,
when,i f I had trusted in the world ’s prom
ises,I had a bri l l iant prospect before me
wealth,honor
,fame : al l these were the
gi lded toys which urged me onward ! but,another vis ion was presented
, ya rns, whomI persec uted
,spake to me . His service was
Void of al l earthly honor ! I had nought toantic ipate but suffe ring a nd shame — thebitter hosti l ity of foeS
,
— the unkind d eser
tion Of fri ends,
— I had S inful habits to break,
— gu i lty pass ions to subdue,a nd countless
dangers to brave,
— but He said unto me,
‘My grace is sufficient for thee,a nd my
strength is made perfect in weakne ss .
’ Itook H im at H is word
,-I embraced H im
as my Saviou r,
— I placed myself a t His d isposal
,Lord
,what wi lt Thou have me to
do Though O f s inners the ve ry ch ief,He
welcomed me a nd then I learned the deptha nd s incerity O f His love
,
—the strength a ndsecurity of H is friendship ! then I learned
1 14 TH E P A THWA Y OF PROMISE.
undergone ,, a nd even now i s at its sharpest .For H is cause I suffe r these th ings ,
‘nevertheless
,I am not ashamed .
’ He is sti l l myal l in all
,— the Faithful a nd True . God for
bid tha t s I should glory save in the cross ofChrist . ’ I am crucified with Christ
,never
theless I l ive ! yet not I , but Christ l iveth inme ! a nd the life which I now l ive in theflesh
,I l ive by the faith of the Son Of God
who loved me,a nd gave H imself for me .
I have entrusted my“
soul to H im,a nd I am
persuaded that i t is safe in His keeping . I
am not making a plunge into etern i ty in thedark
,— I am not fl inging myself into the
fires of martyrdom bl indfold ! but I haveweighed the grounds Of my conviction ,
— I
have looked at the soundness of the Rock,to see whether i t wi l l bear me
,
—I havetasted that ‘the Lord !
is gracious,
’
a nd,
therefore,am confident O f th is very th ing,
that He which hath begun a good workin me wi l l perform i t unti l the day ofChrist . ’
Oh,strong assurance ! most comforting
persuas ion ! Christian ! do you desire tohave the same confidence in Jesus in a dying hour ? Then l ive to Jesus a s did the
ASSURANCE.
apostle . Give H im your confidence , you rlove
,
— a nd He wil l prove h imself faithful tothe end . I t may not be
,that you shal l ex
h ibit the same strong faith ,or give ex
pression to the same feel ings Of unshakenrel iance on the Saviour
,but you w ill have
peace,you w illhave secu rity. Let the Shad
ows gathe r round you,dark a nd gloomy
,
let the n ight close in upon your weary footsteps
,threatening a nd tempestuous— sti l l the
eye of faith wil l discove r the Sou l-guardian
,
— the Treasure-keepe r,
— the Friend thatsticketh close r than a ny brother . DO youlong for the grace of ossnm nco ?— do youfee l
,at times
,a doubt of your sou l ’s
safe ty ? So did the apostle . He dreaded,
lest “ after having preached to others,he
h imself should be a castaway .
” Assu rancei s not a grace given to the be l ieve r
,a nd
never again weakened or removed . His e x
perience i s varied , his j ou rney is not a llsunshine . There a re time s Of cloud
,a nd storm
,
a nd tempest,
—ye a ,
even when h is heart i sglad a nd j oyous
,
— when,w ith a holy rapt
u re,he ca n exclaim
,
“ Thou hast anointedmine head with Oil
,a nd made my cup to
run over,there are unseen yet powerful
TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
agencies at work ,to depre ss a nd saddenhis
sou l . TO-day,he is bold a nd ardent
,— to
morrow,weak a nd feeble ! to d ay, he real
izes the assurance,
“ I have blotted out thytransgress ions as a cloud
,a nd thine in iq
uitie s as a th ick cloud from before me !— to-morrow
,he is sunk in the very depths
of despondency,a nd cries out
,O wretched
ma n that I am ! who shal l del iver me fromthe body Of th is death ? Long years of
train ing a nd discipl ine are needed,ere the
Christian ca n hope to take up the languageof the great apostle — But
,fear not
,trem
bl ing one — Sti l l cast your burden on theLord
,a nd He wi l l sustain you ,
” sti l l cl ingto the assu rance . I wil l not leave thee norforsake thee .
” Oh ! look back on the pageof your experience
,as did the apostle
,a nd
be not afraid .
” See your pilgrimage-path,
studded th ick with Ebenezers,testi fying
to your Saviour’s faithfu lness a nd mercy .
Think Of H is man i fold gracious interposit ions in the past
,
— sustaining you in trial,
supporting you in perplexity,he lp ing you
,
when vain w a s the help of ma n . Takethese th ings as the pledges Of faithfulness
1 18 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
The friends gone there before me ,A re calling from on high
,
A nd j oyous ange ls o ’er me
,
Tempt Sweetly to the sk y .
Why wait ? they say , a nd whither’Mid scenes of death a nd sin ?
Oh, rise to glory hither ,A nd find true life begin .
’
I hear the invitation,
A nd fain would rise a nd come,A sinner to salvation
,
A n exile to his home .
But while I here must linger,Thus
,thus , let all I see
Point on with faithful finger,TO heaven
, O Lord , a nd Thee .
H . F. LYTE .
Lord,when w e bend before Thy throne,
A nd our confessions pour,
Teach us to fee l the sins w e own ,
A nd shun what w e deplore .
Our contrite spirits pitying see ,A nd pen iten ce impart
A nd let a healing ray from TheeBeam hOpe upon the heart .
When w e disclose our wants in prayer,May w e our wills resign !
A nd not a thought our bosoms share ,Which is not wholly Thine .
Let faith each meek petition fill,
A nd waft it to the skies !A nd teach our hearts ’ ti s goodness stillThat grants i t or denies .”
ISA . xi . 1 1 .
H e shall feed his flock l ike a shepherd : he shallgather the lambs with his arm , a nd carry them in
his bosom, a nd shal l gently lead those that a re with
ISA . xiii . 3.
A bruised reed shall he not break,a nd the smok ing
flax shall he not quench ! he shall bring forthjudgment unto truth .
”
JOHN xv. 9 .
“ A S the father hath loved me , so have I loved you !continue ye in my love .
PSALM xxxiii . 18 .
“ Behold,the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear
him,upon them that hope in his mercy .
”
! ECH . ii . 8 .
For thus saith the Lord of hosts , A fter the glory hathhe sent me unto the nations which spoiled you ! forhe that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye .
”
MATT. x . 80 .
B ut the very hairs of your head a re all numbered .
LU ! E xxi . 18 .
But there shall not a n hair of your head perish .
(1 22)
CAREFULNESS .
1 COR . vn . 32 .
But I would have you without carefulness.
MATT . vi . 34 .
“ Take no thought for the morrow : the morrow shalltake thought for the things of itself. Suffi cient forthe day is the evil thereof.”
E associate the Saviour ’s inj unctiona nd the apostle ’s wish togethe r
,
because both set before us the same greattruth
,a nd indicate the same l ine of Chris
tian conduct . Let not these words be misunde rstood . Neither the Saviou r nor Hisapostle would desi re men to be “ withoutcarefulness ”
in regard to thei r h ighest,
thei r eternal interests . The words areaddressed to bel ieve rs
,
— to those who havebeen led to look for pardon
,peace
,a nd
safety in Christ,the Redeemer ! a nd what is
meant by ca refu lness is not prudent attent ion
,but anxious corroding care
,a nd that
chiefly in regard to temporal matters . OurLord enj oins
,not the d ism i ssal of fore
( 1 23)
1 24 TH E PA THWA Y OP PROMISE .
thought,but that we should suppress
v a ll
painfu l anxiety as to what the future maybe storing up for us, a nd rest assured thatwe wi ll find al l ou r strength a nd energyneeded w hen the hour of trial actual lyarrives . Indeed
,He commended fore
thought : for in the preceding verse He hadsaid
,Seek ye first the kingdom Of God
a nd His righteousness,
”a nd in l ike manner
the apostle exhorts Christians,
-to “ givedil igence to make thei r cal l ing a nd electionsure
,
”—to “
forget . those th ings which arebehind
,a nd reach forth unto those th ings
which are before,
”— to labor that they may
enter into the heaven ly rest .” In a matte rof such infin i te moment as our hope foretern ity
,we ought not
,
—w e cannot be,with
out thought or anxiety . We Should beanxious to grow in grace a nd in the knowledge of Christ ,
”— anxious to “ show di l i
gence to the ful l assu rance Of hope,
”
anxious to “ work out our ow n salvationwith fear a nd trembl ing ,
— anxious to fightthe good fight of faith
,a nd lay hold on
eternal l i fe .
Even with regard to our temporal interests
,we may be sure the Saviou r does not
1 26 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PR OMISE.
lawfu l a nd innocent means to Obtain a competent l ivel ihood
,
— a nd to be thankfu l thath is heaven ly Father ha s enabled h im
,by
patient industry,or even by hard a nd to i l
some labor, to earn his dai ly bread . Suchis not the care about which we are warned
,
— Such is not the thoughtfulness wh ichshould be ban ished from the mind . Wemay be carefu l in providing things honestin the S ight of al l men
,
”—carefu l in laying
out to the best advantage the portion of
worldly good with which God ha s blesseduS
,
—without infringing on the precept heregiven ! na y ,
the apostle elsewhere declares,
that “ i f a ny provide ,
not for his own,a nd
special ly for those O f his own house,he
hath denied the faith,and is worse than an
infideL”
But,then
,whilst SO do ing
,we must bear
in mind,our entire
,
—our constant,
— dai lydependence upon God . We must seek toreal ize that without H is bless ing ,
al l ourcare
,and thought
,a nd di l igence wi l l be
fru itless,a nd we must
,to rid ourselves of
S infu l fears a nd apprehens ions about thefuture
,cast al l our care upon Him
,know
ing that He careth for us .
” We are to enter
CAREFULNESS. 1 27
upon no undertaking — form no plan,
make no arrangements for the morrow,with
out committing them into Hi s hands,in
firm re l iance on the declaration O f Scriptu re,
that “ the bless ing of the Lord,i t maketh
rich,a nd He addeth no sorrow with i t .”
How many,alas ! disregard a nd wholly
neglect th is in thei r dai ly l ives ! Theyscheme a nd plan for the future
,as i f al l
depended on thei r own energy a nd forethought
,
—as if they themselves cou ld turnthe current of future events . No wonderthey rise Up early a nd s it up late
,a nd eat
the bread of sorrows .
” Mark the furrowson the brow
,— l isten to the anxious inqui ry
,
— see the restless runn ing to a nd fro,
—thesetting aside
,sometimes the total disregard
,
of higher a nd nobler interests,for the things
of time . N ow,i t i s th is carking care
,—th is
wearing sol ic itude,which is forbidden by
Christ,a nd i s inconsistent with a true a nd
l ively faith .
Not al l the b l ighting of cherished hopesthe frustra ting of plans , a nd the fai lure Of
the most careful ly arranged schemes,wi l l
teach some men how utterly powerless theya re over to-morrow . The merchant enters
1 28 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE .
into peri lous specu lations,a nd to-morrow
the crash of disappointment comes,
—he i sleft ru ined and penn i less . The wealthycitizen invests his thousands in some fai rand flattering scheme
,— to-morrow it i s
found false a nd deceptive,
-al l h is carefu lness has been “of no avai l . The farmer
,
elated by a time O f unusual prosperity,ex
tends more widely h is operations,
a nd
undertakes far more than he i s able to a c
complish,
— to-morrow comes,and the sun
sh ine has departed,
— misfortune a nd calamity are now his porti on . The laborer
,d is
satisfied with the wages O f to-day,abandons
h is work,sure that he wil l largely increase
h is gains in some other quarter. To-morrow his hopes are unreal ized
,
— he encoun
ters only disappointment a nd loss .
The true Christian,however
,who ha s
committed his interests to God,a nd left
the iss ue in His hands,should be
,without
carefulness .
” He has the promise of hisheaven ly Father
,that al l th ings shal l work
together for h is good . If to-morrow bringheavier duties or severer trials
,to-morrow
wil l also bring a larger measure Of gracea nd patience . NO combination of adverse
I39 TH E P A THWA y OP P R OMISE.
come fa int a nd disheartened,
a nd . our
anxieties wi l l but increase the more . Letus cast al l ou r care upon Him who carethfor us
,
’ ’
confident that,let to-morrow bring
what it ma y ,He wil l s ustain us i n every
d ifficulty ,-comfort a nd rel i eve us in every
emergency,— a nd make His grace suf
ficient for us .
” The interests of God ’speople are H is constant care
,— and by H is
most sure word He has undertaken tosupply al l thei r need . He wil l not
,i t is
true,impart gra ce before it is neede d — but
neither wil l He fai l to communicate it whenit i s actually needed .
If only we would look to the past,a nd
reflect on God ’s deal ings with us,we wil l
find that such has been His procedure . Oh !how Often
,in the day of sorrow a nd dis
tress,has He given the very comfort we
stood In need of,— the measu re of strength
by which we were enabled to bear the trial !How often
,in the time of S ickness
,ha s He
rel ieved our pain when most severe,
— a nd
mitigated our sufferings,when “ vain was
the help Of ma n !” How Often
,too
,have
H is gracious promises come to us in thevery
,
extrem ity of ou r need,— and
,
“in the
CA R E FULN E S S . 131
multitude of our thoughts w i th in US,H is
comforts del ighted our sou lsMay we not then sa y ,
“ The Lord hathbeen mindful of us
,a nd He wi l l b less US
sti l l ? ” He that spared not His own
S on,but del ivered Him up for U S al l
,
”
will not withhold that dai ly care we needfor our comfort . He who adopted us intoHis family
,— accepted us in the Beloved
,
a nd made us partakers of the promiseswhich are in Christ Jesus
,
— H e who ha s
loved US with an everlasting love,wil l watch
over us in every hour Of danger,and over
ru le a nd control al l for our final good . Weknow not what the future may bring
,— but
we know that i t is His to order everyth ingin heaven a nd in earth
,a nd that
,in every
emergency, we may look to H im for S UC
cor. Every want He ca n supply,— every
difficulty He ca n remove,
— every fear d ispel
,a nd
,trusting to H is guardianship
,
relying on His care,we may
,regarding the
unknown a nd inscrutable events Of to-morrow unhes itatingly sa y ,
“ The Lord wi llprovide .
Yes,Christian
,many troubles may sur
round you,— many dangers may threaten
TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
you,— your hearth may become drea ry a nd
desolate,a nd every earthly comfort be
remove d — sti ll,amid al l these outward i l ls
,
anchor you r sou l on the sure word of
prom ise,
“ I am with you alway,even to
the end ! and let th is be you r prayer
O Lord,give me Thy heavenly grace
,
that I may cast al l my care upon Thee,
knowing that Thou carest for me ! a nd ,by
whatever path Thou leadest me,Oh ! save
me from al l doubt Of Thy love,and bring
me c loser to Thyself. ”
Though some good things of lower worthMy heart 15 called on to resign ,
Of all the gifts In heaven a nd earthThe best, the very best 15 mine
The love of God in Christ made known,The love th a t is enough alone ,My Father’ s love i s all my own .
My soul ’ s R estorer, let me learnIn that deep love to live a nd rest
Let me the precious thing d iscernOf which I am indeed possess
’d
134 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
When black the threa t’n ing clouds appear,A nd storms my path invade ,
That Voice shall tranquilliz e each fear’Tis I , be not afraid .
’
There~is a gulf that must be cross’d ,
Saviour ! be near to aid !Whisper, when my fra il bark is toss’d
’Tis I, be not afraid .
’
There is a dark a nd fearfu l vale ,Death hides within i ts shade !
Oh sa y, when flesh a nd hea rt shall fa il’Tis I , be not afra id .
AB I D I NG WITH GOD.
E ! OD . xix . 5“ Now therefore , i f ye will obey my voice indeed , a ndkeep my covenant , then ye shal l be a peculiartreasure unto me above all people ! for al l theearth i s mine .
A DEUT . vii . 1 2 .
Wherefore it shall come to pass , if ye hearken tothese j udgments , a nd keep, a nd do them ,
that theLord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenanta nd the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers .”
DEUT . xi . 27 .
A blessing , if ye obey the commandments of the Lordyour God
,which I command you this day .
”
DEUT . xxx . 1 5 , 16.
S ee,I have set before thee this day l ife a nd good
, a nd
death a nd evil ! in that I command thee this day tolove the Lord thy God , to walk in h is ways , a nd tokeep his commandments
,a nd his statute s , a nd his
j udgments , that thou mayest l ive a nd multi ply ! a nd
the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the landwhither thou goest to posse ss it .”
1 JOHN ii . 6.
H e that saith he a Oz’
o’et/z in him
,ought himself also so
to walk , even as he walked .
”
PSALM l . 23.
Whoso Offereth praise glorifieth me a nd to him thatordereth his conversation aright will ,I Show the
salvation of God .
”
MATT . x 11 . 50.
For whosoeve r shall do the will of my Father whichis in heaven
, the same is my brother, a nd sister, a ndmother
138 TH E PATHWA Y OF PROMISE.
senting a united front to the world ’s persecutions The apostle says
,N O ! Chris
ti a nity w a s never intended to interfere withexisting relationships ! i t w a s no part Of therel igion of\Christ to alte r the forms Of civi lgovernment . On the contrary
,i t even set
i tself to the support of existing institutions,
by requ iring of its disc iples that they shouldbe content
,whatever their
‘
condition .
Christian men were to remain in those re
la tionships i n which they were , a nd in themto develop the inward spiritual ity Of theChristian l ife . No doubt
,Christian ity
wou ld gradual ly tel l Upon the pol itics,a s
well as the morals O f a land . I t would,i f
thoroughly fol lowed out,abol ish war a nd
Slavery,a nd every form of oppress ion ! but
not by exciting prej udice,or attempting to
overturn exi sting institutions . The slave,
who had with j oy embraced a rel igion whichtaught the worth a nd dign i ty of the humanS OUl
,— a rel igion which declared that rich
and poor,peer a nd peasant
,master a nd
s lave,were equal in the sight of God
,— the
slave,who had come to know that there
w a s such a th ing as brotherhood and Christian equal ity
,and who m ight thus be
AB IDING WITH 6 00 . I39
tempted a nd exc ited to throw off the cruela nd Oppressive yoke by force , w a s not
taught to labor for the acqu is ition of hisfreedom . No ! but he was told of a higherfeel ing
,— a feel ing that would make h im
free,even with the chain a nd shackle upon
h is l imbs . He was told of the poss ibi l i tyof being a high a nd lofty Christian
,even
though in bondage,
— told Of h is true dign ity as a ma n
,as a chi ld of God
,a n hei r of
glory . Were he to have h is choice,then
,
indeed,St . Pau l b ids h im prefer l iberty.
But the great Christian ru le was th is,Let
every ma n wherein he is cal led therein ab idewith God .
”
Now,this great truth cannot be too fre
quently insisted Upon,that i t matters not
what a Christian ’s walk in l ife may be,he
ha s Opportun ities,if he on ly take advantage
Of them,of truly serving a nd honoring h is
Divine Master . A nd one great reason whyrel igion does not advance more rapidly
,
may be found in th is,that Christian men
a nd women ! albeit they are earnest a nd s in
cere,do not real ize the fact
,that they ca n
labor for God,a nd advance His cause
,even
in the midst of the most common a nd
1 40 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE .
men ial occupations,
— that Christianity doesnot cal l a ma n away from his occupation or
residence ! but in these to adorn the doctrine of God his Saviour in al l th ings . TheSaviour likened His kingdom to good seed .
I t was to Spring up and grow,raising up
other plants to scatter forth seed also,unti l
the whole land should become one fru itfu lfield . He l ikened it to a grain of mustardseed
,—the least of al l seeds
,
— which wheni t i s grown
,becomes a tre e , so that the
b i rds of the ai r come a nd lodge in thebranches thereof. He l ikened it to leaven
,
which a woman took a nd hid in threemeasures of meal
,ti l l the whole was leav
ened . I t was by the leaven coming intocontact with the meal that the whole became leavened ! a nd SO the fol lowers of
Christ,coming into contact with the ch i l
dren of the world,are to commend His re
lig ion,a nd spread its influence wider
,by
thei r pu re,earnest
,a nd Christl ik e temper
a nd bearing . Thei r dai ly l ives,so to speak
,
are to be perpetual pleadings with ma n forGod ! a nd
,by exhibiting the soften ing
power of Christ’s grace,by holding up the
mi rror of a l ife bright with purity and love
1 42 TH E PA THWA y OF PROMISE.
faith on works,and not onChrist . Bes ides
,
the world is our appointed Sphere of action !there , we are not merely to cease to doevi l
,but learn to do well ! there we are to
be proof against temptation, a nd to fight thegood figh t ! there , we are to mainta in ,
nota negative
,but a positive Characte r ! a nd ,
asthe servants of Christ
,we are to be blame
less,not through freedom from temptation
,
but through overcoming it by His impartedgrace . Christian ! you are called to carryyou r rel igion into the world ! a nd in theperformance even of its meanest a nd mosttrivial duties
,to serve God . You are to
strive by His help to make a bad worldbetter ! a nd
,so to l ive in i t
,that men may
honor you,a nd
,when you die
,that they
may m iss you. Think nOt,that yours i s a
call ing in which you cannot “ abide withGod .
” If i t is lawful,however humble i t
may be,there in you may conform to the
a postol ic inj unction,a nd be a faithfu l a nd
di l igent servant of Christ. Rel igion doesnot demand the forgetfulness of our worldlyduties . It is not to be confined to theSabbath day or the house of prayer
,but is
to be diffused through al l our week-day
AB IDING WITH 143
employments a nd occupations . It is true,
that these must be attended to,
— tru e thatbusiness
,with its man ifold requ irements
,
must be attended to — true,that we must
labor diligently for our dai ly brea d — true,
that we must associate with our fel low-men,
a nd take part in the secu larities of l ife .
But into al l these rel igion may,a nd i f we
would abide with God must,accompany
us . We may ply the busy hand throughthe hours of 1abor
,-prosecute our dai ly
employment,
— relax our feel ings amid theenj oyments of the domestic ci rcle
,
— indulgein the prattle of infancy
,a nd in all the j oy
ousneS S of a n innocent heart — yet carryreligion with us into al l
,a nd diffuse it as a
coloring through al l the substance of l ife .
O ur commonest daily occupation may thusbe sa nctified
,— the Spi rit of our inner l ife
may run through al l our words and actions ,a nd whi le “ di l igent in business
,
” we ma yyet be fervent in spirit
,serving the Lord .
We may discharge every duty,— partake of
every innocent j oy ,— engage in everyhonest a nd lawful occupation
,in the spirit
of the Lord,whose meat a nd drink it was
to do the wi l l of God .
” There is not one
144 TH E PA THWA Y OE PR OMISE.
of us— no matter what be his S ituation, in
l ife— but may thus abide with God .
”
A nd,so far from rel igion being incom
pa tible w ith a due regard to the j ust interests a nd e ngagements of the present l ife
,it
wil l ever be found that a proper attentionto them is secu red by rel igious principles !for
,it i s by a patient continuance in well
doing,
” that we are to “ seek for glory,
honor,a nd immortal ity.
”
Reader ! be active,be industrious
,be
d i l igent in you r ord inary pursu its . This isyou r Father ’s will . Be a n example of
blameless integri ty a nd of selfr deny ingbenevolence
,
— be faithful in the dischargeof al l the duties which are lawfully requ i redof you,
belonging to the stati on which God ’sprovidence ha s cal led you to fi l l . DO al lth is from a .. purer a nd higher principle thanworldl ings do i t
,on the high principle of
approving yourself to your Father in
heaven ” Do it with a V iew to glorify Godon earth
,
— that the rel igion you profess maybe honore d — that Christ may be glorified ,that the cause of the gospel may be a d
va nced . Whi lst you aim ,as you may law
ful ly aim,a t success in the business of th is
146 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
Come , not in terrors , as the ! ing of kings ,But kind a nd good
,with healing in Thy wings,
Tears for all woes , a heart for every plea,Come , Friend of sinners, a nd thus abide with me .
Thou a r my head in early youth didst smile,
A nd,though rebelllous a nd perverse meanwhile
Thou hast not left me , oft a s I left Thee :
On to the close , O Lord , abide with me .
H . F. LYTE.
Why thus longing, thus for ever Sighing,For the far off, una tta in ’d a nd dim
,
While the beautiful , all round thee lying,Offers up i ts low , perpetual hymn
VV
ouldst thou li sten to its gentle teaching,A ll the restless yearn ings i t would still !Leaf a nd flower, a nd laden bee , a re preaching,Thine own Sphere , though humble , first to fill.
Poor indeed thou must be , if around theeThou no ray of light a nd j oy canst throwIf no silken cord of love hath bound theeTo some little world through weal a nd woe
If no dear eyes thy fond love ca n brighten,N O fond Voices answer to thine own
If no brother’s sorrow thou canst lighten,By daily sympathy a nd gentle tone .
A B ID ING WITH GOD . 147
Not by deeds that the crowd applauses,
Not by works that give the world renown ,
Not by martyrdom , or va unted crosses,Canst thou w in a nd wear the immortal crown .
D a ily struggling , though enclosed a nd lonely,Every day a rich reward will give
Thou wilt find , by hearty striving , only,A nd truly loving , thou canst truly live
1 S A M . ii . 30 .
Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith , I said indeedthat thy house , a nd the house of thy father
,should
walk be fore me for ever : but now the Lord saith,
B e it far from me ! for them that honor me I wil lhonor, a nd they that despise me shall be lightlyesteemed .
”
PROV . iii . 9 , 10 .
H onor the -Lord with thy substance , a nd w ith the
first-fruits of all thine incre a se ! so Shall thy barnsbe filled w ith plenty, a nd thy presses shall burstout with new wine .
”
PSALM x cn . 1 .
“ It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, a nd toSing praises unto thy name , 0 most H igh .
”
PSALM cxxxv . 3.
“ Praise the Lord ! for the Lord i s good : sing praisesunto his name for it is pleasant .”
2 COR . ix . 6, 7 .
But this I sa y, H e w hich soweth spari ngly Shall reapsparingly ! a nd he which soweth bountifully shallreap also bountifully . Every ma n according a s he
purposeth in his heart, so let him give ! not grudgingly, or of. necessity ! for God loveth a cheerfulgiver .”
2 COR . viii . 1 2 .
For if there be first a willing mind , it is accepted a c
cording to that a ma n hath, a nd not according to
that he hath not .
”
1 TIM . vi . 1 7 , 19 .
Charge them that a re rich in this world , th a t they benot high-minded
, nor trust in uncertain riches , butin the l iving God , who giveth us richly all thingsto enjoy ! that they do good , that they be rich ingood works
,ready to distribute , willing to com
mun ica te laying up in store for themse lves a goodfoundation against the time to come , that they maylay hold on e ternal life .
”
GRATITUDE .
PSALM cxvi . 1 2 .
What shall I render un to the Lord for all his benefits ?
HE Christian,as he j ourneys onwards
in the pathway of l ife , ought frequently to look back , a nd standing, as itwere
,on the shadowy side of the hil l , re
view the way by which God has led him .
If we would keep al ive our gratitude,
— it
we wou ld have it to increase more a nd
more,ti l l
,l ike a holy flame
,i t burn with in
us,
— we must often,in thought
,retrace the
varied turn ings a nd windings O f our earthlypilgrima ge . We are SO prone
,amid our
daily duties a nd our converse with theworld
,to forge t a nd overlook the benefits
received,that only by a carefu l a nd frequent
retrospect,ca n we continue
,from day to
day,cherish ing a spi rit of true a nd eve r
increas ing thankfulness to God . But,the
Oftener w e make the review,the greate r
cause wil l we have for saying,with David
,
(1 5 1)
TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE .
Who am I,O Lord God
,a nd what is my
father ’s house,that thou hast brought me
h ithertoChristian you cannot indeed reckon up
al l the benefits you have received from the
hand of God,
— for they are numerous a s
the stars of heaven or the drops of themighty ocean . Your common mercies
,
alas ! too l ightly value d— the ai r youbreathe
,
— the return of the gladsome sun
l ight,
- the su ccess ion of the seasons,
— a nd
the qu iet a nd gentle sti llness a nd repose ofnight
,— al l these
,with thei r unnumbered
host of attendant blessings,are scattered on
your path . But,se lect a few of the benefits
you have rece ived,i f on ly to awaken fresh
gratitude .
~You have enjoyed,i t may be
,
years of unbroken health,
-or,i f you have
been V is ited by S ick ness,
'
you have been ,through God ’s infin i te me rcy
,restored .
Whi le others have been tossing for wearymonths upon the bed of languishing
,a nd
many been h u rried into etern ity, a s in thesuddenness of a moment , unprepared a nd
imp’
en i tent,
— you are sti l l in the land Of thel iving a nd the place of hope . Look intothe full graves around you,
— th ink of the
TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
Providence,secretly a nd wonderfu l ly work
ing for your happiness a nd comfort ?Reflect
,too
,on the manifold Spiritual
mercies you have enj oye d — mercies,from
so ma n~
y 2 w ithheld,
— the Word of God inyour home
,— the house of God to repair
to,
—the means of grace,
— the hal lowed restof the Sabbath
,
— seasons of holy commun ion
,— times of refresh ing from the
presence of the Lord . Think,too
,of the
commun i cations of grace from above,
comforting,sustain ing
,prevent ing grace
,
grace for the family a nd the close t,the
church,a nd the worl d — a nd
,wi l l you not
again sa y ,What shal l I render unto the
Lord for al l h is benefitsChristian ! let US he lp you to give an
answer to the question . If you a re tru lygrateful
,you wi l l love the Lord . This is
the best return you ca n make for Hisinnume rable bless ings— His unmeritedfavors
,
-i'
t i s what He ch iefly demands,
without which,al l othe r re turns are value
less a nd O f no account. This is “ the firsta nd great commandment
,— the sum a nd
substance of al l rel igious a nd gratefu l Obed ience
,that we “ love the Lord our God
GR A TITUB E. I 55
with al l our heart,a nd with al l our soul
,
a nd with al l our strength , and with al l ourm ind .
”
If you are tru ly gratefu l to God,you
w i l l honor H im with you r hope a nd trust,
—you wil l make Him the object of devout
address a nd prayer for time to come . Innoth ing does God declare H imse lf morehonored by His Chi ldren
,than in be ing re
garded with firm trust a nd confidence,
a nd,not only IS i t true that the ‘
more weask
,the more we sha ll receive
,— but the
oftener we ask,the more readi ly a nd cheer
ful ly wil l the blessing be bestowed . Noth
ing i s more pleasing a nd del ightful to Himwho is the Fountain Of a ll grace
,than to
have humble,trusting souls coming to His
footstool,a nd
,by earnest prayers Offered
up in faith,drawing forth out of the in
exha'
ustible stores of His bounty,what they
stand in need of,to strengthen them for
dai ly duty,or to support them under pain
ful trial .If you are truly gratefu l to God for His
benefits,you wil l strive to walk before Him
in the land of the l iving . I t wi l l be you reffort to serve God in al l the duties of a
1 56 TH E PATHWA Y OF PR OMISE .
s incere a nd exemplary,
— of a holy a nd
gratefu l obedience . YOU wil l make thepious regularity of your l ife
,testify your
s incere a nd unfe igned gratitude . You willendea von to maintain always on your minda l ively sense of H is abid ing presence
,in '
order that you may make i t your ch ief a ndconstant care
,to approve yourself in H is
s ight .If you are tru ly gratefu l
, you w i l l becareful to pay your vows unto the Lord .
Such was the resolution of the Psalm ist,
a nd,surely
,i t i s a n indispensable re tu rn for
the countless benefits received Reader !he re there is much room for heart-searching ,
—the promise,made upon a S ick-bed
,
where is its fulfilment ? the resolution,
formed when the star of hope again gl immered on your pathway
,whe re is i t now ?
the secret purpose,awakened in the sou l by
some providential de l ive rance,has it ever
reached its accompl ishment ?Finally
,gratitude to God for H is benefits
,
wil l tend to increase you r del ight in Hisservice . Your gratitude a nd Obedience aresu re to rise a nd fal l together. Gratitude toGod for benefits received
,recommends us
1 58 TH E PA THWA Y OP PROMISE.
A nd there , when youth , a nd health , a nd strength,A nd energy have fled
,
The Shades of evening peacefullyShall close around my head .”
PRAYER .
( 1 59)
! ECH . x 11 . 10 .
“A nd I will pour upon the house of David , a nd uponthe inhabitants of Jerusalem , the Spir i t of grace a nd
o f supplications ! a nd they shall look upon me whomthey
A ha ve pierced , a nd they Shall mourn for /him, a s
one mourne th for his only son ,a nd shall be in
bitterness for him,as one that is in bi tterness for his
first-born .
R OM . viii . 1 5 , 26 , 27 .
For ye have not re ce ived the spirit of bondage againto fear ! but ye have rece ived the S pirit of adoption ,
whereby w e cry,A bba
,Father . Likewise the
S pirit also helpe th our infirmi ti es : for w e know not
what w e should pray for a s w e ought : but the S pirititse lf make th intercession for us with groaningswhich cannot be uttered . A nd he that searcheththe hearts knoweth what is the mind of the S pirit ,because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God .
”
GA L . iv .!
6 .
“A nd because ye a re sons , God h a th sent forth the Spiritof his S on into your he a rts
,crying , A bba , Father.”
PSALM x . 1 7 .
“ Lord,thou hast he a rd the des i re of the humble : thou
wilt prepare their heart , thou wilt ca use thine e a r to
hear .”JOHN xvi . 24 .
H itherto have ye asked nothing in my name : a sk,a nd
ye Shall rece ive , that your joy may be full .”
160)
1 62 TH E PA THWA Y OF PR OMISE .
— even when no words are uttere d — whenimploring no special blessing from on high
,
the Christian ought to cherish the Spi ritof prayer . That time
,assuredly
,i s the
time of - ! s!orest need , when no want is felt,
a nd no desi re is Cherished for a yet largerincrease of grace a nd strengthf
True,times there often are in the Chris
tian l ife,when the soul
,burdened— d is
tracted— filled with earthly things,cannot
enter Into sweet a nd prayerfu l commun ionwith i ts God
,
— when the consciousness ofS in a nd of unworth iness causes i t, with feara nd trembling
,to “ stand afar Off.
” Butblessed be God
,there is
,for such a time
of need,a gracious promise
,The Spirit
helpeth our infirmities,for we know not
what we Should pray for as we ought,but
the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us,
with groa n ings which cannot be uttered .
”
Yes,in the fulness of His grace a nd tender
ness,He reveals the Sav iou r to the soul
,a s
the al l-prevail ing Intercessor,
— the A dvocate at God ’s right hand . He turns theeye away from self a nd s in
,to the Lamb of
God whose blood i s al l-sufficient to cleansea nd purify. He insp ires the earnest sup
PR A YER. 163
pl ication,Lord
,undertake for me . He
clothes the weeping pen i tent in the robe Ofthe Redeemer ’s righteousness
,SO that i t
ma y appear with acceptance before him
who is “ of purer eyes than to behol diniqu ity ! a nd He draws pe rsuasively to a
Throne of Grace,
-Himself making intercess ion with groan ings which cannot beuttered .
” Precious encouragement ! Jesusat the Father ’s right han d — the Holy Spi ritbreath ing in us the long ing ,
— the des ire,
the humble petition — Jesus presenting themerits of His perfect s a crifice
,
— the Spiritenabl ing US to rest by faith on the blood of
sprinkl ing — Jesus with His eye of love onthe kneel ing suppl iant
,
— the Spirit a n ima t
ing the soul with hope,a nd re infus ing
peace a nd j oy in bel ieving .
”
Christian remember the throne to whichyou are invited is pecul iarly the throne of
grace . God has His throne of j ustice,
His throne of hol iness,
— His throne of
providence,but this is the throne of grace .
He occupie s i t as the God Of grace,a nd
He holds out from it the sceptre of grace .A l l the blessings He bestow s from Off i t areblessings of grace . They are not to be
164 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
purchased,but are given without money
and without price . They are not con
ferred because of a ny me rit or worth inessof ours
,but are the free
,generous gift of
divine gr ace . Not to the rich a nd mightyon ly are they Offe red,but to the poorest,the humblest
,
— the most abj ect: Oh,i s not
th is the very throne we need ? We arepoor a nd wretche d — bl ind a nd helpless
,
S infu l a nd Vi le . We have no righteousnessof our own
,
— no me rits of our own,
— no
plea of our own . But,blessed be God
,
here we may have every want suppl ied . Itw a s erected for poor a nd needy suppl iantsj ust as w e are . A nd
,from age to age
,
myriads of helpless a nd heavy-laden soulshave gathe red round it
,a nd poured forth
thei r des i res to “the H eare r a nd the
Answe rer of praye r .” Toi l ing painfullythrough a world of woe
,they have he re
found rest,
— faint a nd thi rsty in the vale of
tears,they have here been refreshed a nd
InvIgora ted ,
— wandering sol itary throughearth ’s dreary wi lderness
,they have he re eu
j oyed holy a nd heaven ly commun ion withthe Father of then spi rits— opposed a nd beset by hosti le enemies
,they have here found
1 66 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
contrite Sp irit . Yes ! the humble cot
tager,when he gathers round him his l ittle
flock,a nd
,at the family altar
,kneels in his
l owly dwell ing,i s worsh ipping in heaven
,
the veryr
s cene where ten thousand timesten thousand bright a nd beautifu l beingsweave the high chorus of enraptured adoration . The wanderer on the waters
,whose
voice seems drowned amid the d in of thetempest
,i s Speaking audibly with in the
vei l,where is cast that ‘anchor of the sou l
,
both sure a nd s'
teadfast,
’ by wh ich a un i
verse might hold,a nd never know Ship
wreck .
” The soldier,who
,amid the thun~
ders of the battle fie ld,or by h is lonely
watch-fire,breathe s forth a prayer indited
by the Holy Spiri t,h is utterance is heard
above,far away from the tented fie ld a nd
the crash of war,
— where the pi lgrim restsfrom al l h is labors . On the land a nd on
the sea,at home or abroad
,in the publicity
of business,or in the privacy of reti rement
,
the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous
,a nd His ears are open unto thei r cry.
Christian ! if you . would have strengthfor duty
,
— patience for trial,a nd de l iverance
out of trouble — if you would have that in
PR A YER. 1 67
ward peace which the world ca n neithergive nor take away — i f you would treadthe Pathway of Promise cheerfu l ly a nd
hopefu lly,you must give yourself unto
prayer: I t is al ike your blessed privi lege,
a nd your solemn duty . I t brings you intothe nearest a nd most intimate communi onwith your God you ca n have upon earth .
I t gives new l ife to the drooping spirit,
— it
imparts new vigor to faith,— new fervor to
love,
— new intensity to zeal . It raises thedesi res a nd affections above the things ofthe present world
,a nd fastens them on the
things which a re above . It draws downfrom the heaven ly storehouse the richestblessings of the covenant of grace . I tsecu res
,in every time of need
,the he lp of
Him who is al l-mighty,
— the gu idance OfH im who cannot err
,
— the protection of
Him who rules in heaven a nd on earth,
the love a nd sympathy of Him,who “ spared
not His own S on but gave Him up untodeath for us al l
,
”a nd who
,with Him
,wil l
also freely give us al l th ings .
”
Oh,then
,whatever be you r need
,come
with boldness to the Throne Of gracenot the boldness wh ich would attempt to
1 68 TH E P A TH WA Y OF P R OIVIISE .
dictate to God — not the boldness w h ichwould prescribe to H im who “ know ethwhat th ings we ha Ve need of before we askH im : but the boldness Of a loving
,trust
fu l child w ho confides in a Fathe r ’s tenderness
,
— who is consc ious Of a Father ’s love,
a nd who is ready to unburden i tse lf of al lits cares
,a nd griefs , a nd anxieties , assured
that He wi l l withhold no good th ing .
Come thus to the me rcy—seat,a nd you will
not be sent empty away . You will “ Obtainmercy
,a nd find grace to help in time of
need,
— reviving,quicken ing
,restrain ing
,
sanctifying grace,
-grace for sunshine a nd
for storm,
-grace for health a nd for sickness
,
-grace for joy a nd for sorrow,
— gracefor the fam ily a nd for the world
,
—grace forl iving a nd for dying . Le t noth ing keep
you at a distance from the throne of grace,
— not even you r s ins a nd Shortcomings,
your unbel ief,
— your coldness,
— your ingratitude . Mourn over these ! let tears ofpen itence flow at the remembrance of them ,
-but stay not away,
— seek the renewal ofthe blood of sprinkling ,
”—go to Him who
i s a merciful God,ful l of compassion
,
long-suffering,and of great pity.
” Detai l
1 76 TH E P A THWA Y OF PR OMISE.
promIsed Thy Holy Spirit to them that askThee
,grant that I may enj oy His blessed
influence . May He teach me how to pray,
a nd sti r me up to greater earnestness , that,loving Thee above al l th ings
,a nd relying
ever Upon Thy grace,I may be able to
rej o ice in the hope of eternal l ife,through
Jesus Christ our Lord — AMEN .
”
My God ! is a ny hour so sweet ,From blush of morn to evening sta r,
A s that which calls me to Thy feet,The hour of prayer ?
B less’d is the tranquil hour of morn ,
A nd bless’d that hour of solemn eve ,
When on the wings of prayer upborne ,The world I leave .
Then is my strength by Thee renew’d ,
Then a re my sins by Thee forgiven !Then dost Thou cheer my solitude f
With hope of heaven .
No words ca n tell what sweet reliefThere for my every wan t I find !What strength for warfare , balm for grief,
What peace of mind .
PR A YER. 1 7 1
H ush ’d is each doubt, gone every fear,My spirit seems in heaven to stay !
A nd e’en the pen itential tearIs wiped away.
Lord ! til l I reach that blissful shore,No privilege so dear shall be
A s thus my inmost soul to pourIn prayer to Thee .
A NON .
Oh might w e all our lineage prove ,Give a nd forgive
,do good a nd love
,
By soft endearments in kind strife,
Lightening the load of daily life .
There is much need for, not as yetA re w e i n she lter or reposeThe holy house is still besetWith leaguer of stem foesWild thoughts within
,bad men without,
A llevil Spirits round about,
A re ha nded in unblest deviceTo spoi l Love ’s earthly para dise .
Then draw me nearer day by d a y,Each to his brethren ,
all to God !Let the world take us a s she may ,We must not change our roa dNot wondering, though in grie f to findThe martyr’ s foe still keep her mind ,But fix ’
d to hold Love ’ s banner fast,A nd by submission w in at last .”
LU ! E x 11 . 1 2 .
“ For the H oly Ghost shall teach you in the same hourwhat ye ought to sa y.
1 COR . ll. 10 .
The Spirit searcheth all things , ye a , the deep things ofGodlL
JOHN xvi . 13.
H owbeit when he , the Spirit of truth , is come , he willguide you into all truth : for he shal l not speak ofhimself : but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall hespeak : a nd he will show you things to come .
2 TIM . iii . 1 5 .
“A nd that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures
,which a re able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus .”
H EB . iv . 1 2 .
For the word of God is quick , a nd powerful,a nd
sharper than a ny two-edged sword , piercing even tothe dividing asunder of soul a nd spirit , a nd of thej oints a nd marrow
,a nd is a discerner of the thoughts
a nd intents of the heart . ”
2 PETER i . 19 .
We have also a more sure word of prophecy ! whereunto ye do wel l that ye take heed , as unto a lightthat shineth in a dark place
,until the day dawn ,
a nd the day-star arise i n your hearts .”
PSALM xix . 7 , 8 .
The law of the Lord i s perfect , converting the soulthe testimony of the Lord is sure , making w ise thesimple . The statu tes of the Lord a re right , rejoicing the heart : the commandment of the Lord ispure , enlightening the eyes .”
(1 74)
DIVINE TEACH ING.
PSALM x x v . 5 .
Lead me in thy truth , a nd teach me .
HE Bible is the Christian pilgrim ’sgu ide-book . I t points out the path
he is to fol low it reveals the mountains ofdifficu lty
,a nd the valleys of doubt a nd fear
along which he is to traverse ! i t tel ls h imof the dangers he has to encounter, a nd
the enemies that l i e in ambush to assai la nd overcome h im . I t encou ra ges h isheart
,by directing the eye of faith to Him
who has already trodden every step of
the wi lderne ss j ou rney,a nd to the noble
band of fol lowers whom He has safelyconducted to the heavenly Canaan . Ittraces man ’s progress
,from the cor
ruptible to the incorruptible,— from the
feeble a nd di shonored to the m ighty a nd
the glorious,— from the compan ionsh ip of
the worm to the presence of God a nd theenj oyment of celestial intercourse . I t gives
(1 75)
1 76 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
him the assu rance of strength for the
j ourney,a nd ble ss ing at i ts close
,— O f re
demption begun,carried forward
,a nd com
pleted . Blessed be God ! the time ha s goneby
,when -
t he page s of th is sacred volumewere shut by the tyranny of . ma n
,
— whenthe l ight was h idden
,which God intended
should give comfort a nd peace to myriads .The poorest in our land ca n now make it h ismorn ing a nd his even ing compan ion
,
— he
ca n the re satisfy the yearn ings of h is heart,
a nd find a rich a nd suffic ing a nd graciousprovis ion for all h is wants . He ca n cl ingto i t in his darkest a nd saddest t imes
,
—in
h is hours of trial,— in the day of h is strife
a nd his struggle with inbred corruption,a nd
with the powers of darkness,
— a nd he maybear witness at the close of h is expe rience
,
that “nought has fai led h im of a ny good
th ing which the Lord hath promised,
”a nd
,
with glowing language,though it be with
the faint a nd the fa ltering voice !
Of a dyingma n
,bear h is te stimony in the confession
,
Thy Word ,O God
,i s Truth .
”
B ut the Bible is a sea led book,
—it isdark
,unmean ing
, profitless , without Divineteaching . Our eyes must be opened by a
1 78 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
doubt or emergency,we well know where
to look for gu idance,a nd strength
,a nd
comfort . Christian is i t thus y on read theWord of God
,with the praye r that God
wou ld tea ch you,that He wou ld unfold the
riches of H is grace in Christ,that He would
open up the wondrous page of revelation toyour heart
,a nd give you grace to bel ieve
those deeper truths,whose mean ing you
are now,whilst in the infancy of your being
,
unable fully to comprehend We doubt notyou can recal l many wondrous th ings
,
already revealed to your sou l,
— revealed,
not by the mere perusal of the words,but
by the inspi ration a nd teach ing of God ’sHoly Spiri t. You ca n remember that sweetpromise which calmed your troub led heart
,
a nd made you erect a n Ebenezer in you rpathway. Wa s it not
“wondrous ”
in i ts
power ? You ca n remember,when the
world a nd the th ings of the world weredrawing you farther a nd farther from God
,
— when your gourd withered in a n ight,
when,perhaps
,some cheri shed idol w a s
dashed in pieces,
-how these words a p
pe a red on the sacred page,invested with new
a nd mightier power,I t i s I
,be not afraid .
”
DIVINE TEACHING. 1 79
You ca n remember when temptation assai ledyou
,or when summer friends deserted you,
o r when the enemy came in l ike a flood,
how “ wondrous ” were the disclosures OfGod ’s Word
,
—how exactly su ited to yourcase
,
— how comforting to your soul . N ot
ti l l then,had the verses struck yOU ,
— not
ti l l then,had the words been invested with
l iving power. You had read them Often,but
you needed not the i r comfort,
— only whenthat wound was open a nd bleeding — onlywhen that cross became heavy a nd painfu l
,
— 0nly w hen that grief was sorest a nd
most overwhelming,did you take them to
your heart a nd then,impressed by the
Spirit of the l iving God,they were fu l l of
peace a nd comfort,immediately there was
a great calm .
” Bel iever ! continue to im
plore that Spirit’s help
,a nd sti l l “ wondrous
th ings wil l come to you in you r hours Ofneed . Sti l l
,the longer you l ive, you wil l
get the promise,when i t i s requ ired
,— the
comfort,when noth ing else ca n soothe
,
the assurance,when doubt a nd disqu ietude
are doing thei r worst to harass a nd agitateyour soul
,
— a nd,onwards sti l l
,th rough al l
etern i ty,these wondrous ” th ings wil l be
180 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PROMISE.
revealed . You w i l l read in the Open volumeof God ’s la w
,explanations
,of difficulties
,
— the wisdom of appointments,— the love
and tenderness of a Father in al l y ourFather ’s deal ings . You wil l real ize thenhow needfu l wa s the discipl ine you had toundergo on earth
,
—how needfu l the heavytrial
,a nd the heartrend ing bereavement
,
the bl ighting of fond hopes a nd the fai l u re ofcherished plans . No longer wi l l be heardthe murmur
,Al l these th ings were against
me,
”but the will ing
,gratefu l a ck nowledg
ment,
‘A l l these things wrought togetherfor my good .
’ Faithfu l is He thatpromised .
’
H e knew the path whichwould ce rtain ly conduct to glo ry
,
— the pathwhich He Himself ha d trodden
,a nd H e
led me by the right way .
’
Yes,Christian there wil l be bright ’
Un
foldings in yonder world . Ardently as youloved you r Saviour on earth
,oh
,what wil l
be you r ardor — what the overflowing of
your love in heaven —when you find Hisevery prom ise fulfilled
,
—His every assu rance real ized
,— His every word made good
,
— a nd the whole of your earthly experiencestamped with the seal of D ivine faithfulness
1 82 TH E PA THWA Y OF PR OMISE.
prom ises of Thy Word are m ine,
- i ts precepts , a nd testimon ies
,a nd statutes
,al l
m ine,
— i ts entreaties,
a nd warn ings,a nd
preservatives,al l m ine
,
— mine by the freegift of the ~~Fa ther
,— mine by the purchase
of the blood of God ’s dear S on,
—mine bythe teaching of the Holy Sp IrIt the Comforter
,
-mine by a perpetual covenant,never
to be violated or forgotten,
-mine wherebyto l ive
,a nd mine wherein to die .
”
There a re those who sigh that no fond heart is theirs !None loves them best . Oh vain a nd selfish sighOut of the bosom of H i s love H e sparesThe Father spares the Son ,
for thee to die .
For thee H e died . For thee H e live s again !O
’er thee H e watches i n H i s boundless re ign .
! EBLE .
Lord , many times I am aweary qu iteO f mine ow n se lf
,my sin ,
my vanity !Yet be not Thou , or I am lost outright,
Weary of me .
A nd hate agai nst myself I often bear,A nd enter with myself i n fierce debate !
Take Thou my part against myse lf, nor shareIn that j ust hate .
DIVINE TE A CHING. 183
Best friends might loathe us , if what things perverseWe know of our own selves , they also knewLord , H oly One ! if Thou , who knowest worse ,
Should loathe us‘tooR. C. TRENCH .
MATT . x . 22 .
“A nd ye shall be hated of all men for my name’ s sake !
but he that endureth to the end shall be saved .
”
1 COR . xv . 5 8 .
Therefore , my beloved brethren ,be ye steadfast ,
unmoveable , always abounding in the work of theLord ,
-forasmuch a s ye know that your labor is notin vain in the Lord .
H EB . ii i . 14 .
For w e a re made partakers of Christ , if w e hold the
beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end .
”
H EB . x . 23, 35 .
“ Let us hold fast the profession of our faith withoutwavering ! (for he is faithfu l that promised). Castnot away therefore your confidence , which hathgreat recompense of reward .
”
R EV . ii . 7 , 1 1 , 1 7 , 26— 28 .
H e that hath a n ea r, let him hear what the Spirit saithunto the churches ! To him that overcometh will Igive to ea t of the tree“ of life , which is in the midstof the paradise of God . H e that hath a n e a r, let
him hear what the S pirit sa ith unto the churches !H e that overcometh shall not be hurt of the seconddeath . H e that hath a n e a r
,let him hear what the
S pirit saith unto the churches ! To him that overcometh will I give to e a t of the hidden manna
,a nd
will give him a white stone , a nd in the stone a newname written, which no ma n knowe th saving hethat rece iveth it . A nd he that overcometh , a nd
keepeth my works unto the end,to him will I give
power over the nations ! a nd he shall rule them witha rod of iron ! as the vessels of a potter shall theybe broken to shivers : even a s I rece ived of myFather . A nd I will give him the morning star .”
(1 86)
FIDELITY .
R EV . i i . 20 .
B e thou faithful unto death , a nd I will give thee acrown of life .
”
HE pathway to heaven i s not to al lal ike . There are those who become
speedi ly ripe for glory,
— those who reachthe close of thei r j ourney
,ere
,to human
appearance,i t has been wel l begun whilst
others have to bear the burden a nd heat ofthe day
,to toi l onwards for many stages
,
a nd to see the Shadows of the even ingslow ly gathering in upon thei r weary footsteps . But to all
,the words are addressed
,
Be thou faithful unto death,
” be faithful,
even shou ld thy l ife be peri lled,
— be faithfu lti l l the hour of thy departu re comes . Lifeis not always to be reckoned by the numberof i ts days it is possible for the longest tobe real ly briefer than the Shortest
,for
We l ive in deeds , not years ! in thoughts, not breaths !In feelings
,not in figures on a dial .
1 88 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE .
We should count time by heart-throbs .H e most lives
Who thinks most , feels the noblest, acts the best .
Yet,as we know not how long the jou rney
ma y bef we should remember that we arecal led to be faithfu l unto death . It istime that tries a man ’s love to the Saviou r
,
— time,with its Changes a nd sorrows
,its
varying labors a nd temptations . It i s thelong dark n ight that puts to the test thewatchfu l servant , a nd the winds a nd stormsthat beat upon him . It i s not the fierceonset that tries the soldier , i t Is the marchthrough the bu rn ing sands
,
— it i s pass ivecourage a nd endurance the soldier requ i res .A nd SO
,it is the passive vi rtue s the Chris
t ian has to exercise to the close of l ife thattry his fidel ity . Not far has he j ou rneyed
,
when he finds,that the road to Canaan is
through a n enemy ’s country,that a wilder
ness intervenes,in which the re is many a
brier a nd many a thorn,a nd that h is cou rage
a nd endu rance wil l be severe ly tested . Foeslie in wait , to tempt him from h is al legiance ,at every turn in his path . Wherever he is
,
in the mart of commerce,
—when he toi lsIn the workshop
,
— when he retu rns to his
1 99 TH E PA THWA Y OP PROMISE.
to Infidel ity . It i s easy,to l ive the l ives of
some Christians,
— easy,to wande r langu idly
over the soft a nd flowery meadow,— easy
,to
float dreamily down the smooth a nd placidstream -of time but
,not easy
,to cl imb the
rough a nd craggy cl iff, -not easy,to stem
the tempestuous bi l lows,a nd resist the
downward cu rrent . A nd th is is what thefaithfu l Christian has to do . He has to be inthe world
,yet not of the world ! he has to
come out of it,
— not by monastic secl us ion,
but by mastering its temptations,
— to bedi l igent in its duties
,yet not absorbed by
them,
—appreciating its innocent del ights,
yet not ensnared by them,
— gazing uponits attractions
,a nd yet rising superior to
them . If ‘ he would be faithful,
” he mustl ive su rrounded by objects which appeal tothe sight
,a nd
, ye t“ endure a s seeing Him
who is invis ible .
” He must pray,often see
ing no answer to prayer, a nd sti l l pray on,
— he must war in th is warfare,finding
fresh foes continual ly rising up ,a nd sti l l
war ou,
—harassed with doubts a nd fears,
he must walk on in darkness,though he
see no l ight,staying himself dai ly upon
h is God .
FIDELITY 19 1
Christian ! to be thus faithfu l is no easytask . I t i s not in your own might that youwi l l continue steadfast. Like the greatapostle
,you must look for your suffi
ciency in God . S ee what Divine strengthenabled In
'
ne to ach ieve ! “ He kept thefaith at Antioch
,even when the infatuated
crowd attempted to drown his voice withtheir clamor
,a nd
“ interrupted h im con
tra d icting a nd blaspheming .
” He keptthe faith ” at Icon i um
,when the “ envious
Jews stirred up the people to stone him .
”
He kept the faith ” at Lystra,when the
fate of Stephen became almost h is,a nd he
was dragged,wounded a nd bleeding out
side the ramparts of the town,a nd left
there to langu ish,a nd
,for aught they cared
,
to die . He “ kept the faith against h iserring brother Pe te r
,a nd withstood h im
to the face,because he was to be blamed .
”
He “ kept the faith ” when shamefullytreated at Phi l ippi
,a nd made the dungeon
echo back the praises of h is God . He“ kept the faith in Thessalon i ca
,when
lewd fe l lows of the baser sort accusedh im fa lsely of sedition .
” He “ kept thefaith at Athens
,when
,to the world ’s sages
,
192 TH E PA THWA Y OP PROMISE.
he preached of Him whom they ignorantlyworsh ipped a s the Unknown God .
” Hekept the faith at Corinth
,when compe l led
to abandon that hardened a nd obduratec ity
,a nd to shake Off the very dust from .
h is garments as a testimony against i t.He “ kept the faith at Ephesus
,when he
pointed h is hearers,not to Diana
,but to
Jesus Christ,as the i r on ly Saviour. He
kept the faith in Jerusalem,when stoned
by the enraged a nd agitated mob,— when
stretched upon the tortu ring rack a nd
bound with i ron fetters . He “ kept thefaith in Cesarea
,before the trembl ing con
Science-stricken Fel ix,when he reasoned
of righteousness,temperance
,a nd j udg
ment to come .
” He kept the faith beforeAgrippa
,a nd
,by his earnestness
,compel led
the king to sa y ,A lmost thou persuadest
me to be a Christian !”
a nd,even in the
clos ing h ours of l i fe,
— when the last stormwas gathering over h is head
,— when lying
in the dark a nd dismal Roman ce l l,
-he
e te these tri umphant words,
“ I am now
ready to be Offe red,a nd the t ime of my
departure is at hand . I have fought a goodfight
,I have fin ished my course
,l have
194 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE .
that is formed against thee shal l prosper.Our foes are not mighter than the foesthey mastered who are now in glory ! butou r strength 13 sti l l the same
,— they over
cameb y the same blood of the covenant,
they triumphed through the same Lord .
Let us,then
,enter the l ists W ith the enemy
,
fearless,
—confid ing in Him who has al lpower in heaven a nd in earth . Christians !Shea the not the sword
,a nd i t shal l never be
wrested from you,— lay not down the shield
,
a nd no fiery dart shall ever penetrate i t,
face the foe,and he shal l never trample you
down or drive you back . Listen to yourCaptain
,
-how H e an imates you onward,
“ Be faithfu l unto death,a nd I wi l l g ive
Thee a crown Of l ife Remember ! “ here isthe time of the enemy,etern ity is the timeof the conqueror
,— here is the time of the
cross,etern ity is the time of the crown
,
here i s the time of the sword,etern ity
the time of the palm,
— here is the time ofthe tempest
,e tern ity is the time of peace .
Am i d your daily struggles,— your fightings
with in a nd fears without,— i a the dark hou rof sorrow
,— in the cheerless n ight of s ick
ness,- in the stern confl i ct with the world ,
FIDELITY. 1 95
the flesh,a nd the devi l
,
- let the eye of
faith gaze on the incorruptible crown,the
golden harp,a nd the tree of ‘ l i fe
,
— aboveal l
,contemplate the blood-stained banner
of the Cross which floats over you,a nd
,as
you think of its victories,how your gloriou s
Leader once spoi led principal iti es a nd
powers,tri umphing over them in i t
,a nd
how prophets and apostles,martyrs a nd
saints,the young ,
the aged,a nd the dying
,
have found Him true a nd faithfu l,
— thenbe up a nd doing
,qu it you l ike men
,abide
steadfast by the Cross as good soldiers ofJesus Christ . Lift up th ine eyes , O Christian
,and see thy day of glory beginn ing to
dawn . For a season,thou must remain
here but,yet a l ittle whi le
,a nd the helmet
sha l l be exchanged for the crown of glory,
the sword for the palm of V i ctory,a nd death
shal l strip you of your armor,whi lst
angels throw around you the bright robesof tri umph . Never forget the banner underwhich you serve ,— never forget that l ife i sthe scene .O f perpetual warfare . Here
,
chi ldren of God ! here you are , and mustcontinue warriors
,on high you wi l l be con
querors ,— here you stand Upon the battle
196 TH E PA THWA Y OF PR OMISE.
plain,on high you will share the honors of
victory,
— here you struggle for a prize,on
high you wi l l receive i t ! a nd , if . a t a nytime your spi rits seem to fla g in the midstof the -s trife
,a nd the confl ict
,
— If,through
man i fold temptations,your hearts begin to
grow cold in the cause a nd se rvice of yourLord
,
— then,cal l to mind your Saviou r ’s
an imating words,
“ Be thou faithfu l untodeath
,a nd I wi l l give thee a crown of l ife .
”
Christian ! “ be not weary in well-doing,
for in due season you shal l reap i f you faintnot Toil on
,patiently a nd manful ly
,in the
Master ’s work,
-do battle with evi l,both
with in a nd without. B e ga in ing dai ly somenew victory ove r s in . Deny yourself. Bea wi l l ing cross-beare r for your Saviou r ’ssake
,a nd
,then
,the long
,long rest w i l l
come,
— rest,in heaven
,from s in a nd sorrow
,
from confl ict a nd temptation . Antic ipatethat rest
,a nd
,let the thought of i t nerve
you for your daily struggle , a nd sti r youup to fight the battle
,to which the Captain
of your salvation has cal led you. Then,
in the borde r land,to you
,as to the pi lgrims
of old,angel voices wi l l come from the
heavenly city,
— the ai r of the country of
198 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
upon you there,no storms wil l distu rb you
there,no foe wi l l assai l you the re . The
tear wi l l be dried,the throbbing heart
wil l be h ushed, a nd the harp , which ha s
often sounded no note,but when fitfully
swept by the passing breeze,wil l be strung
for the rich a nd sweet music of the skies .
Then wil l you take you r place tri umphantupon the summit Of Mount ! i on
,— amid
that countless army Of the Faithful,who
have reti red for ever from the field of con
fl ict,where every ma n has been a sold ier
,
every soldier a hero,a nd every hero a con
queror. W i th them, you wil l repose be
neath the fig—tree
,a nd enj oy the fru its of
peace ! a nd those fru its wi l l be al l the sweeter
,by the contrast of the peri ls through
which you have passed on the way. In theenj oyment of victory
,you wil l th ink of the
confl ict,
—while waving the palm,you wi l l
th ink of the swor d — while there in peacea nd happiness
,you wi ll th ink of the danger
a nd the peri l th rough which you pressed toreach that blessed world of safety .
”B e
l iever ! be this your prayer“ O God ! enable me
,by Thy grace
,to
fight the good fight,— to continue faithful
FIDELITY: 199
unto death,that I may at length receive
the crown of l ife .
Lay down the shield,a nd quit the sword ,
For now thy work is doneA nd sw iftly towards the glowmg east,A scends the rising sun .
A ngelic guards wait with the dayThy crown of light to bring !
O grave , where is thy victory ?0 death , where is thy sting ?
Bravely hast thou upheld the shie ldThe path of conquest trod
A nd follow’d in the battle-field
The banner of thy God .
The hour of rest approaches nigh ,A nd waiting heralds sing ,O grave , where i s thy victory ?O death , where is thy sting ? ’
They come,they come , a nd high in a ir
Is borne the Victor ’ s wreath ,Who overthrew ,
i n glorious war,
The world, the grave , a nd death .
There , there they wait to we lcome thee ,A nd high the ir triumphs ring
,
‘O grave , where 1s thy victoryO death , where is thy sting .
’
PsA LM xvi . 1 1 .
Thou wilt show me the path of life : in thy presence i sfulness of j oy ! at thy right hand there a re pleasuresfor’ evermore .
”
PSALM H . 1 1 .
Cast me not away from thy presence ! a nd take not thyH oly Spirit from me .
”
PSALM cxl . 13.
Sure ly the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name !the upright shall dwe l l in thy
,
presence .
”
GOD ’
S PRESENCE .
Ex on . xxxiii . 14 .
A nd H e said , My presence shall go with thee .
HE chi ldren of Israel had grievouslysinne d — the cloudy pi llar had dis
appeared,
— the anger Of the Lord waskindled
,a nd the cou rage of Moses fai led .
Earnestly he pleaded in behalf of the erringpeople
,and at length he prevai led . The
Lord assu red His servant,that H is gra
cious presence should sti l l accompany him,
i n leading Israel to Canaan,the promised
rest .God
’
s presence Reader ! reflect on th ish igh honor. That He who reigns supremeam id the hosts of heaven
,
— who is ! ing ofkings a nd Lord of lords
,should condescend
to become the friend,the companion of s in
fu l,erring ma n . Wa s ever pilgrim more
honored eve r travel ler in better companyYet God has ever been
,a nd ever wi l l be
,
the compan ion of them that fear H im .
(203)
204 TH E PA THWA Y OF PR OMISE .
Enoch walked with God . Abram w a s a ddressed in these words Walk before Me
,
and be thou perfect .” Christian ! hast thounot also real ized the fulfi lment of the grac i ons promise Yes
,meth inks I hear
you sa y ,
“ I t has been the mainstay,— the
very l ife of my faith a nd trust,in the hou r
of trial — it has enab led me to l i ft up myhead on high
,a nd to exclaim
,even from the
deep waters,Yet wi l l I rej o ice in the Lord
,
I wil l ! j oy in the God of my salvation .
’
To the true bel iever,there is no promise so
preci ous a nd encouraging,
-it nerves h imfor confl ict
,
—fills h im with peace,a nd a n i
mates h im with hope . W ith God by h iss ide
,what enemy need he fear ? what path
refuse to enter ? IS he'
stript of worldlyprosperity He has One who ca n a thousa ndfold make up for the loss . Is he cal ledto resign the loved a nd the cheri shed
,and
to pass through the troubled w aters ofaffl iction ? “ I am sti l l with thee
,
” calmsthe anguish of his soul , a nd i s as balm tothe wounded spirit . Whatever e lse may betaken from him
,he knows that if he keep
near to God,God wi l l keep near to h im
that,amid flame and flood
,amid storm and
206 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
sou l with peace a nd tri umph,in the
,
darknight season of sorrow a nd breathe sweetmusic over the scene of sadness a nd of
g loom . H a s i t not,in times past
,hushed the
tempestuous bi l lows , with the gentle command
,Peace
,be sti l l ? H a s i t not fi l led
the dungeon with the voice of praise,a nd
made the inner prison re-echo with thesongs of j oy ? Has it not ena bled many atried believer to sa y
Let good or ill befall ,It must be good for me
Secure of having Thee in a ll,O f having a ll in Thee .
”
Christian ! be it yours to walk w ithGod ! -strive to behold Him
,by faith
,
amid you r j oys a nd sorrows,
— in the family,
a nd in the world,
— in the secrecy of theclose t
,a nd in the dai ly walks of l ife . See
Him,as He fil ls your cup and makes it run
over . See Him,as He dashes i t from your
l ips,not in anger
,but to draw you to Him
self. See H im,in the smiles and love of
the unbroken family circle,a nd i n the sor
row a nd sadness which you must feel , as
you gaze on the empty chair, or the pictu re
GOD ’S PRESENCE. 207
on the wall . See Him,leading you ou
ward,step by step
,never fai l ing nor for
saking you,but “
faithfu l unto al l H isprom i ses .
” Let th is be the language of
your sou l
What though the world deceitfu l prove ,A nd earthly friends a nd j oys remove ,With patient , uncomplaining love
S till wou ld I cling to Thee !
O ft, when I seem to tread aloneS ome barren waste , with thorns o ’
ergrown ,
Thy voice of love , in tend’rest tone ,
Whispers, S til l cling to me
Now that the sun is gleaming bright,Implore w e , bending low ,
That H e, the uncreated Light,May guide us as w e go .
No smfulword,nor deed of wrong,
Nor thoughts that idly rove !But simple truth be on our tongue ,A nd in our hearts be love .
A nd while the hours in order flow,O Christ , secure ly fence
Our gates , bele a guer’ d by the foe
The gate of every sense .
208 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
“ A nd grant that to Thine honor, Lord,Our daily toil may tend ,
That w e begin it at Thy word ,A nd in Thy favor end .
”
Tra nsla tion of a n old Medie va lHymn .
PSALM cxvi . 7 .
R eturn unto thy re st, 0 my soul ! for the Lord hathdealt bountifully with thee
PSALM cx x x n . 14 .
This i s my rest for ever : here will I dwe ll : for I havedesired it .”
IS A . xiv . 3.
“ A nd it shall come to pass that the Lord Shall givethee rest from thy sorrow ,
a nd from thy fear, a ndfrom the hard bondage where in thou wast made toserve .
”
MATT . xi . 28, 29 .
Come unto me , all ye that labor a nd a re heavy laden ,
a nd I will give you rest . Take my yoke upon you ,a nd learn of me ! for I am meek a nd lowly in heart !a nd ye shall find rest unto your souls .
”
H EB . iv .There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God .
For he that is entered into his rest , he also hathceased from his own works , a s God did from his .Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lesta ny ma n fall after the same example of unbelief.”
REST.
E ! OD . xxxiii . 14 .
I will give thee rest.
RUE rest i s only found in the presence
,the favor
,a nd the love of God .
Apart from Him,the sou l i s l ike the
troubled sea,
— it is driven to a nd fro withperplex ing doubts a nd fears . On ly in theconsciousness of H is presence ” i s theresecu rity
,peace
,rest . So Moses knew a nd
felt . The “ Shechinah,the vis ible symbol
of the Divine presence,had been with
drawn,
-there was no longer the assu ranceof gu idance a nd protection . But
,along
with the promise of His “ presence,
” Godalso vouchsafed the promise of rest .Thus was the leader of Israel strength
ened a nd encourage d — H e trusted God,a nd
veri ly he w a s a not put to confusion . In thedepths of his soul
,there was always a con
sciousness that God was with h im,
— that hehad a Friend ever near
,— a Compan ion in
(2 1 1 )
TH E PA THWA Y OF P R OIIIIS E .
the journey O f life,
-a Counsellor,In whom
in eve ry difficulty he could confide,a nd to
w hom‘
he cou ld reveal every anxiety,a nd
doubtf‘
a nd fear. A nd,when he reached
the end of h is pi lgrimage,the prom ise w a s
fully real ized . When near the borde rs Ofthe promised land
,he rece ived the Divine
mandate,to ascend a nd su rvey
,from
Pisg a h’
s summi t,the earthly inheritance of
Israe l . Obedient to the summons,th is
aged servant of the Lord commenced his lastearthly j ourney . Wi th qu iet
,unshaken con
fidence in the God who had led him h itherto,
he prepared to res ign his Spi rit into H is
hands ., Reader ! mark the fulfi lment of the
promise,I wil l give thee rest .” See the
venerable patriarch , whose eye was not
d im,a nd whose natu ral force was not
abated,
” beholding with admiring eye , theland of Gilead
,unto Da n
,a nd al l Naphtal i
,
a nd the land of Ephraim,a nd Manasseh
,
a nd al l the land of Judah,unto the utmost
se a,
” with the blue wate rs Of the Med iter
ra ne a n ,gl ittering in the distant sunbeams
,
a nd the south,a nd the plain of the va l ley
of Je richo ,the city of palm-trees
,unto
! oar .” H e meditates,a nd then exclaims
,
2 14 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
amid outward i l ls there may be inwardqu iet. When the su rface of the lake isruffled
‘
by the rough wind,far down in its
depths there is perfect calm . Even so in
thy spiri t,when on its surface there is a
toss ing to a nd fro,deep down in its secret
chambers there is the “ peace ” of God,
the rest of a forgiven soul,
—the qu iet of aloved
,confid ing ch i ld . Judge not
,that al l
are at rest who meet you with gleaming eye,
a nd j oyous countenance,a nd merry laugh .
Ah ? no,their Sou l “ knoweth its own bit
terness .
” Could you read the pages of
their hearts , you would find the record of
many woes,
— secret,painfu l
,agon iz ing
grie fs,known only to themselves
,
-unfor
given s ins,distracting fears
,perplexing
doubts,which ever a nd anon
,amid the
ceaseless whirl of gaiety,send a n arrow
through the soul . The rest which isfound in the presence ” of God
,alone ca n
be said to have a ny real ity. Then,amid
the sorest trials a nd heaviest bereavements,
— amid pain a nd s ickness,
—amid the wi ldest
,the fiercest gusts of outward fortune
,
i t is no strange thing,to mark the con
tinua nce of a holy,of a n almost unearthly
REST 23
peace . On the cheek wasted by disease, oron the pale a nd pain-contracted brow ,
or
on the Christian pilgrim ,j ust standing on
the brink of Jordan ’s stream,has not seldom
been witnessed the calmness of a heavenlyrest a nd
,from lips qu ivering with
angu ish,
— yea,convulsed in the throes of
death,have fallen words of meek resigna
tion,a nd even j oyful hope
,that told , how
the peace of the spi rit ca n tri umph over a lloutward pain .
No smile is like the smile of death ,When
,all good musings past
,
R ise,wafted with the parting breath ,
The sweetest thought,the last .”
A nd,O bel iever ! th ink Of the future fu l
filment of th is sweet,
promise,
— when theba ttle of l ife wi ll be ended , the confl ict over,the stormy ocean crossed
,the haven of
eternal repose at last entered,
there rema ineth a rest for the people of God . Yes
there is a “ rest ” i n heaven — not the restof inactivity !— not the indolence of a Paganelysi um
,or a Mohammedan paradise ! but
the qu iet of a soul reposing on its God,
a nd del ighting ever in His service . Labor
2 1 6 TH E P A THWA Y OF PR O/WIS E .
i s rest to the loving sp1rit,
— congen ial workis not toi l ! a nd in heaven
,though the
redeemed rest not day nor n ight,
” yetthei rs is a peaceful
,congen ial activity . The
work,whi ch on earth gave rise to the feel
ing Of effort,then passes into pleasure ! a nd
the sou l ’s repose is in goodness,
— a goodness
,which has become a very necessity
,
a nd in which,holy thoughts a nd works are
as devoid of effort as song to a bird , orfragrance to the summer flower . There isendless repose
,yet endless activity
,— un
wearied, yet del ightfu l employment in the
service of God . No more shal l the re
deemed grieve a nd mourn,
— no more shal ltears of sorrow a nd disappointment fall
,or
the heart be su rcharged with affl i ction a nd
distress . The anxious troubles a nd thebitter cares of l ife are never felt in therealms of glory ! for there , no seductivepleasu re misleads
,
— no ambition undulyexcites
,— no carking thoughts fetter a nd
cramp the sou l .Then wil l you enj oy a peace and tran
qu i l l i ty,
— a heaven ly rest,which even a n
ange l ’s voice cou ld not describe,a nd be
with Him,who has been the source of al l
2 18 TH E PA TH WA Y OF PR OMISE.
Journey on,then
,chi ld of God
,grasping
firmly the promise,My presence shal l go
with thee,a nd I wil l give thee rest .”
Be calm in the contemplation of yourdeparture ! leave every future step of yourearthly pi lgrimage in the hands of Himwho wi ll lead you by “ the right way .
”
Seek to have more of the mind of Christ.Be earnest in prayer. Let
'
the Word of
God be your dai ly study — “a l ight to ,
your feet,a nd a lamp to your path .
” Liveever to the glory of God
,
— a nd,by the
faithful,consc ientious discharge of the
duties of your call ing,be “ an example of
the bel ievers,in word
,in conversation
,in
charity,in spiri t
,in faith
,in purity .
” Thusadvance onward in the Pathway of Promi se and
,when the close of the j ou rney is
reached,the voice of Him whom having
not seen,you love
,wil l then whisper these
encouraging words,
“ Fear not,for I am
with thee ! I wil l not leave thee , nor forsakethee . When thou passest through the
waters,I wi l l be with thee
,
”&c.
R ise , my soul , a nd stretch thy wing,Thy better portion trace
REST. 2 19
R ise from transitory th ingsTowards heaven , thy native place .
”
God of al l grace,by whose good hand
upon me I have h itherto been gu ided inmy pilgrimage
,hold thou me up ,
and so IShall be safe . Suffer me no more to wanderfrom Thy ways
,or to grow weary in keep
ing Thy commandments . Make me watchfu l against temptation
,strong in faith
,di l i
gent in duty,patient in trial
,a nd fervent in
prayer. A nd,in Thine own good time
,
may I be permitted to enter into that restwhich remaineth for the people of God .
”
“ Only , 0 Lord , in Thy dear love ,Fit us for perfect rest above !A nd help us
,this a nd every day
To live more nearly as w e pray .
Spirit , leave thy house of clayLing
’ring dust , res ign thy breath !
Spirit , cast thy chains away !Dust,
’
be thou dissolved in deathThus th ’
A lmighty S aviour spea ks ,While the faithful Christian dies
Thus the bonds of life H e breaks ,A nd the ra nsom’
d captive flies .
220 TH E PA THWA Y OF PROMISE.
Prisoner,long de ta in ’d be low
Prisoner , now with freedom blestWe lcome , from a world of w oeWe lcome , to a land of rest
Thus the choir of ange ls sing ,A s they bear the soul on high !
AWhile,with hallelujahs ring
A ll the region of the sk y.
Grave , the guard ian of our dust !Grave , the treasury of the Skies
Every atom of thy dustR ests in hope again to rise .
H ark ! the judgment-trumpet calls ,S oul , rebuild thy house of clay,
Immortality thy walls,
A nd eternity,thy day .
MONTGOMERY .
One sweetly solemn thoughtCome s to me o
’
er a nd o’er !
I ’m nearer my home tod ayThan I ’ve ever been be foreNe a rer my Father ’s house
,
Where the many mansions be !Nearer the great white throne ,Nearer the j asper se a !Nearer the bound of life ,NVhere I lay my burden down !Nearer leaving my cross !Nearer wearing my crown ! ”
