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in Zion’s Advocate vol.6 no.22 (Nov. 1859)
INDEED, ARE WE NOT APT, to become careless and neglect
to return the gratitude of hearts to God for the riches of his
grace, thus bestowed on such poor creatures as we are? And
hence it becomes necessary, for our good, that we be afflicted in
some way, in order that we may be again brought to see where
our strength lies; still we know that no chastisement for the
present is joyous, but grievous, yet, “if you are without chastisement
whereof all are partakers then you are Bastards and not
Sons,” again, “All things work together for good to them that
love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose.”
Thus when through the divine blessings of heaven we become
exalted above measure, and neglect to pay our vows to the
giver of all good, nothing short of the chastising rod of God can
humble us down to the foot of sovereign mercy, and there the
blessed Jesus meets us and wipes away and bottles all our tears,
and speaks to the troubled soul, peace be still, and all is calm
and serene. Then it is that the text just quoted sweetly forces
itself upon us, saying “all things work together for good,” &c.,
yea farther; these light afflictions, which are but for a moment,
work for us (who love God) a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory.
And farther; John, while in an exiled State, away from all his
brethren, being alone in the far distant Isle of Patmos, with
none but the spirit of the Almighty to commune within him,
was there enabled to see through the vista of time and behold
the end thereof; and there he saw the saints of God, coming
form all parts of the earth, yea, he saw an innumerable company,
that no man could number, and heard with great and
astonishing joy, those are they which come out of great tribulations,
and washed their robes and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. Hence the conclusion is, that if we get through
this life and never feel the chastening rod of God that we are
Bastards, and not Sons, consequently we cannot expect, to be one
in that company which John saw whose trials, and tribulations in
this life had been great. Then my beloved brethren and sisters, let
us “lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” |
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