صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

did so, and the young man departed; and, as most young men do who suddenly come into fortune, went and squandered it away in riotous living-a fine proof of his independent spirit! God, however, saw fit to humble this wretched young man by bringing him down to the dust of the earth. He had to feed swine in the fields, and actually filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat.

God's correction taught this young man a severe lesson which nothing else could teach him. As he lay in this half-famished state bitter remorse came over him he thought of the happy servants beneath his father's roof and exclaims, "How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" Then came his bitter repentance-then came his humility, the proof of his heavenly Father's correction. "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants."

66

Happy is the man whom God correcteth." This young man was happy afterwards, though his affliction for the time was very grievous. He could give no greater proof of his penitence than by going to that father, seeking no longer to be his son, but only his lowest servant. "I am not worthy to be called thy son." How merciful the God who made him happy! How happy the son thus converted! How joyful the house of his father when the fatted calf was killed! And how great the envy of his brother who at such a moment could reproach so kind a father for his goodness! We should always rejoice, brethren, at the return of a penitent sinner

into the paths of humility and love: his former failings should be remembered no more; but with holy thankfulness we should answer the bitter reproaches of those who think themselves righteous. "It was meet that we should make merry and be glad; for this thy brother was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found.” Happy is the man whom God correcteth."

Before a Christian congregation I can speak only of that happiness which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I might descant upon the riches of the world, the comforts of wealth, the independence of the good things of this life, and the state of prosperity which King Solomon enjoyed, and the wretchedness which the afflicted Job was made to endure: but, if I did so, I must point to the ends of these things, and at once show you that happiness is a thing not to be found in any external possessions, but in internal comfort. Solomon's riches brought him no happiness they led him into all manner of idolatry, and destroyed even the judgment of his youth and the wisdom of his maturity; and the Lord was provoked to anger against him in his old days and severed his kingdom from him. But Job, whom God corrected, who was reduced to poverty and preserved his integrity, repented before God and was lifted up at last : so that the Christian apostle James, when writing to the twelve tribes of Israel scattered abroad, says— Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy." Happy, then, is the man whom God correcteth! Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty; for "He maketh sore

66

and bindeth up: He woundeth and His hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles-yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee: in famine He shall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the sword: thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue, neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth: thou shalt come to thy grave in full age like as a shock of corn cometh in his season." So, happy shall be the man whom God correcteth!

But I must put this subject in its strongest light before a Christian congregation. Alas! too many of us think those the happiest men who are the most free from affliction-who appear to come into no misfortune-neither are they plagued like other men. But are they happy? If the Christian religion held forth prosperity in this world as the sure prospect for the next, these men might have some excuse for their immoderate thirst for the mammon of unrighteousness-their love of this world and the things thereof would be excusable: but "God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the mighty, and the things which are nought to bring to nought the things which are high." "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause." "He disappoints the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprize: he taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong; they meet with darkness in the day-time and grope in the noonday as in the night: but he saveth the poor from the sword; from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty. So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth" (Job v. 12-16). Afflic

tion under the Gospel dispensation is far more blessed than wealth, and the poor are especially invited to hope. "A man's wealth consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth," but in the knowledge of his God. The Lord lifteth up and putteth down, He considereth and trieth the children of men. Those whom the Lord loveth He correcteth, and chasteneth every soul whom He receiveth. In your patience, then, possess ye your souls. If the Gospel gave its reward alone in this life the wealthiest would not be the happiest. 66 Riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivereth from death." In this world wealth provokes envy proud men are jealous of each other's powers and possessions, and strife and hatred frequently produce the bitterness of death. The Gospel and its promises, however, relate to another life; and if men, like the rich man in the parable, will prefer to live a few years in the splendour of sumptuousness, they have their reward and the cares of life with them. But let not the poor beggar Lazarus be disappointed of his hope: Abraham's bosom is open to receive him: the Gospel is his peculiar possession here and heaven his hope hereafter: only let him see that "happy is the man whom God correcteth." If a man would live without correction he would live without the love of his heavenly Father, for in many things we all offend. Yes, we offend God too many times indeed wilfully—a thousand times a day heedlessly; and, did not His fatherly hand correct us, we should go on from bad to worse, until we dropped unrepentent sinners into the earth. But God be praised for His correction, and happy is the man who has it. On whom do my

eyes dwell who does not need it? Have we not been great and heinous sinners in His sight? If not, why do we say in our confession, "We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us?" And why, "Have mercy upon us, miserable sinners: spare us, good Lord good Lord deliver us: O Lord, deal not with us after our sins, neither reward us after our iniquities?" The fact is, we are born in sin, and in sin did our mother conceive us. There is no manner of health in our bones by reason of our sins; so that our wounds stink and are become corrupt through our foolishness. Dead in trespasses and sins we are continually coveting those things which in the end produce death; for we are ever desiring the wages of sin, not considering that they are death; and as daily neglecting the gift of God, which is eternal life. Do we not all, then, require correction? We do, indeed; and we have none of us yet had sufficient thereof to make us wise and happy. "Why should a man complain for the punishment of his sins?" We know that our sins have deserved infinitely more than we have received —that, had we been punished according to our deserts, we should be at this moment lying upon the fiery gulf without being able to cry, "Lord, have mercy upon us!"

Sinner, ask your own soul if you do not feel the truth of this within you? But the merciful Lord has so done His righteous work that He has corrected and chastened you, but has not given you over unto death! Before you were afflicted-I do not mean before you had any bodily pain, but I

« السابقةمتابعة »