2 Corinthians 1:5
“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.”
Seek ye rest from your distresses ye children of woe and sorrow ?
This is the place where ye may lighten your burden, and lose your
cares. Oh, son of affliction and misery, wouldst thou forget for a time
thy pains and griefs? This is the Bethesda the house of mercy; this is
the place where God designs to cheer thee, and to make thy distresses
stay their never ceasing course; this is the spot where his children
love to be found, because here they find consolation in the midst of
tribulation, joy in their sorrows, and comfort in their afflictions. Even
worldly men admit that there is something extremely comforting in
the sacred Scriptures, and in our holy religion; I have even heard it
said of some, that after they had, by their logic, as they thought,
annihilated Christianity, and proved it to be untrue, they
acknowledged that they had spoilt an excellently comforting
delusion, and that they could almost sit down and weep to think it
was not a reality. Ay, my friends, if it were not true, ye might weep. If
the Bible were not the truth of God--if we could not meet together
around his mercy seat, then ye might put your hands upon your loins
and walk about as if ye were in travail. If ye had not something in the
world beside your reason, beside the fleeting joys of earth--if ye had
not something which God had given to you, some hope beyond the
sky, some refuge that should be more than terrestrial, some
deliverance which should be more than earthly, then ye might weep;--
ah! weep your heart out at your eyes, and let your whole bodies waste
away in one perpetual tear. Ye might ask the clouds to rest on your
head, the rivers to roll down in streams from both your eyes, for your
grief would "have need of all the watery things that nature could
produce." But, blessed be God, we have consolation, we have joy in
the Holy Ghost. We find it nowhere else. We have raked the earth
through, but we have discovered ne'er a jewel; we have turned this
dunghill-world o'er and o'er a thousand times, and we have found
nought that is precious; but here, in this Bible, here in the religion of
the blessed Jesus we the sons of God, have found comfort and joy;
while we can truly say, "As our afflictions abound, so our
consolations also abound by Christ."
There are four things in my text to which I invite your attention: the
first is the sufferings to be expected--"The sufferings of Christ abound
in us;" secondly, the distinction to be noticed--they are the sufferings
of Christ; thirdly, a proportion to be experienced--as the sufferings of
Christ abound, so our consolations abound; and fourthly, the person
to be honored--"So our consolation aboundeth by CHRIST."
I. Our first division then is, THE SUFFERINGS TO BE
EXCPECTED. Our holy Apostle says "The sufferings of Christ
abound in us." Before we buckle on the Christian armour we ought to
know what that service is which is expected of us. A recruiting
sergeant often slips a shilling into the hand of some ignorant youth,
and tells him that. Her Majesty's Service is a fine thing, that he has
nothing to do but walk about in his flaming colors, that he will have
no hard service--in fact, that he has nothing to do but to be a soldier,
and go straight on to glory. But the Christian searjeant when he
enlists a soldier of the cross, never deceives him like that. Jesus
Christ himself said, "Count the cost." He wished to have no disciple
who was not prepared to go all the way--"to bear hardness as a good
soldier." I have sometimes heard religion described in such a way that
its high coloring displeases me. It is true "her ways are ways of
pleasantness;" but it is not true that a Christian never has sorrow or
trouble. It is true that light-eyed cheerfulness, and airy-footed love,
can go through the world without much depression: and tribulation:
but it is not true that Christianity will shield a man from trouble; nor
ought it to be so represented. In fact, we ought to speak of it in the
other-way. Soldier of Christ, if thou enlisteth, thou wilt have to do
hard battle. There is no bed of down for thee; there it no riding to
heaven in a chariot; the rough way must be trodden; mountains must
be climbed, rivers must be forded, dragons must be fought, giants
must be slain, difficulties must be overcome, and great trials must be
borne. It is not a smooth road to heaven, believe me; for those who
have gone but a very few steps therein have found it to be a rough
one. It is a pleasant one; it is the most delightful in all the world, but
it is not easy in itself; it is only pleasant because of the company,
because of the sweet promises on which we lean, because of our
Beloved who walks with us through all the rough and thorny brakes
of this vast wilderness. Christian, expect trouble: "Count it not
strange concerning the fiery trial, and as though some strange thing
had happened unto thee;" for as truly as thou art a child of God, thy
Saviour hath left thee for his legacy,--"In the world, ye shall have
tribulation; in me ye shall have peace." If I had no trouble I would not
believe myself one of the family. If I never had a trial I would not
think myself a heir of heaven. Children of God must not, shall not,
escape the rod. Earthly parents may spoil their children but the
heavenly Father never shall his. "Whom he loveth he chasteneth," and
scourgeth every son whom he hath chosen. His people must suffer;
therefore, expect it Christian; if thou art a child of God believe it,
look for it, and when it comes, say, "Well suffering, I foresaw thee;
thou art no stranger; I have looked for thee continually." You cannot
tell how much it will lighten your trials, if you await them with
resignation. In fact, make it a wonder if you get through a day easily.
If you remain a week without persecution, think it a remarkable thing;
and if you should, perchance, live a month without heaving a sigh
from your inmost heart, think it a miracle of miracles. But when the
trouble comes, say, "Ah! this is what I looked for; it is marked in the
chart to heaven; the rock is put down; I will sail confidently by it; my
Master has not deceived me."
"Why should I complain of want or distress,
Temptation or pain? he told me no less."
But why must the Christian expect trouble? Why must he expect the
sufferings of Christ to abound in him? Stand here a moment, my
brother, and I will show thee four reasons wherefore thou must
endure trial. First look upward, then look downward, then look
around thee, and then look within thee; and thou wilt see four reasons
why the sufferings of Christ should abound in thee.
Look upward. Dost thou see thy heavenly Father, a pure and holy being,
spotless, just, perfect? Dost thou know that thou art one day to be like
him? Thinkest thou that thou wilt easily come to be conformed to his
image? Wilt thou not require much furnace work, much grinding in
the mill of trouble, much breaking with the pestle in the mortar of
affliction, much being broken under the wheels of agony? Thinkest
thou it will be an easy thing for thy heart to become as pure as God
is? Dost thou think thou canst so soon get rid of thy corruptions, and
become perfect, even as thy Father which is in heaven is perfect?
Lift up thine eye again; dost thou discern those bright spirits clad in
white, purer than alabaster, more chaste, more fair than Parian
marble? Behold them as they stand in glory. Ask them whence their
victory came. Some of them will tell you they swam through seas of
blood. Behold the scars of honor on their brows; see, some of them
lift up their hands and tell you they were once consumed in fire; while
others were slain by the sword, rent in pieces by wild beasts; were
destitute afflicted, tormented. 0 ye noble army of martyrs, ye glorious
hosts of the living God. Must ye swim through seas of blood, and
shall I hope to ride to heaven wrapped in furs and ermine? Did ye
endure suffering, and shall I be pampered with the luxuries of this
world? Did ye fight and then reign, and must I reign without a battle.
Oh, no. By God's help I will expect that as ye suffered so must I, and
as through much tribulation ye entered the kingdom of heaven, so
shall I.
Next, Christian, turn thine eyes downward. Dost thou know what foes
thou hast beneath thy feet? There are hell and its lions against thee.
Thou wast once a servant of Satan and no king will willingly lose his
subjects. Dost thou think that Satan be pleased with thee? Why, thou
hast changed thy country. Thou wast once a liege servant of
Apollyon, but now thou art become a good soldier of Jesus Christ;
and dost thou think the devil is pleased with thee? I tell thee nay. If
thou hadst seen Satan the moment thou wast converted, thou wouldst
have beheld a wondrous scene. As soon as thou gavest thy heart to
Christ, Satan spread his bat-like-wings: down he flew into hell, and
summoning all his councilors, he said "Sons of the pit, true heirs of
darkness; ye who erst were clad in light, but who fell with me from
high dignities, another of my servants has forsaken me; I have lost
another of my family; he is gone over to the side of the Lord of Hosts.
Oh ye, my compeers, ye fellow-helpers of the powers of darkness,
leave no stone unturned to destroy him. I bid you all hurl all your
fiercest darts at him; plague him; let hell-dogs bark at him; let fiends
besiege him; give him no rest, harrass him to the death; let the fumes
of our corrupt and burning lake ever rise in his nostrils; persecute
him; the man is a traitor; give him no peace; since I cannot have him
here to bind him in chains of adamant, since I ne'er can have him here
to torment and afflict him, as long as ye can, till his dying day, I bid
you howl at him; until he crosses the river, afflict him, grieve him,
torment him; for the wretch has turned against me, and become a
servant of the Lord." Such may have been the scene in hell, that very
day when thou didst love the Lord. And dost thou think Satan loves
thee better now? Ah! no. He will always be at thee, for thine enemy,
"like a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour."
Expect trouble therefore, Christian, when thou lookest beneath thee.
Then, man of God, look around thee. Do not be asleep. Open thine eyes,
and look around thee. Where art thou? Is that man a friend next to
thee? No; thou art in an enemy's country. This is a wicked world. Half
the people, I suppose, profess to be irreligious, and those who profess
to be pious, often are not. "Cursed is he that trusteth in man and
maketh flesh his arm."--Blessed is he that trusteth in the Lord, and
whose hope the Lord is."--"As for men of low degree, they are
vanity;" the voice of the crowd is not worth having; and as for "men
of high degree, they are a lie," which is worse still. The world is not
to be trusted in, not to be relied upon. The true Christian treads it
beneath his feet, with "all that earth calls good or great." Look around
thee my brother; thou wilt see some good hearts, strong and valiant;
thou wilt see some true souls, sincere and honest; thou wilt see some
faithful lovers of Christ; but I tell thee O child of light, that where
thou meetest one sincere man, thou wilt meet twenty hypocrites;
where thou wilt find one that will lead thee to heaven, thou wilt find a
score who would push thee to hell. Thou art in a land of enemies, not
of friends. Never believe the world is good for much. Many people
have burned their fingers by taking hold of it. Many a man has been
injured by putting his hand into a nest of the rattlesnake--the world;
thinking that the dazzling hues of the sleeping serpent were securities
from harm. O Christian! the world is not thy friend. If it is, then thou
art not God's friend; for he who is the friend of the world is the enemy
of God; and he who is despised of men, is often loved of Jehovah.
Thou art in an enemy's country, man: therefore, expect trouble:
expect that the man who "eats thy bread will lift up his heel against
thee;" expect that thou shalt be estranged from those that love thee;
be assured that since thou art in the land of the foe, thou shalt find
foemen everywhere. When thou sleepest, think that thou sleepest on
the battle-field; when thou walkest believe that there is an ambush in
every hedge. Oh! take heed, take heed: this is no good world to shut
thine eyes in. Look around thee, man; and when thou art upon the
watch-tower, reckon surely that trouble cometh.
But then, look within thee. There is a little world in here, which is quite
enough to give us trouble. A Roman once said he wished he had a
window to his heart, that all people might see what was going on
there. I am very glad I have not; if I had I would shut it up as closely
as Apsley House used to be; I would take care to have all the shutters
up. Most of us would have great need of shutters if we had such a
window. However, for one moment, peep into the window of thine
heart, to observe what is there. Sin is there--original sin and
corruption; and what is more, self is still within. Ah! if thou hadst no
devil to tempt thee, thou wouldest tempt thyself; it there were no
enemies to fight thee, thyself would be thy worst foe; if there were no
world, still thy self would be bad enough; for "the heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked." Look within thee, believer;
know that thou bearest a cancer in thy very vitals; that thou carriest
within thee a bomb-shell, ready to burst at the slightest spark of
temptation; know that thou hast inside thy heart an evil thing, a
coiled-up viper, ready to sting thee and bring thee into trouble, and
pain, and misery unutterable. Take heed of your heart, Christian; and
when thou findest sorrow, trouble, and care, look within and say,
"Verily, I may well receive this, considering the evil heart of unbelief
which I carry about with me." Now dost thou see, brother Christian?
No hope to escape trouble, is there. What shall we do then? There is
no chance for us. We must bear suffering and affliction; therefore, let
us endure it cheerfully. Some of us are the officers in God's
regiments, and we are the mark of all the riflemen of the enemy.
Standing forward, we have to bear all the shots. What a mercy it is
that not one of God's officers ever fall in battle! God always keeps
them. When the arrows fly fast, the shield of faith catches them all;
and when the enemy is most angry, God is most pleased. So, for
aught we care, the world may go on, the devil may revile, flesh may
rise; "for we are more than conquerors through him that hath loved
us." Therefore, all honor be unto God alone. Expect suffering--this is
our first point.
II. Now, secondly, there is A DISTINCTION TO BE NOTICED. Our
sufferings are said to be the sufferings of Christ. Now, suffering in
itself is not an evidence of Christianity. There are many people who
have trials and troubles who are not children of' God. I have heard
some poor whining people come and say, "I know I am a child of God
because I am in debt, because I am in poverty, because I am in
trouble." Do you indeed? I know a great many rascals in the same
condition; and I don't believe you are a child of God any the more
because you happen to be in poor circumstances. There are
abundance who are in trouble and distress besides God's children. It is
not the peculiar lot of God's family; and if I had no other ground of
my hope as a Christian, except my experience of trials, I should have
but very poor ground indeed. But there is a distinction to be noticed.
Are these sufferings the sufferings of Christ, or are they not? A man
is dishonest, and is put in jail for it; a man is a coward and men hiss at
him for it; a man is insincere, and, therefore, persons avoid him. Yet
he says he is persecuted. Persecuted! Not at all; it serves him right.
He deserves it. But such persons will comfort themselves with the
thought, that they are "the dear people of God," because other people
avoid them; when it so happens that they just deserve it. They do not
live as they ought to do; therefore the world's punishment is their
desert. Take heed, beloved, that your sufferings are true sufferings of
Christ; be sure they are not your own sufferings; for if they are, you
will get no relief. It is only when they are the sufferings of Jesus that
we may take comfort.
"Well," you say, "What is meant by our sufferings being the sufferings
of Christ?" You know the word "Christ" in the Bible sometimes
means the whole Church with Christ, as in 1 Cor. xii.12, and several
other passages which I cannot just now remember; but you will call to
mind a scripture where it says, "I fill up that which is behind of the
sufferings of Christ, for his body's sake, which is the Church." Now,
as Christ, the head, had a certain amount of suffering to endure, so the
body must also have a certain weight laid upon it. Our afflictions are
the sufferings of Christ mystical, the sufferings of Christ's body, the
sufferings of Christ's church; for you know that if a man could be so
tall as to have his head in heaven and his feet at the bottom of the sea,
it would be the same body, and the head would feel the sufferings of
the feet. So, though my head is in heaven, and I am on earth, my
griefs are Christ's griefs; my trials are Christ's trials, my afflictions,
he suffers.
"I feel at my heart all thy sighs and thy groans,
For thou art most near me, my flesh and my bones;
In all thy distresses, thy Head feels the pain,
Yet all are most needful, not one is in vain."
The trials of a true Christian are as much the sufferings of Christ, as
the agonies of Calvary.
Still you say, "We want to discern whether our troubles are the trials of
Christ." Well, they are the trials of Christ, if you suffer for Christ's
sake. If you are called to endure hardness for the sake of the truth,
then those are the sufferings of Christ. If you suffer for your own
sake, it may be a punishment for your own sins; but if you endure for
Christ's sake, then they are the trials of Christ. "But," say some, "is
there any persecution now-a-days? Do any Christians have to suffer
for Christ's sake now?" Suffer, sirs! Yes. "I could a tale unfold" this
morning, if I pleased, of bigotry insufferable, of persecution well nigh
as bad as that in the days of Mary; only our foes have not the power
and the law on their side. I could tell you of some who, from the
simple fact, that they choose to come and hear this despised young
man, this ranting fellow, are to be looked upon as the offscouring of
all things. Many are the persons who come to me, who have to lead a
miserable and unhappy life, simply because from my lips they heard
the word of truth. Still, despite of all that is said, they will hear it
now. I have, I am sure, many before me, whose eyes would drop with
tears, if I were to tell their history--some who have privately sent me
word of how they have to suffer for Christ's sake, because they
choose to hear whom they please. Why, is it not time that men should
choose to do as they like. If I do not care to do just as other ministers
do, have not I a right to preach as I please? If I havn't I will--that is
all. And have not other parties a right to hear me if they like, without
asking the lords and governors of the present day, whether the man is
really clerical or not. Liberty! liberty! Let persons do as they please.
But liberty--where is it? Ye say it is in Britain. It is, in a measure, but
not thoroughly. However, I rejoice that there are some who say,
"Well, my soul is profited: and let men say what they will, I will hold
hard and fast to truth, and to the place where I hear the word to my
soul's edification." So, dear hearts, go on, go on; and if ye suffer for
Christ's sake, they are Christ's sufferings. If ye came here simply
because ye gained anything by it, then your sufferings would be your
own; but since there is nothing to gain but the profit of our own souls,
still hold on; and whate'er is said, your persecution will but win you a
brighter crown in glory.
Ah! Christian, this ennobles us. My brethren, this makes us proud and
happy to think that our trials are the trials of Jesus. Oh! I think it must
have been some honor to the old soldier, who stood by the Iron Duke
in his battles, to be able to say, "We fight under the good old Duke,
who has won so many battles: and when he wins, part of the honor
will be ours." Christian, thou fightest side by side with Jesus; Christ
is with thee; every blow is a blow aimed at Christ; every slander is a
slander on Christ; the battle is the Lord's; the triumph is the Lord's,
therefore, still on to victory! I remember a story of a great
commander, who, having won many glorious victories, led his troops
into a defile, and when there, a large body of the enemy entirely
surrounded him. He knew a battle was inevitable on the morning, he
therefore went round to all the tents, to hear in what condition his
soldier's minds were--whether they were dispirited or not. He came to
one tent, and as he listened, he heard a man say, "There is our
general; he is very brave, but he is very unwise this time; he has led
us into a place where we are sure to be beaten; there are so many of
the enemy's cavalry, so many infantry:" and then the man counted up
all the troops on their own side, and made them only so many. Then
the commander, after he had heard the tale, gently drew aside a part
of the tent, and said, "How many do you count me for? You have
counted the infantry and cavalry; but how many do you count me for-
-me, your mighty captain, who have won so many victories." Now,
Christian, I say, how many do you count one? He is not one, nor a
thousand: he is the "chief among ten thousand." But he is more than
that. Oh! put him down for a high figure; and when thou countest up
thine aids and auxiliaries, put down Christ for all in all, for in him
victory is certain--the triumph is secure.
III. Our third point is, A PROPORTION TO BE EXPERIENCED. As the
sufferings of Christ abound in us so the consolations of Christ
abound. Here is a blessed proportion. God always keeps a pair of
scales--in this side he puts his people's trials and in that he puts their
consolations. When the scale of trial is nearly empty, you will always
find the scale of consolation in nearly the same condition; and when
the scale of trials is full, you will find the scale of consolation just as
heavy for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, even so shall
consolation abound by Christ. This is a matter of pure experience.
Some of you do not know anything at all about it. You are not
Christians, you are not born again, you are not converted; ye are
unregenerate, and, therefore, ye have never realized this wonderful
proportion between the sufferings and the consolations of a child of
God. Oh! it is mysterious that, when the black clouds gather most, the
light within us is always the brightest. When the night lowers and the
tempest is coming on, the heavenly captain is always closest to his
crew. It is a blessed thing, when we are most cast down, then it is that
we are most lifted up by the consolations of Christ. Let me show you
how.
The first reason is, because trials make more room, for consolation.
There is nothing makes a man have a big heart like a great trial. I
always find that little, miserable people, whose hearts are about the
size of a grain of mustard-seed, never have had much to try them. I
have found that those people who have no sympathy for their fellows-
-who never weep for the sorrows of others--very seldom have had any
woes of their own. Great hearts can only be made by great troubles.
The spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper, and makes
more room for consolation. God comes into our heart--he finds it full-
-he begins to break our comforts and to make it empty; than there is
more room for grace. The humbler a man lies, the more comfort he
will always have. I recollect walking with a ploughman one day--a
man who was deeply taught, although he was a ploughman; and
really ploughmen would make a great deal better preachers than
many college gentlemen--and he said to me, "Depend upon it, my
good brother, if you or I ever get one inch above the ground, we shall
get just that inch too high." I believe it is true; for the lower we lie,
the nearer to the ground we are--the more our troubles humble us--the
more fit we are to receive comfort; and God always gives us comfort
when we are most fit for it. That is one reason why consolations
increase in the same ratio as our trials.
Then again, trouble exercises our graces, and the very exercise of our
graces tends to make us more comfortable and happy. Where showers
fall most, there the grass is greenest. I suppose the fogs and mists of
Ireland make it "the Emerald Isle;" and wherever you find great fogs
of trouble, and mists of sorrow, you always find emerald green hearts:
full of the beautiful verdure of the comfort and love of God. O
Christian, do not thou be saying, "Where are the swallows gone? they
are gone: they are dead." They are not dead; they have skimmed the
purple sea, and gone to a far off land; but they will be back again by-
and-by. Child of God, say not the flowers are dead; say not the winter
has killed them, and they are gone. Ah! no; though winter hath coated
them with the ermine of its snow; they will put up their heads again,
and will be alive very soon. Say not, child of God, that the sun is
quenched, because the cloud hath hidden it. Ah! no; he is behind
there, brewing summer for thee; for when he cometh out again, he
will have made the clouds fit to drop in April showers, all of them
mothers of the sweet May flowers. And oh! above all, when thy God
hides his face, say not, that he has forgotten thee. He is but tarrying a
little while to make thee love him better; and when he cometh, thou
shalt have joy in the Lord, and. shalt rejoice with joy unspeakable.
Waiting, exercises our grace; waiting, tries our faith; therefore, wait
on in hope; for though the promise tarry, it can never come too late.
Another reason why we are often most happy in our troubles is this--then
we have the closest dealing with God. I speak from heart knowledge
and real experience. We never have such close dealings with God as
when we are in tribulation. When the barn is full, man can live
without God; when the purse is bursting with gold, we somehow can
do without so much prayer. But once take your gourds away, you
want your God; once cleanse away the idols out of the house, then
you must go and honor Jehovah. Some of you do not pray half as
much as you ought. If you are the children of God, you will have the
whip, and when you have that whip, you will run to your Father. It is
a fine day, and the child walks before its father; but there is a lion in
the road, now he comes and takes his father's hand. He could run half-
a-mile before him when all was fine and fair; but once bring the lion,
and it is "father! father!" as close as he can be. It is even so with the
Christian. Let all be well, and he forgets God. Jeshurun waxes fat, and
he begins to kick against God; but take away his hopes, blast his joys,
let the infant lie in the coffin, let the crops be blasted, let the herd be
cut off from the stall, let the husband's broad shoulder lie in the grave,
let the children be fatherless--then it is that God is a God indeed. Oh,
strip me naked; take from me all I have; make me poor, a beggar,
penniless, helpless: dash that cistern in pieces; crush that hope;
quench the stars; put out the sun; shroud the moon in darkness, and
place me all alone in space, without a friend, without a helper; still,
"Out of the depths will I cry unto thee, O God." There is no cry so
good as that which comes from the bottom of the mountains; no
prayer half so hearty as that which comes up from the depths of the
soul, through deep trials and afflictions. Hence they bring us to God,
and we are happier; for that is the way to be happy--to live near to
God. So that while troubles abound, they drive us to God, and then
consolations abound.
Some people call troubles weights. Verily they are so. A ship that has
large sails and a fair wind, needs ballast. Troubles are the ballast of a
believer. The eyes are the pumps which fetch out the bilge-water of
his soul, and keep him from sinking. But if trials be weights I will tell
you of a happy secret. There is such a thing as making a weight lift
you. If I have a weight chained to me, it keeps me down; but give me
pulleys and certain appliances, and I can make it lift me up. Yes, there
is such a thing as making troubles raise me towards heaven. A
gentlemen once asked a friend, concerning a beautiful horse of his,
feeding about in the pasture with a clog on its foot, "Why do you clog
such a noble animal?" "Sir," said he, "I would a great deal sooner clog
him than lose him: he is given to leap hedges." That is why God clogs
his people. He would rather clog them than lose them; for if he did
not clog them, they would leap the hedges and be gone. They want a
tether to prevent their straying, and their God binds them with
afflictions, to keep them near to him, to preserve them, and have them
in his presence. Blessed fact--as our troubles abound, our
consolations also abound.
IV. Now we close up with our last point; and may the Holy Ghost once
more strengthen me to speak a word or two to you. THERE IS A
PERSON TO BE HONOURED. It is a fact that Christians can rejoice
in deep distress; it is a truth, that put them in prison, and they still will
sing; like many birds, they sing best in their cages. It is true that when
waves roll over them, their soul never sinks. It is true they have a
buoyancy about them which keeps their heads always above the
water, and helps them to sing in the dark, dark night, "God is with me
still." But to whom shall we give the honor? To whom shall the glory
be given? Oh! to Jesus, to Jesus; for the text says it is all by Jesus. It
is not because I am a Christian that I get joy in my trouble--not
necessarily so; it is not always the fact that troubles bring their
consolations; but it is Christ who comes to me. I am sick in my
chamber; Christ cometh up stairs, he sitteth by my bedside, and he
talketh sweet words to me. I am dying; the chilly cold waters of
Jordan have touched my foot, I feel my blood stagnate and freeze. I
must die; Christ puts his arms around me, and says, "Fear not,
beloved; to die is to be blessed; the waters of death have their
fountain head in heaven; they are not bitter, they are sweet as nectar,
for they flow from the throne of God." I wade in the stream, the
billows gather around me, I feel that my heart and flesh fail but there
is the same voice in my ears, "Fear not, I am with thee! be not
dismayed; I am thy God." Now, I come to the borders of the infinite
unknown, that country "from whose bourne no traveller returns;" I
stand almost affrighted to enter the realm of shades; but a sweet voice
says, "I will be with thee whithersoever thou goest; if thou shouldst
make thy bed in Hades I will be with thee;" and I still go on, content
to die, for Jesus cheers me; he is my consolation and my hope. Ah! ye
who know not that matchless name, Jesus, ye have lost the sweetest
note which e'er can give melody. Ah! ye who have never been
entranced by the precious sonnet contained in that one word Jesu, ye
who know not that Jesu means, I-ES-U, ("I ease you"); ye have lost
the joy and comfort of your lives, and ye must live miserable and
unhappy. But the Christian can rejoice, since Christ will never
forsake him, never leave him, but will be with him.
A word or two to characters--First, I have a word with you who are
expecting troubles, and are very sad because you are looking forward
to them. Take the advice of the common people, and "never cross a
bridge till you get to it." Follow my advice: never bring your troubles
nearer than they are, for they will be sure to come down upon you
soon enough. I know that many persons fret themselves about their
trials before they come. What on earth is the good of it? If you will
show me any benefit in it, I will say go on; but to me it seems quite
enough for the Father to lay the rod on the child without the child
chastising itself. Why should you do so? You, who are afraid of
trouble, why should you be so? The trial may never overtake you; and
if it does come, strength will come with it. Therefore, up with thee,
man, who are sitting down groaning, because of forebodings.
"Religion never was designed
To make our pleasures less."
Out on thee! Up! up! Why wilt thou sit down and be frozen to death?
When trouble comes, then fight it; with manful heart and strong,
plunge into the stream, accoutred as thou art, and swim it through; but
oh! do not fear it before it comes.
Then Christian in trouble, I have a word to say with thee. So my brother,
thou art in trouble; thou art come into the waves of afflitio, art thou?
No strange thing, is it brother? Thou hast been there many times
before. "Ah," but sayest thou, "this is the worst I ever had. I have
come up here this morning with a millstone round my neck; I have a
mine of lead in my heart: I am miserable, I am unhappy, I am cast
down exceedingly." Well, but brother, as thy troubles abound, so
shall thy consolation. Brother, hast thou hung thy harp upon the
willows? I am glad thou hast not broken the harp altogether. Better, to
hang it on the willows than to break it; be sure not to break it. Instead
of being distressed about thy trouble, rejoice in it; thou wilt then
honor God, thou wilt glorify Christ, thou wilt bring sinners to Jesus,
if thou wilt sing in the depths of trouble, for then they will say,
"There must be something in religion after all, otherwise the man
would not be so happy."
Then one word with you who are almost driven to despair. I would
stretch my hands out, if I could, this morning--for I believe a preacher
ought to be a Briareus, with a thousand hands to fetch out his hearers
one by one, and speak to them. There is a man here quite despairing--
almost every hope gone. Brother, shall I tell thee what to do? Thou
hast fallen off the main deck, thou art in the sea, the floods surround
thee; thou seemest to have no hope; thou catchest at straws; what
shalt thou do now? Do? why lie upon the sea of trouble, and float
upon it; be still, and know that God is God, and thou wilt never
perish. All thy kicking and struggling will sink thee deeper; but lie
still, for behold the life-boat cometh; Christ is coming to thy help;
soon he will deliver thee, and fetch thee out of all thy perplexities.
Lastly, some of you have no interest in this sermon at all. I never try to
deceive my hearers by making them believe that all I say belongs to
all who hear me. There are different characters in God's word; it is
yours to search your own hearts this day, and see whether ye are
God's people, or not. As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, there
are two classes here. I do not own the distinction of aristocratic and
democratic; in my sight, and in God's sight, every man is alike. We
are made of one flesh and blood; we do not have china gentlemen and
earthenware poor people; we are all made of the same mould of
fashion. There is one distinction, and only one. Ye are all either the
children of God, or children of the devil; ye are all either born again,
or dead in trespasses and sins. It is yours to let the question ring in
your ears: "Where am I? Is yon black tyrant, with his fiery sword, my
king; or do I own Jehovah-Jesus as my strength, my shield, my
Saviour?" I shall not force you to answer it; I shall not say anything
to you about it. Only answer it yourselves; let your hearts speak; let
your souls speak. All I can do is to propose the question. God apply it
to your souls! I beseech him to send it home! and make the arrow
stick fast!
"Is Jesus mine! I am now prepared,
To meet with what I thought most hard;
Yes, let the winds of trouble blow,
And comforts melt away like snow,
No blasted trees, nor failing crops,
Can hinder my eternal hopes;
Tho' creatures change, the Lord's the same;
Then let me triumph in his name.
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