Grace Gems

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The Lord reigns!

(Letters of John Newton)

"The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength!" Psalm 93:1

"The Lord reigns! Let the nations tremble!" Psalm 99:1

The Lord reigns! He who once bore our sins, and carried our sorrows--is seated upon a throne of glory, and exercises all power in heaven and on earth! Thrones, principalities, and powers, bow before Him. Every being and event are under His rule. His providence pervades and manages the whole, and is as minutely attentive to every part--as if there were only that single object in His view.

From the tallest archangel, to the meanest ant or fly--all depend on Him for their being, their preservation, and their powers! He directs the sparrows where to build their nests, and to find their food. He overrules the rise and fall of nations; and bends, with an invincible energy and unerring wisdom--all events! So that, while many intend otherwise--in the outcome, their designs all concur and coincide in the accomplishment of His holy will. He restrains with a mighty hand, the still more formidable efforts of the powers of darkness; and Satan, with all his hosts, cannot exert their malice a hair's breadth beyond the limits of His permission. Satan may rage--but he is a chained enemy!

This is He, who is the Redeemer and Husband of His believing people. How happy are those whom it is His good pleasure to bless! How safe are those whom He has engaged to protect! How honored and privileged are those whom He enables and warrants to claim Him as their friend and their portion! Having redeemed them by His own blood--He sets a high value upon them! He esteems them His treasure, His jewels! He guards them as the pupil of His eye. They shall not lack; they need not fear!
His eye is upon them in every situation,
His ear is open to their prayers, and
His everlasting arms are under them for their sure support.

On earth, He guides their steps, controls their enemies, and directs all His dispensations for their good! While, in heaven, He is pleading their cause, preparing a place for them, and communicating down to them reviving foretastes of the glory that shall shortly be theirs!

"The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!" Psalm 146:10

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Here is the conclusion of the matter:

(Thomas Chalmers, 1826)

"When I surveyed all that I had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve--everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun!" Ecclesiastes 2:11

"This world is passing away along with its desires!" 1 John 2:17

"Whosoever drinks of this water--shall thirst again!" John 4:13

There is no delusion more prevalent, or more difficult to dissipate from the minds of men--than the imagined power which this world possesses to confer solid good or substantial enjoyment on its votaries. Their life is one unceasing struggle for some object or attainment which lies at a distance from them. They are fighting their way to an arduous eminence of wealth or of distinction--or running with eager desire after some station of imagined delight, or imagined repose--on this side of death.

And it is the part of Christian wisdom: to mark the contrast which exists between the activity of the pursuit in the ways of human ambition--and the utter vanity of the termination; to observe how, in the career of restless and aspiring man, he is ever experiencing that to be tasteless, on which, while beyond his reach--he had lavished his fondest and most devoted energies!

When we thus see that the life of man in the world is spent in vanity--and goes out in darkness--we may say of all the wayward children of humanity, "Surely man walks in a vain show, surely he vexes himself in vain!" Psalm 39:6

But these censures on that waste of strength and of exertion, which is incurred by the mere votaries of this world, are not applicable merely to the pursuits of general humanity--they are frequently no less applicable to the pursuits of professing Christians!

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

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Like coins from the same mint!

(Letters of John Newton)

My dear sir,
I could write a long note indeed, upon your very great mistake in considering me as a great man. If we could have a personal interview--I think you would be quickly undeceived! Ah! how different I am--from what perhaps I appear to be to others when in the pulpit.

Your mistake, however, has done me good. A whole quire of invective from an enemy could hardly have given me so keen a sense of shame. The Scripture assures us that our hearts by nature, like coins from the same mint--are all alike. I hear my fellow-Christians complain of evils similar to what I feel. Otherwise I would have reason to conclude that there could not be one believer upon earth--so inconsistent, so evil, so vile beyond expression--as myself!

Ah, dear sir! what would you have thought of me--had you seen me when I lived among the slaves? The sight of me would have been offensive to your eyes, and my vile speech would have struck you with horror! I was miserable and despicable in every view--the common mark of scorn and insult! My whole wretched amusement and pleasure seemed to lie in blaspheming the name and person of Jesus, and in feeding my imagination with schemes of wickedness!

Some of my unhappy companions have perished in their sins--who have just cause to charge the ruin of their souls to my account! For Satan himself, had he been upon earth in a bodily shape--could hardly have been more industrious in tempting to infidelity and profligacy than I was!

There is seldom a day of my life, in which my thoughts are not led back to my former state of estrangement from Him, and that pre-eminence of wretchedness into which my sins plunged me!

Yet, it is of grace that my poor story is not much worse. The Lord is my keeper--therefore I am still preserved. "By the grace of God--I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10

I am, dear sir, your affectionate friend and servant,
John Newton, 1778


Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine!
  John Newton

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But when the mower comes!

(Letters of John Newton)

Dear friend,
In preferring a warm heart to a full head--you certainly judge by the rule of Scripture. The Lord looks to the heart--not to the stature, the popularity, the intellect, the rank or wealth of a person. These are to the man--no more than ornamental trappings to a horse!

"All men are like grass, and all their goodness is like the flower of the field!" Isaiah 40:6. The mass of mankind may be compared to grass. And those who are distinguished by intellectual or external accomplishments of any kind--may be compared to the flowers which look more gaudy and are perhaps a little taller than the grass. But when the mower comes--the scythe finds no difference! Both fall by the same stroke, and wither with equal speed!

Indeed I believe that the most lively grace and the most solid comfort--are known among the Lord's poor and insignificant people. Every outward advantage, has a tendency to nourish the pride of the human heart; and requires a proportionable knowledge of the deceitful SELF and the evil of sin--to counterbalance them.

If I were qualified to search out the best Christian in the country, I would not expect to find him either in a professor's chair, or in a pulpit. I would give the trophy to that person who had the lowest thoughts of himself--and the most admiring and loving thoughts of the Savior. And perhaps this person may be some bedridden old man or woman, or a pauper in a workhouse.

Love to Jesus is not to be measured by the amount of knowledge we have, or how well we talk--but rather by the simplicity of our dependence upon Him, and the uniform tenor of our obedience to His will.

Your affectionate friend and servant,
John Newton

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By the grace of God--I am what I am!

(William Plumer, "Sinners Saved by Unmerited Kindness")

In his old age, when he could no longer see to read, John Newton heard someone recite this verse, "By the grace of God--I am what I am." 1 Corinthians 15:10. He remained silent a short time, and then said:

I am not what I ought to be. Ah! how imperfect and deficient.

I am not what I might be, considering my privileges and opportunities.

I am not what I wish to be. God, who knows my heart--knows I wish to be like Him.

I am not what I hope to be. Before long, I will drop this clay tabernacle, to be like Him and see Him as He is!

Yet, I am not what I once was--a child of sin, and slave of the devil!

Though not all these--not what I ought to be, not what I might be, not what I wish or hope to be, and not what I once was--I think I can truly say with the apostle, "By the grace of God--I am what I am!"

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More dreadful than Hell!

(James Smith, "He Gives Grace to the Humble" 1859)

"Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?" Romans 7:24

The godly man has a deep sense of the evil of sin.

He looks upon sin as the bitter root, from which springs . . .
  all the woes and wars,
  all the sadness and sorrow,
  all the pains and pollution,
  all the misery and madness,
  and all the torment and terror
--to be found in God's universe!

He regards sin as that abominable thing which God hates!

It is to him a loathsome object; and a subject fraught with all that is base, degrading, and horrible. He looks at sin as more dreadful than Hell! Indeed, he considers sin to be the evil of all evils, and considers that nothing is evil in comparison with sin!

He often thinks of sin as it has . . .
  grieved God's heart,
  murdered God's only begotten Son, and
  vexed and resisted the Holy Spirit.

O if he could be but free from sin!

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be, has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!" 1 John 3:2

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My dear wife has been quite ill

(Letters of John Newton)

"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered!" Matthew 10:30

Dear friend,
My dear wife has been quite ill. Sickness is a bitter pill to swallow. Yet the Lord is good; He knows what we need, and when we need it. We must and shall have it--whether it is sweet, bitter, or sour--for He will withhold no good thing from those who fear and love Him.

He upholds and enlightens the planets and stars. He weighs the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance. At the same time, He is providing for the lions and ravens, and supporting all the ants and worms that creep upon the earth!

And with equal accuracy--He adjusts all that concerns us! Worms as we are--He is attentive to everything that relates to our peace and welfare, as though we, each of us singly--were the sole objects of His providential care! Yes, His eye and His heart are attentively fixed upon you and worthless me! Well may we say, "Who is a God like unto You!"

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Whose presence is thus promised and pledged?

(Octavius Winslow, "Christ is Ever With You!" 1863)

"Lo, I am with you always--even unto the end of the world!" Matthew 28:20

Whose presence is thus promised and pledged?

It is the presence of Christ! The Christ who is God. "Immanuel, God with us!"

The Christ who . . .
  made all worlds,
  created all beings,
  governs all empires,
  controls all events!

The Christ who replenishes . . .
  earth with beauty,
  heaven with glory,
  eternity with song!

The Christ before whom angels and archangels, principalities and powers bend, and at whose name every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord!

The Christ . . .
  whose glory is divine,
  whose beauty is peerless,
  whose wealth is boundless,
  whose love is as infinite as His being!

The Christ who . . .
  bore and put away your sins forever,
  uplifted and forever removed your curse,
  paid all your great debt to Divine justice,
  sorrowed for you in the garden,
  suffered and expired in your stead on the cross,
  rose from the grave, ascended up to heaven, lives and intercedes for you, representing your person and presenting your prayers and praises with ineffable acceptance and delight--to His Father and your Father, to His God and your God.

"Lo, I am with you always! Mark! Behold! I the Incarnate God, I who opened my bleeding heart for your redemption on Calvary, I who am your dearest Friend--I am with you always, in all places, and at all times, unto the end of the world!"

O honored saint of God! You have . . .
  the Divinest in the universe to love you,
  the Mightiest in the universe to shield you,
  the Loveliest in the universe to delight you,
  the Dearest in the universe to soothe, cheer, and gladden you!
O favored disciple of Jesus--you have such a one ever at your side!

This is the promise of promises--the richest pearl of all the promises, exceeding in its mightiness and preciousness; while it is the substance, sweetness, and pledge of all the rest!

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Your unfailing Guide

(Octavius Winslow, "Christ is Ever with You!" 1863)

"Surely, I am with you always--even unto the end of the world!" Matthew 28:20

Christ is with us--as our GUIDE. How deep our need of Him as such, and how endeared does it make Him! So blind are we, so dark is our future, so perplexing is our present path--that the very next step might be a false one--taking us into a wrong direction, entailing untold anxieties and sorrows, or hurling us from a precipice into total ruin! Yes, we need just such a guide as Christ!

What Alpine traveler would attempt the ascent of a steep glacier, or cross the dangerous pass--unattended by an experienced guide--one who knew the route, whose skillful eye could detect the treacherous crevice, and whose strong arm could fence the narrow, winding way?

Our path to eternity demands just such a guide as the prophet foretold Christ would be. "I have given Him," says God, "for a Leader and Commander to the people." His own gracious words corroborate this statement when speaking of Himself as the Shepherd of His flock, who "Goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice."

Oh, what a privilege--in every path of doubt, in every circumstance of danger, where human judgment is either warped or beclouded, and your own mind hesitates and falters--to have such a wonderful Counselor, such a divine Guide as Christ at your side! As such--He is ever with you!

He will guide you . . .
  with His eye of providence,
  and with His hand of power,
  and with His heart of love!

He knows the way that you take--for He has ordained it.

He knows every crook in your lot--for He has appointed it.

He will . . .
  roll away the stone of difficulty,
  level mountains,
  fill up valleys,
  make the crooked path straight,
  and the rough place smooth!

Oh, be honest and upright with Him! Go to Him first, consult Him first, acknowledge Him in all your ways--before you consult any human guide. May Christ, in all the minute details of your life, have the pre-eminence. Learn to lay your own desires and thoughts at His feet.

"He guides the humble in what is right--and teaches them His way!" Psalm 25:9. Not our way--but "His way." We must first surrender our way and will--before He will teach us His. He guides the "humble"--the childlike, trustful, unquestioning disciple, who humbly locks his hand in Christ's and says, "Lord, lead me and guide me, not in my own way--but in Yours!"

Oh, take a firm grasp of your unfailing Guide, and you shall travel safely and surely, through all your unknown future.

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A shield and deliverer

(Octavius Winslow, "Christ is Ever with You!" 1863)

"Surely, I am with you always--even unto the end of the world!" Matthew 28:20

Christ is ever with His people--as a shield and deliverer. Our estimation of this truth, will be proportioned to our intelligent apprehension of the number and potency of our enemies--and the costliness and preciousness of the treasure thus divinely protected.

There are assaults from which Christ alone can shield us!
Innumerable and invisible,
sleepless and restless,
working with an almost almighty power,
everywhere with an almost omnipresent existence,
ever plotting our ruin--
are the spiritual enemies of our soul, and the sworn foes of our faith!

The world and its fascinations,
Satan and his devices,
the flesh and its tendencies,
error and its disguises--
are all confederate against the child of God, opposing his every advance in holiness!

But Christ is our ever-present shield, near at the moment of assault, and skillful to deflect and disarm it! "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield!" are words addressed to all who have like precious faith with him. Oh yes! the Lord encompasses you. Encircled by danger--you are also encircled by the ever-present protection of Jesus!

"So do not fear--for I am with you! Do not be dismayed--for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand!" Isaiah 41:10

With what unslumbering vigilance,
with what divine power,
with what changeless love--
does the Lord Jesus shield the work of grace in the soul of His people!

Who keeps that spark alive--in the midst of the ocean?

Who guards this vineyard night and day--lest any hurt it?

Who preserves . . .
  faith from faltering,
  love from chilling,
  hope from dying?

Who . . .
strengthens the 'work of grace' when it is feeble,
raises it when it droops,
restores it when it relapses,
keeps it in the cold of winter and the drought of summer;
and, when the frosts and winds of autumn would nip and scatter its foliage--clothes it with the freshness and bloom of spring?

Oh, it is Jesus, encircling with His all-protecting shield--the work of grace which His death has accomplished, and which His Spirit wrought!

Trembling believer! The work of grace in your heart shall never die! The kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in your soul--is indestructible! "They shall never perish!" is the declaration of the Shepherd who bought you with His blood! You are watched over by Christ--and kept by the power of God.

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge!
 He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!"
    Psalm 18:2

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This is the worst part of the picture!

(James Smith, "A Serious Inquiry" 1865)

"Lord, what is man--that You should notice us, mere mortals that You should care for us?" Psalm 144:3

1. What is man MORALLY? This is the worst part of the picture! It is bad enough to see man diseased, suffering, dying, moldering to dust; but when we come to inquire into the cause of all this--it is fearful indeed!

Man is dreadfully depraved. He has fallen from the state in which his good and glorious Creator placed him.
He is now totally depraved.
He is God's enemy.
His heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.
His carnal mind is enmity against God.
He is full of evil principles and evil passions.
He has become, not only unprofitable--but abominable!

No part of God's creation presents such a hideous sight to His pure and holy eyes--as man does; for in man, heart and mind are alike depraved, and set in opposition to Himself.

Man is wicked; but he is not only wicked--he is weak. Sin has become a fearful disease within him. He has no will to do good. He has no power to do good--even if he had the will.

Man is perverse--he closes his eyes, his ears, and his heart against God! It is only for God to require something--and man determines not to do it; or for God to prohibit something--and man immediately desires it! His will is as much opposed to God as it can be. He slights His mercy, dares His justice, and defies His power. He perseveres in sin--unless the Lord by His invincible grace prevents him. He has sunk lower than the beasts which perish!

There is everything in man to offend the eyes of God's holiness, and to grieve His loving heart. Looking at man as fallen, polluted, and under the power of sin--we may well ask, "What is man--that You are mindful of him?" Psalm 8:4

And will God, the great, the glorious, the holy God--take poor, sinful, vile, wretched man for His choice, His child, His companion? He will. He has done it. He is daily doing it. What astonishing grace!

2. What will renewed man BE? This is a question which no man can answer, for even the inspired Apostle John confesses his ignorance, "Beloved," says he, "now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be--but when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!" "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined--what God has prepared for those who love Him!"

Renewed man will be like Jesus. Man will be with God. Man will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of his heavenly Father. Man will see and hear and know, and possess, and enjoy--all that he can possibly desire, all that his glorified nature is capable of. He will be more than unfallen Adam was, more than angels are, for he will be as nearly like God as perfected human nature can be made like the Divine!

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Would such an inscription look well on some of our costly furniture?

(James Smith, "Holiness Unto the Lord" 1865)

"On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: 'Holy unto the Lord.' And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar." Zechariah 14:20

We are to write on all that we ARE, on all that we HAVE--"Holy unto the Lord!" We are no longer live unto ourselves--but unto Him who loved us, and gave Himself up for us. We are to have . . .
  holy thoughts,
  holy desires,
  holy motives,
  holy aims,
  holy pleasures,
  holy sorrows, and
  pursue holy objects.

1. See then, what we should BE--holy. This was God's end in our election, redemption, and effectual calling. This is God's design in all our trials, troubles, and exercises; they are for our profit--that "we may be partakers of His holiness."

2. See also, what we should DO--write, "Holy unto the Lord!" on all that we possess. We have no right to possess, use, or wear anything--on which we cannot write, "Holy unto the Lord!"

Christian, is there anything in your house, in your business, or on your person--on which it would be unfitting to write, "Holy unto the Lord?" If so--ought you to possess it, practice it, or wear it?

Would such an inscription look well on some of our costly furniture, fine clothing, or entertainments? Would it? Do not shun the question--but let conscience take it up, examine, and return an honest answer.

We should use all that we have--as consecrated to Jehovah's service and praise:
  our mental powers,
  our physical strength,
  our wealth,
  our abilities,
  our possessions
--all should be used for God, and for His glory! When about to employ any of these, we should pause, and ask, "Will putting them to this use honor God? Will it serve His cause? Will it bring praise to His most holy name?"

All who see us, dwell with us, or visit us--should be able to perceive that we have written upon all we have and are, "Holy unto the Lord." Until they can, we are not what we ought to be--and God's end in what He has done for us, and conferred upon us, is not answered.

O Spirit of holiness, come down and by the finger of Your power--write, "Holy unto the Lord!" upon our hearts! Enable us, as the effect, to write upon all we that have and are, upon all that we purpose, plan, and do--"Holy unto the Lord!" in large and pleasing characters, such as all may understand!

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The eye of God!

(James Smith, "God's Knowledge of Us" 1865)

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account!" Hebrews 4:13

"The Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought!" 1 Chronicles 28:9

"I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person!" Revelation 2:23

"O Lord, You know!" Jeremiah 15:15

God's perfect knowledge, is like the pillar-cloud which led Israel out of Egypt, and through the wilderness: it is dark and a cause of terror to His enemies--but it is light and a source of comfort to His children.

"O Lord, You know" my SINS and FOLLIES! No one else does. No one else ever will. How could I look anyone in the face--if I thought he knew what was passing in my heart, or what is transacted in the chambers of my imagination within!

The Lord alone can search the heart. He alone knows the worst of us--and He alone knows the best; for the best and the worst, are both concealed in the same heart. The eye of God sees . . .
  every motive,
  every thought,
  every lust,
  every action!

His eye is on that mysterious portion of our nature, called the imagination, on which such strange pictures are often painted, in which such fearful scenes are sometimes transacted. "You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from You!" Psalm 69:5

What streams of moral filthiness sometimes flow from the heart into the imagination! How difficult sometimes to keep it back.

What a depth of pollution there is within us!

What billows of corruption sometimes roll and swell!

Little does the young Christian think--what the pure and holy eye of God sees within him; and what his own eye will one day discover, filling him with alarm--if not with horror, with shame and self-loathing! Then he will enter into poor Job's confession, "Behold, I am vile!" and into Isaiah's exclamation, "Woe is me! I am undone!"

"What more can I say unto You? For You know Your servant, O Sovereign Lord!" 2 Samuel 7:20

But blessed be God, the righteousness of Jesus covers all--and conceals all; and the grace and Spirit of God will ultimately purge away the whole foul heap from us!

Now our iniquities are forgiven, and our sins are covered; but then our natures will be perfectly purified, and be as white as the falling snow! "Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!" 1 John 3:2

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Our Father refuses to answer such questions!

(James Smith, "PERPLEXITY" 1865)

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways, My ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth--so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts!" Isaiah 55:8-9

God's dealings are very mysterious. His way is in the sea, and His path in the mighty waters, and His footsteps are not known.
We looked for light--but behold darkness.
We expected success--but we meet with failure.
We anticipated prosperity--but we are plunged in adversity.
Our purposes are broken off.
Our plans are frustrated.
Our skies are clothed with clouds.
Beloved, such is the case with us sometimes! Our circumstances are so painful, so different from what we anticipated, that in bewilderment we exclaim, "Truly, You are a God who hides Yourself!"

God will do just as He pleases with His own children. He has the right--and He will exercise it. He will often . . .
  cross our wills,
  hedge up our paths,
  cut off our expectations, and
  give us wormwood and gall to drink!

And why? Because He loves to cause us pain--or takes pleasure in our sighs and sorrows? No! Oh, no! But because He consults our welfare. Because He is wiser than we are!

Why am I poor--and my brother rich?
Why am I sick--and my sister healthy?
Why are my efforts crossed--and my neighbor's crowned with success?
This is often deeply trying. But our Father refuses to answer such questions! He asks, "May I not do as I will--with My own?" He kindly quiets us by the assurance, "You don't understand now what I am doing--but someday you will." Well did the patriarch exclaim, "He gives no account of any of His matters."

How difficult to say sometimes, "Though He slays me--yet will I trust in Him!" How difficult to believe that this rough road is the right road, which leads to the celestial city.

Our Father wisely appoints the circumstances and lot of every one of His children. He has mapped out the path in which they are to travel. He has appointed their bounds, which they cannot pass. Then with Job we say, "He is in one mind--and who can oppose him? He does whatever He pleases. He will certainly accomplish what He has decreed for me."

We must not murmur, we must not complain--but patiently follow wherever the Lord leads, and quietly bear whatever He lays on us. Patience must calm the spirit, quiet the heart, and close the mouth. Then shall we say with the Psalmist, "I was silent, I opened not my mouth, because You are the One who has done this!"
Had it been man--it might have been wrong.
Had it been chance--it might have been injurious.
But it was You--and, therefore, it must be wise, holy, and kind.

We are required quietly to persevere--though the way is rugged, though the thorns pierce our feet, though we cannot see one step before us! We must walk by faith, not by sight, believing . . .
  that we are safe--in the midst of danger;
  that we are right--though everything is perplexing;
  and that all will end well--for "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose!" Romans 8:28

[nChrist]

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In a few days--I may be in Hell!

(James Smith, "A Solemn Thought!" 1865)

"Are not my days few?" Job 10:20

You may be living as if you thought that your days would be many--living in sin and in folly, and neglecting your everlasting concerns! You may be planning and scheming--as if you were to live here forever, or were at least sure of many years to come. Years! why we are not sure of months, weeks, days, hours, nay minutes! At the best--our days will be few!

If my days are few, then time will soon end with me, eternity will soon open upon me--and I shall soon know what heaven--or hell, really is! How solemn!

In a few days--I may be in Heaven! I may see the Lamb in the midst of the throne. I may be joining with the triumphing multitude in the presence of God.

But in a few days--I may be in Hell! In hell? Yes, in Hell!
In unquenchable fire!
In everlasting burnings!
In unutterable torments!
The sport of devils.
The companion of damned souls.
Under the blighting, blasting, and withering curse of God.
Hell! Who can tell what Hell is? Who can describe its tortures, its horrors, its terrific scenes?

Are not my days few? Yes! Then I must soon be in Heaven--or Hell.

Reader, your days are few! They may be very few--much fewer than you have calculated on. Suppose they should end! Suppose the decree had gone forth from the eternal throne, "Tomorrow you shall die!" and you were to be informed of it by some angelic messenger who heard it pronounced--how would you feel? How? What would you do? Where would you be for eternity?

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom!" Psalm 90:12