Why are you cast down, O my soul? - Puritan Philpot

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
"Why are you cast down, O my soul?


Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for
I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."
Psalm 42:11


Do you forget, O soul, that the way to heaven
is a very strait and narrow path; too narrow for
you to carry your sins in it with you?


God sees it good that you should be cast down.
You were getting very proud, O soul.
The world had gotten hold of your heart.
You were seeking great things for yourself.
You were secretly roving away from the Lord.
You were too much lifted up in SELF.


The Lord has sent you these trials and difficulties
and allowed these temptations to fall upon you,
to bring you down from your state of false security.
There is reason therefore, even to praise God
for being cast down, and for being so disturbed.
How this opens up parts of God's Word which
you never read before with any feeling.


How it gives you sympathy and communion
with the tried and troubled children of God.
How it weans and separates you from dead professors.
How it brings you in heart and affection,
out of the world that lies in wickedness.


And how it engages your thoughts, time after time,
upon the solemn matters of eternity; instead of being
a prey to every idle thought and imagination; and
tossed up and down upon a sea of vanity and folly.


But, above all, when there is a sweet response from
the Lord, and the power of divine things is inwardly
felt, in enabling us to hope in God, and to praise His
blessed name; then we see the benefit of being cast
down and so repeatedly and continually disturbed.


"Why are you cast down, O my soul?


 Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for
I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."
Psalm 42:11

Psalm 67-Each Verse Explained by Puritan Henry Law

Psalm 67

A hymn here meets us earnest in prayer, bright in prospects, shining in prophecies, glorious in anticipations. Hope gazes with delight on the fullness of the Gentiles—on the consequent ingathering of the Jews, and all the glories of the second Advent. May we here find a subject for our supplications—a theme for rejoicing hope!

1-2. "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving health among all nations."

We rightly use the promises of God when we turn them into earnest prayer. We cannot doubt that we pursue a track which leads to all riches of fulfillment, when our lips plead that God would do unto us according to His word. Often are we assured that God is rich in mercy unto His people, and that His blessing is their promised heritage. How earnestly, then, and joyfully may we put God in remembrance, and plead with Him to be merciful unto us, and to bless us, and to lift up upon us the light of His countenance, and to cause the shining of His smile to beam around us.

But such prayer should not be limited to our own joys only. It should enfold in its embrace the whole family of man. Our supplications should beseech Him to look beyond our own needs, and to make known throughout the world His purpose, His will, His grace, His love, His design in sending Jesus to assume our flesh, His covenant of everlasting peace in Him. But such prayer lacks the essence of sincerity if it evaporates in word only, and makes no effort to secure fulfillment. How vain to pray and not to labor in the missionary cause!

3-4. "Let the people praise You, O God; let all the people praise You. O let the nations be glad, and sing for joy; for You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth."

What a glorious prospect here rises to our view! What joy and gladness animate the scene! What sound prevails? It is the praises of our God. Where issue forth these precious notes? Not from one heart only; not from one family only, but from all who throng the earth. From every climate, from every nation, from all who breathe the breath of life, adoration is uplifted. "Let the people praise You, O God, let all the people praise You." How earnestly should we pray, 'Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, and establish this reign of universal gladness. For then shall all nations sing for joy.'

How abundant will be the cause of this thanksgiving. The blessed Jesus shall sit upon the throne of His kingdom. His happy subjects shall adore Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. His rule shall be righteousness. The laws of His empire shall be perfect holiness. Sin, with all its miseries, shall be cast out. Its hideous features shall be no more seen. Nothing shall appear which shall mar the happiness of all the rejoicing subjects. The tabernacle of God shall be with them. The purposes of redeeming love shall be fully manifested. A righteous King shall govern righteous subjects. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly."

5-7. "Let the people praise You, O God; let all the people praise You. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him."

Again and again shall prayer ascend for the ingathering of the Gentiles into the fold of Christ. The blessing is promised, and no rest should be given until the happy consummation comes, and the fullness of these new subjects shall be as life from the dead to the expectant world. Then, as when renewed fertility crowns the surface of the earth with goodness, so every token of joy and blessedness shall be seen throughout the world's length and breadth. "God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him." Who can conceive the blessings which Christ Jesus bestows on His ransomed heritage? How can we adequately love and bless and praise and adore Him! Let us go forth in faith, and ponder the coming wonders of His reign. Let our lips often cry, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly."

Thank You to My Faithful Pilgrims Companions

Most of you who are used to my posts know that not only God has given this kind of ministry to me, but He is using the ministry to teach me, communicate with me and help me grow. I always love that about God. He has a way of killing 100 birds with the same stone, so to speak.

Also, when I write something on Social media that offends some, to the point where they feel so offended that the only reaction is to “unlike and/or unfriend my pages, I always worry for a little while. I do not worry because they do not like me that would be foolish simply because Christ is crazy about me so I am in good company, and also I serve only one Master. Therefore, I will stand in the truth, no matter what it takes, even if everyone left me. As the matter of fact, if your Christian ministry is not offending people to the point where they want to leave you or write you nasty emails, then you are not representing the real Christ, real Gospel and the real Truth of Christ. You might actually be a people pleaser and your ministry is more about you instead of Christ. So, I am okay with them “ unfriend me”.

The reason I worry as I mentioned above, is that I feel the need to hear from God so that I can be sure it is not a lack of love on my part that cause them to not want me. Because if it is a lack of love, then it would also be offensive to God, which would mean I am not in His will. So this week I could tell some of my postings hit some nerves. But God has awesomely taught me the difference between those who stayed and those who left. I will not share all of what He taught me because this would make a long post. Suffice to say, He put gladness in my heart and taught me to rejoice with Him that all those that are with me are part of the journey heavenward. It was such a beautiful revelation about you my community on Facebook, Blogs and Twitter. But more than that, the beauty of the revelation came when He showed me that we were all together in Him making up His Church. Our level did not matter, what mattered was that all of us have the same goal in Him.

I have to tell you that I am so amazed at how many times God talked to me about my internet family, He cares so much and He is teaching me how to view you guys in my life.  Amazingly, this ministry is taking a life on its own, in my life.  A lot of us truly underestimate our internet ministry and how God can unite all of us even through the wires.

Okay, enough for this lesson I learned.

This Friday when I posted about my dreadful situation, after I published the post, I was in tears because of the pain of my situation. I think, since I made the decision to wait for Him no matter how bad the outcome was, my pain was about coming to terms with it all, and finding the way to make my mind and God’s word match what I know about God so that everything could be in harmony. Because as long as there is no inward harmony with how to move forward with God, we feel scattered, we panic and we cannot apply the word of God in our lives, as we should.

So, after a little while I was able to find harmony within because I came to term with the fact that, even if I was to get caught through this oncoming train that I could see with my spirit, it was going to be well with my soul.  Then, the aftermath was going to be God’s business. That’s all I needed to do in order to come to terms with my situation. So God did not change my situation, but He gave me strength to go through it in a way that honors Him. Since Friday night, God has been ministering to my soul and it is good to be where I am with Him.

I decided to share because I KNOW too well, how much God is using my social media and blog ministries to teach me about myself and help me grow spiritually day by day. I smiled because I realized how God in His power can use the internet and social media ministries to minister to us. Because I used the internet for His glory, even in my isolation, I am never alone. God is using you guys and me to sharpen each other.

Then, I suddenly felt sad, because I know, not all of us understand the power of those things available to us and we feel the need to follow in the footsteps of unbelievers with our Facebook pages and Blogs. Yet, they could  be so much more powerful than that when used for God’s purpose. Please understand that I am not judging, I am sharing so you too can know the power that I am experiencing daily through my savior and redeemer.

Yes, sometimes I have to write or post about things that concerned true Christianity, the way God taught me about it. He gave me the zeal, the knowledge and the experience that I have acquired through Him, always at my own expenses. But, when I do write a quote, a verse or about a subject that I know God wants me to, if it appears to you so offensive to the point where you want nothing to do with me, it is simply because your heart is not truly sold on Christ. You want Him in your life because of what He can do for you. When you read me, what I share with you in agape love, offends you, rocks your boat and most of all, somehow touches your conscious and causes you to be uneasy, hence it is easier for you to click the “unlike “ button

So I thank all of you for who you are in Him and for taking this journey with me. We live in a world where everyone is so busy, so, those who takes the time to read me, are truly appreciated in my heart. Know that I do not take you for granted. When we meet in heaven, nothing will be hidden, so, you will know that I truly meant what I said about my appreciation and you being in my heart.

I love you all and thank you for being my “FAITHFUL PILGRIMS COMPANIONS”

Love To God—Meaning Characteristics and Proof

by Puritans James Smith, 1858

"I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy." Psalm 116:1

Real religion is always experimental — and experimental religion is always practical. As it is the work of God in the soul of man — it always leads back to its Author, and up to its source. As it flows from the love of God — it manifests itself by love to God; and we have just as much real religion — as we have love to God. Love is the one thing necessary to harmonize and make happy the whole of God's intelligent creation. Love rules in heaven — and consequently all is harmony and happiness there. Love is not to be found in hell — and consequently there is neither harmony nor happiness there. Love is imperfect on earth — and therefore harmony is not perfect, nor is happiness complete. 

To produce love, and so to restore the church to harmony and happiness, is God's great design in the covenant of grace: and all he does for us, or works within us — is intended to produce love. David could now say, "I love the Lord;" and he could give a good reason for loving him too, "for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy." We also love the Lord: not perfectly — as we should; not unfailingly — as we would; yet we love the Lord, and therefore we appropriate and employ David's words.

Let us notice —  First, The Profession.

"I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy;" not simply for what he is in himself — but also for what he has done for me.

David loved God — therefore he knew him. We can love the unseen — but we cannot love the unknown. To draw forth our love to him, God has manifested his attributes; revealed his disposition; and has made a full unveiling of himself in the person of his Son. God is love. God is gracious. God is merciful. God sympathizes with man; desires to be re-united to man, and to pour the fullness of his blessing into the heart of man.

When we see what God is in Jesus, what God is to us, what God is willing to do for us, what God desires to confer on us — then we love him!

David loved God — for he needed him. He saw that God was necessary to him. He had needs which God alone could supply, aspirations which God alone could satisfy, and a capacity which God alone could fill.

Just so, we come into circumstances in which God alone can reach us, help us, deliver us, and satisfy us. And we are brought into these circumstances, in order to teach us that God is necessary to us. We cannot be what we ought; we cannot do what is required; we cannot enjoy what we wish — without God! 

David loved God, therefore he had applied to him. 

 Real religion consists very much in personal application to God — for what he only can do, for what he only can give. David had applied to him for deliverance from deep sorrow, terrible fears, and alarming dangers. He was driven by necessity, and he was impelled by a principle within.

Just so with ourselves — guilt drove us to him for a pardon, the sorrows of death drove us to him for peace, and the pains of hell drove us to him for salvation. We were obliged to apply — or perish. We did apply, and not in vain.

David loved God — for he was regarded by him. "He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy." God always hears the cry of need from his redeemed children; he always attends to their appeal of misery. 

Just so, we cried — and he heard us; we called — and he answered us; we entreated — and he appeared for us. He brought us up out of the horrible pit, he delivered us from the proud waters that went over our souls, he rescued us from the hand of him that was stronger than we!

His eye was upon us in trouble,
his ear was open to listen to us in distress,
his arm was made bare to deliver us in danger,
and his hand was opened to supply us in need!
Therefore we love the Lord. 

David found God to be true to his word, faithful to his promise, full of condescension and infinite love. And so have we! We took his word upon credit at first — but we have proved it to be true since. We believed him to be faithful once — but we know him to be so now. We had heard of his condescension and love in days past — but we have realized it in many instances since then. 

Yes, we love the Lord — and this proves that we know him, need him, have applied to him, and have been regarded by him. We love the Lord, for we have found him to be true and faithful, full of condescension and infinite love! 

Second, the Characteristics of True Love.

True Christian love is grateful love. We love him — because he first loved us. The loving Christian is always grateful. Where there is much love — there is much gratitude. When filled with love — we praise God for every drop, for every crumb. Our smallest mercies appear large, and God gets thanks then — for that which is scarcely acknowledged at another time. 

True Christian love fixes upon God as its supreme object. It loves others subordinately; but in its powerful exercises it passes by, and ascends above all others, and centers in God alone. It looks around earth, it ascends to heaven, and gazing upon all there, exclaims, "Whom have I in heaven but you, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside you!" 

True Christian love is sincere. It hates pretense, it abhors a sham, it inspires the heart, it influences the whole man, it regulates the life, it owns God everywhere, it aims at God's glory always. The loving Christian is what he professes to be, for he will never profess to be what he is not. 

True Christian love is growing. We grow in the grace of love, as we do in every other grace. When we first loved the Lord, we imagined that we could not love him more; but our love has become more deep, more genuine since then. The excitement has passed away — but the everyday life now proves that we love the Lord. As vegetation grows as light increases, as the body progresses unto perfection; so love, that fruit of the Spirit, grows and will grow until it becomes the all-pervading principle, the ruling power that regulates the whole man. 

True spiritual love is always grateful; it makes God its supreme object, it is sincere, and increases more and more until it sits sovereign upon the throne of the inner man. 

Third, the Proofs That We Love the Lord. 

We prove our love by our praise. We must commend the beloved object. As we love to think of him and desire to look upon him, so we love to speak of him. Love God, and not speak of him! Impossible. Love Jesus, and not commend him! How can that be? We must thank him for his condescension in noticing us, for his love in saving us, for his mercy in listening to us, for his power in delivering us, for his infinite kindness in promising that we shall see him and be with him forever. Praise him! O yes, with the heart, with the lip, with the life — shall we praise God if we love him! 

We prove our love by our sympathy with him. We love what he loves, and we hate what he hates. We aim at what he aims, and seek what he seeks. If he is dishonored, we grieve. If he is glorified, we rejoice, If his work goes on, we are happy. If his cause is under cloud, we are sorrowful. We love to think as God thinks, to speak as God speaks, to act as God acts. Our hearts and our desires center in him, our joys and our sorrows are regulated by him; and our highest object is to honor him to the utmost, and induce others to do so too. 

We prove our love by our confidence. We can trust him. We can rely upon him. We can confide in him. To him we commit our souls. With him we entrust our all. We take his word. We expect his blessing. We cast our cares on him. Just in proportion to our love to God — will be the strength of our confidence in God; and in proportion to our confidence in God — is our love to God. 

We prove our love by our submission to him. Love always submits to the loved one; and if persuaded that he has strength of mind, firmness of purpose, decision of character, sufficient resources, and depth of affection — it leaves everything to him. Now this is the case with our God; and therefore if we have right views of God, and real love to God, we shall say, "Let God reign, let him do what seems good to him." And at the worst, with Aaron, true love will hold its peace. Rebellion, repining, and complaining — show lack of love; for deep and pure love is a certain cure for all these evils. 

We prove our love by our activity. You cannot keep true love still. It is always thinking, purposing, planning, and acting — to please and gratify the loved one. How active was Paul — and why? "The love of Christ constrains us!" said he. Oh, if we had much love — we would need little exhortation, only direction. We would seldom need reproof, except it were for excessive exertion. Heaven is all activity, activity for God, and that just because heaven is full of love. 

We prove our love by our liberality. Love will give anything, it will give all to its object. Jesus did so, and loving believers do so too. What can we withhold from him who has our heart? If our love was but pure, powerful, and rightly directed — we would not be reluctant to give — but ready to bestow, and slow to hoard for ourselves. 

Let us, then, examine. Do I love the Lord? Do I praise him, sympathize with him, place confidence in him, bow with submission to him, actively employ my talents for him, and liberally contribute of my substance to his cause? In proportion to our love — will be the power we display in these particulars. O infinitely loving and lovely One; fill, O fill us with love to your ever-blessed and adorable self! 

Love is FROM God alone. It is a grace he confers, a work he produces, and a fruit of his Spirit in our hearts. "The fruit of the Spirit is love." No love — no Spirit of God. Little love — little of the Spirit of God. No love — no saving religion. Little love — little religion, little of God. 

Love is LIKE God. "God is love, and he who dwells in love, dwells in God, and God dwells in him." The principal feature of God's image, as drawn by the Holy Spirit on the heart, is love. We resemble God just in proportion to our love — and only in proportion to our love. 

Love is FOR God. God claims it. He says, "Love me." He created us to love him, he redeemed us to love him, he asks us to love him. There is nothing that he prizes — so much as our love. 

Love, if true, always has God, God in Christ, for its OBJECT. It will not rest short of him. It will not be satisfied without him. 

Love LEADS to God. Coming from God — it always leads back to its source. It leads the thoughts, the desires, the aims, the affections, the whole man — to God. It will never allow us to find satisfaction in anyone, or in anything — but God. Like the eagle, it loves to mount on high — and soar far above other birds. Like our own lark, the higher it mounts — the sweeter it sings. 

Spiritual love, therefore, is only satisfied with God. Nor will it let its possessor rest satisfied with anything less than exact likeness to God, and the full enjoyment of God. Love will ultimately be perfected in the presence and glory of God. It will be always panting, praying, and striving — until it enjoys full perfection in God's glorious kingdom. The language of this love is, "As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake with your likeness!" 

Reader, do you love God? You did not once. You do not now as you would, if you do love at all. Oh, to love God; for love is holiness, love is happiness, love is true devotion, love is heaven! "This is the love of God;" or this proves that ours is really love to God, 

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 1 John 5:3 that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous."

Do not I love you, dearest Lord?
Behold my heart, and see,
And turn each cursed idol out
That dares to rival Thee!

You know I love Thee, dearest Lord;
But O! I long to soar,
Far from this sphere of mortal joys,
And learn to love Thee more!

When You Are Hemmed In On Every Sides By Life Circumstances!

You know, my life seems to be an endless invitation for hardships to come and surround me. For some reasons I am constantly facing hopeless circumstances. Often I feel like I am hemmed in by God on all sides.  I guarantee you that I do not go out of my ways to get in trouble with God. If I want to be honest with all of you, I would have to confess that sometimes I ask myself if Christianity is all in my imagination because my heart, common sense, and wisdom cannot comprehend how is it, a God that is called a “God of love” would allow so much to come into one’s life and for so long. So, the only logical conclusion is “the whole Christianity thing is a hoax”

But, I thank my God that those moments when my strength fails to carry me through, I can find refuge and comfort in knowing:

1)                 He will carry me through

2)                 My common sense and finite understanding will never take me to the heights He has in mind for me.

3)                 Christianity is truly a sacrificial life to the highest degree.

4)                Because I am not privy to God’s higher purpose, my part in all this is to endure my lot with my mouth shut and my heart opened wide to take it in, according to His will.

5)                 Christ never misled His true followers and never promised a bed of roses down here on earth.

6)                 For all I know, my endurance of it all could be something between God and Satan, like in Job’s situation. So, not trusting Him all the way, no matter how painful and lengthy of a process I am in, could be causing God to lose face vis a vis Satan.

7)                 Through watching my painful life unfolding, I can see God’s hand on me, taking me back to the God that I know, the invisible God that I have seen with my heart and soul. He does that to reassure my soul and alleviate the pain. So, today, the Spirit told me “have you noticed how life got more difficult for Jesus?  Think about His pain to leave heaven behind! The pain of being dependent on earthly parents to care for Him as in infant! The humiliation of being obedient as a child and earthly parents! Think about what it must have been like for Him living over thirty years in obscurity amongst his brothers and sisters in His households!”

Then, the Spirit continued by saying “think about how bad and painful things got for Him when He reached the culminating point of His ministry, did things get easier? No, because every day was a test, a trial, opportunity for more shame, more persecution, less acceptance of Him and who He was in me? ‘WHY SHOULD YOUR LIFE BE DIFFERENT?’”

I also learned something else. Often times when we are going through hardships and life is tossing us like a ping pong ball, it is hard to put our hands on who to grab onto through the Bible’s heroes. If you are like me, you try to find whether Paul life would do better or Abraham, or David, or Joseph etc. But, the Spirit said to me the closer you get to me and the deeper this life in me, the more you need to let go of your role models and grab onto Christ.

Perhaps you are not like me and this is my own weakness that God has to deal with. But I knew He had put His fingers on one of my weaknesses that needed to change. This weakness of mine is that I am constantly seeking to model myself after one of those heroes of the Bible like Abraham, David, the Apostles etc. I am always trying to find out how one of them would handle the situation that I am in, so that I can walk with God. Understand that I aim to please Him. But, secretly in my heart, I am hoping that He would apply their timeline to my hardship so that I could see an end to it. I also try to convince myself why my timeline should be much less, because I am not in their league. Cultivating this kind of frame of mind causes me to always expect to be free as soon as possible, because I put in my time.

God made it clear to me that it was not up to me to hang onto those heroes and expect the outcome to turn good for me, like He did for them. i.e, everything was restored to Job, David received his crown, Joseph got his days in the sun, etc. He basically told me that it was not my business how and when He decide this awful life I have been living most of my Christian life with Him.

He taught me, as you and I grow spiritually, we reach a time where it is not enough to model after Paul or Joseph, or Abraham. The only source of hope, faith, trust and the only one who can write the ending of our circumstances, is Him and that should be sufficient for me. “LOOK ONTO ME”

This lesson happened early this morning as I woke up kind of nostalgic and with such a mood to meditate on Him before I do anything else. So, I started reading my devotion books and I was surprised to see Oswald Chamber’s devotion. I could not help smiling because I realized once again His sense of humor and His way of making provision for the hour, will always get me.

The lesson I learned today, even though my situation seems desperate and painful, and even though I need God to come to my rescue today, right now and even though He remains silent. I cannot fret.

I FEEL LIKE I AM SITTING ON THE TRAIN TRACKS, THE TRAIN IS ONLY A FEW STEPS AWAY FROM ME, AT FULL SPEED,YET GOD IS TELLING ME DON’T MOVE, TRUST ME, & DO NOT FRET!

HERE IS OSWALD CHAMBERS JULY 04 DEVOTION

Praise God! From Spurgeon

Praise God!

From Spurgeon's, DAVID'S DYING PRAYER

"All your works praise you, O God"

The stars still sing their Maker's praise; no sin has stopped
their voice, no discord has made a jarring note among the
harmonies of the spheres.

The earth itself still praises its Maker, the exhalations,
as they arise with morn, are still a pure offering, acceptable to their Maker.

The lowing of the cattle, the singing of the birds, the leaping of
the fishes, and the delights of animal creation, are still acceptable
as votive offerings to the Most High.

The mountains still bring righteousness; on their hoary summits
God's holy feet might tread, for they are yet pure and spotless.

Still do the green valleys, laughing with their verdure
send up their shouts to the Most High.

The praise of God is sung by every wind it is howled forth in
dread majesty by the voice of the tempest, the winds resound it,
and the waves, with their thousand hands, clap, keeping chorus
in the great march of God.

The whole earth is still a great orchestra for God's praise,
and his creatures still take up various parts in the eternal song,
which, ever swelling and ever increasing, shall by-and-by mount
to its climax in the consummation of all things.

Christ in Bereavement

Octavius Winslow, 1863

THIS IS THE LAST OF THIS SERIE "CHRIST" 

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

YES THEY CAN!
BECAUSE CHRIST LIVES
MY DEAD BONES HAVE BEEN MADE ALIVE IN HIM!
Hallelujah, what a savior

Christ is ever with you — in the hour of bereavement. He, too, drank of this bitter cup. He does not offer you a heart unacquainted with your grief. He had much to do with death when on earth. He sympathized with its sorrow, awoke its slumbers, robbed it of its prey, became its Victim, and then its Victor! He has permitted this bereavement to visit you. Not without His will and His purpose of love — has He smitten you with this woe, visited you with this loss. Has your Heavenly Father written you a widow, an orphan, childless, friendless? Has He removed the joy of your heart, the light of your home, the hope of your family, the strong and beautiful staff upon which you leaned for support? Is your door darkened with the funeral that bears from its threshold, all that was so fondly loved and precious?

Oh, deem not yourself forsaken, desolate, and bereft! Christ was never nearer to you, than now. The Christ who bedewed the turf of Lazarus's grave with tears of bereaved affection for the dead, and of sacred sympathy with the living — is spiritually at this moment, by your side! He offers you a heart touched with your grief, throbbing with a love that more than compensates for the beloved one now cold in death! He offers you an arm that shall be equal in its strength and support to your emergency! He offers you a shield that will encircle your person, your position, and your interests — infinitely more potent and safe than that which at one fell stroke God has laid low. Christ is sensibly, and manifestly with you now — ah wish not to displace Him by recalling the treasure from which you have parted.

It is recorded of the amiable and pious Fenelon, that in the eulogy he pronounced over the Dauphin, his illustrious pupil and friend, as the corpse shrouded with the pall was placed in the church before the pulpit, where, "Lovely in death, the beauteous ruin lay!" he uttered these words; "There lies the hope of his father! the delight of his court! the object of the nation's joyful anticipation! But so convinced am I of his happy state, that, if the turning of a straw would bring him back, I would not turn that straw."

Weeping mourner! bereaved Christian! in the bright sunshine of hope which bathes the coffined remains of "one so dear," read this holy lesson of cheerful acquiescence with the will of your Father, and express your perfect satisfaction in the eternal happiness of the departed one now sweetly sleeping in Jesus. If the turning of a straw would recall him from the realms of glory — would you be willing to turn that straw? This new, deeper, and darker sorrow — shall bring Jesus with it.

Its anguish will be solaced by His love,
its loneliness will be shared by His presence,
its gloom will be brightened with His smile,
its calamity will be sanctified by His grace, and

all its new-born exigencies will be met by His boundless resources of wisdom, power, and love. "Surely, I am with you always!"

Christ is, especially with His people in bereavement. In the sad hour when the heart is full of desolation, His voice is heard saying, "Let not your heart be troubled." We may be despoiled of the heart's richest treasures — and yet Jesus may fill it with His richest consolations.

Christ in Temptation

Octavius Winslow, 1863

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

Christ is ever with you — in temptation. The hour of temptation in the believer's experience, is one in which he may especially and safely rely upon the nearness to him of the Lord. Tried Himself in this crucible, as none ever were — He is prepared by all the workings of His power, all the restraints of His grace, and all the sympathy of His love — to support and deliver those who are tempted. Tempted in all points as you are — He knows how to foil the adversary, to quench the fiery dart, and to enable you, the solitary and the weak one — to put to flight ten thousand foes.

Tempted believer! your faith in the truth of the Bible, your confidence in the God of the Bible, your loyalty to the Savior of the Bible, your acceptance of the salvation of the Bible, your comfort from the promises of the Bible, your enjoyment of the hope of the Bible — assailed and tampered with by Satan — fear not! Greater is He who is with you — than those who are against you. "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation." Take heart, then, tempted believer! you shall come forth from the fiery furnace, from this painful discipline, of which all the saints of God are partakers — with your faith more firmly grounded, your love more deeply rooted, your heart more thoroughly purified, and your hope of glory more unclouded.

All the more precious to your heart, will be that Divine Intercessor for His tempted ones, who says, "Satan has desired to have you that he might sift you as wheat — but I have prayed for you that your faith fail not." O you Satan-tempted soul, "Surely, I am with you always!"