Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-08-29
81 Will Never Leave Thee"

1t Is often said that God never forsakes
his people unless they forSake him. This
implies that he sill iorSa&c them when
wan !ering from the true path into forbid
den was. We opinc that this reasoning
is founded upon the assumption that his
smiles and favors alone are testimonies
OF his overruling presence and tender
care. As if he ceased to be our God
when as father pitying bis children. he
applies severely the rod of correction.
lie hcyer forsakes his children. If he
were guided in his care and love by our
merits alone, o, where were we, all of US,
long ago? Blessed be the good Sheph-
erd, she gocth into the mountains and
seeketh that which is gone astray." Times
innumeraJle hath he recalled us from
oar wanderings, by winning entreaty.
when practicable; by the rod, when need
ful. Alas for US, if his faithtulness to the
everlasting covenant were dependent upon
ours The promise is unconditional
II will never leave thee nor forsase thee. !"
Nay, our God is never far from every
one of us. But sometimes he hides his
face from US; permits US to be without
the consciousness Of his presence. I'm
repcnted sin will always produce this
effect. elf | regard iniquity in my heart
the Lord will not hear me-" But is the
believer to conclude, when walking in
darkness, that his father is offended with
him, and to set himself to find out the
cause? What means that passage in
lssiah, "'Who is among you that fearcth
the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his
servant, that walketh in darkness and
hath no lights'' Does not this clearly
imply that even he who has been enabled
by grace to please God, may yet be per.
mitted to walk in darkness so complete
that he even shall have no light?" And
what is he then to do? The tempter will
undoubtedly whisper dark things, and
tempt him to write bitter things against
himself, but God by his prophet saith,
Let him trust in the name OF the Lord,
and stay himself upon his Cod 1t is
easy to believe in his loving care, when
his SUN shines brightly on our pathway.
and the flowers bloom chaerfully around
us, but to trust him in the hours of dark
ness and storm, when the heavens are
dark above US and mountains rise in our
way-yea, when our way is so hedged
up that we can only stand still and look
to him-O, this is indeed "the trial of
faith" And this trial his word pronoun.
ces "much more precious than Of gold"
We are persuaded that many an humble
Christian has walked in darkness with far
less of faith than he would otherwise
have had, because he has yielded to the
enemy's suggestion, that his God isespe-
cially displeased with him, and has there
fore forsaken him. Believe it not, thou
wayfarins man, for she will never leave
thee nor forsake thee If, after an hon.
est examination of our hearts, we are
conscious of no cherished sin, let US, how
ever thick the darkness about US, still
calmly, trustfully, prayerfully, wait for
the Lord and trust in his word. This
state of the believer has been termed by
some writer's on holiness, "Me night Of
taiM !" and. may we not well believe that
il is that in which God is most highly
henored? More and more through such
darkness, so endured, Is the spirit fitted
for that all glorious morning when it shall
awake in Christs likeness mississippi
Baptist.