The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-11-08
Great Mercies.

Great Mercies.
If the ungrateful man were asked to count
up his great mercies, he would mention two
or three things, and fancy that be had COM
pleted the catalogue, The most of US, in
our ordinary moods, would not require
ream of letter-paper to write out what we
carelessly conceive to be a comprehensive
and extended list, and when the eye is clear
ed with few briny tears straightway it sees
hundred objects whit it observed not be-
fore. To the soul chastened by divine cor
rection, mercies swarm and TEEN where afore-
time there seemed but few
Take note of this, reader. I jot it down
while am newly escaped from the chamber
of afliction, and the impression is fresh on
me: it is great mercy to be able to change
sides when lying in bed. Did 1 see you
smile? l meant no pleasantly, but intend
ed to write a sober, serious sentence. Did
you ever lie week on one side? Did you
ever try to turn, and find yourself quite help
less? Did others lift you, and by their
Kindness only reveal to you the miserable
fact that they must lift you back at once
into the old position; for, bad as it was, it
was preferable to any other! Do not smile
again, but listen while add-it is great
mercy to get one hours sleep at night
You 90 to bed, and never reckon upon open
ing your eyes again till your seven or eight
hours are over, but some know what it is,
night after night, to long for slumber and
find it not. Oh how sweet an hours sleep
when it has interposed between long stretches
of pain, like span of heavens blue be-
tween the masses of thunder cloud. We
bless God more for those dear moments of
repose than for whole weeks of prosperity.
What folly it is, however, to put down a
few of these benefits selected from so many
more. it is as though We would catalogue the
cattle on thousand hills, or enumerate the
waves of ocean. The tender love which
chastises us, the gentle kindness which
bruises us, the fond affection which crushes
us to the ground-these we do not so readi
ly recount; yet is there as much of divine
love in smart as in a sweet, as great depth
of tenderness in buffeting as in consoling.-
We must count our crosses, diseases, and
pains, if we would number up our blessings.
Granted that the cross is very bitter, We
maintain with equa! confidence that it is also
very sweet.
We have cloud of merces around US as
we'll as a cloud of witnesses. AS the meadow
is besprent with thousand gay flowers, and
we tread upon them without attempting to
count them, even thus is it with our life in
Christ Jesus: it is mercy, all mercy-mercy
too great for reckoning. Our life is a wood,
wherein are tangled thorns; but listen mo-
ment. Is it not full of sweet sopg-birds,
akin to those of Paradise? God is good to
us at all points, and greatly good too. There
is no royal road to learning, but there is
royal road to heaven-a causeway of loving
kindness, paved with crystal blocks of grace,
all of pure gold, like unto transparent glass.
In the wilderness highway has been made
straight for the chosen people: every valley
has been exalted, and every mountain and
hill laid low. "How precious also are thy
thoughts unto me, O God how great is the
sum of them! If count thnm, they are
more in number than the sand. "-ReU. c..
IT. ,SpuryeOn