Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-05-15
IOrIgIH'I'
THE TROUBLES OF CHRISTIANS.

Orlglnal]
THE TROUBLES OF CHRISTIANS.
The cursory reader of the Bible, no doubt,
is led to conclude, from its teachings, that be-
levers in Christ would, so soon as they be-
lieve, be Immediately and completely freed
from all troubles The facts ip the history
of professed Christians do not warrant such a
conclusion. Often, so far as human discern
ment can discover, the most pious are subject
to the same trials and difficulties with the
most impious. In many cases it would even
seem that wicked men are exempt from many
ills which fall to the lot of the pious, and are
permitted to enjoy some apparent temporal
blessings which are withheld from good and
pious men. This state of things is no doubt
great difficulty to many who do not fully
comprehend the object for which Christ came
into this world. Such persons conclude that
God, in the Bible, promises believers in Christ
what they do not get They conclude that
the promises of the Bible. and the facts in the
history of believers, do not correspond.
All the difficulties connected with this SUBJ
iect vanish, when we understand the purpose
for which Christ came into this world, and
the object he had in view in establishing the
church upon earth. Christ came into this
world to save sinners. He emptied himself
of the glory which he had with his Father,
and took upon himself the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men that he
might save sinners. But the difficulty with
many persons is in that they mistake from
what it is that Christ came to save sinners.
The Jews thought the promised Messiah
would come to deliver them from the tyranny
of the Gentiles. They expected Saviour
who would invest himself with all the insignia
of royalty and go forth at the head of a con-
quering army, and literally exterminate all
their foes. All their hopes were blighted
when they saw the meek and lowly Jesus.
They rejected him because they did not under
stand from what power the promised Messiah
would save sinners. Christ came into this
world to save sinners from the power and do
minion of sin, and from its spiritual and
eternal consequences. In other words, Jesus
mission into this world was to make the un-
godly man righteous and holy, and to save
him from perdition, and to place him in hea-
ven at the right hand of God forever. What
ever befalls the child of God, during his pill
grimage on earth, is designed to prepare him
for heaven. The government of God over
his people is like that of family. To speak
correctly, a we'll governed family is govern
ed after the manner that God governs his
people. God is kind and gracious Father
to all his people, and they are his children.
Over each and all of them he exercises paren-
tai care and parental control. When they
disobey him he Furnishes them for their sins
so long and so severely as may be necessary
to cause the prodigal to return. Are they
naturally inclined to be proud and naughty,
he withhol6s from them the means Of foster
ing this sinful propensity of their hearts. All
things work together for the good of those
who believe in Jesus. To the carnal nature
many things are not joyous but grievous !;
still they are good, because they are so many
means or instrumentalities by which the
Holy Spirit prepares the believer for his
eternal home at the right hand of Jesus in
heaven.
In fact, there is not even an apparent in
congruity between the promises made by God
to his people in the Bible, and his providential
dealings with them. The church triumphant
is composed of an innumerable multitude COL
lected out of all nations, kindreds, peoples
and tongues. Each and all of this great
multitude come out of great tribulation. God,
in his word, promises his people spiritual joy
and spiritual comfort, and so much and so
many of the good things of this life as may,
in the nature of things, be for His glory and
the good of those upon whom these things
are bestowed. God promises his people grace
here and glory hereafter. These blessings
are promised absolutely to all believers; but
with regard to what are usually called tenn
poral blessings, no more is promised than
what is good. The individual who receives
the blessing is not the judge of what is good.
God, in his wisdom, decides this point. What
is good in one case, and in respect to one in
dividual, would be the reverse in another
case, and with respect to another Individual.
God, if we may so speak, adopts his temporal
blessings to the natural disposition of each
individual. This is true, also, with regard to
the chastisements which he inficts upon his
people. Some children need one kind Of
treatment; other children need a different
kind. So it is with Gods spiritual children.
All wise parents adopt that kind Of discip-
line which will fit their offspring for honora-
BILE and useful positions in life, when they
grow up to be men and women. So God, in
his providence and in his grace, adopts such
treatment toward his children as will prepare
them for heaven, when they leave this world.
The trouble through which the people of
God are called to pass are not, we conclude,
inconsistent with the promises of God.
They form part of the gospel plan Of saliva
tion. What the world calls prosperity is not
an evidence of piety; neither is what the
world regards as adversely, an evidence of
impiety. God sees as men do not see; and
God acts as men do not act. God sees cor
rectly and acts wisely and righteously in all
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