St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-02-22
True Comfort.

True. Comfort.
Are You afflicted ? Beware of bad
comforts and comforters. 1t is always
dangerous to betake ourselves to broken
cisterns, which can hold no water. This
is a common error. To this course
many will tempt you. When by their
sins Israel brought on themselves the
divine judgments in the shape of wars
and public enemies, instead of humblin9
themselves under the weighty hand OF
God, and asking Jehovah, their King,
to deliver them, they were much in
cined to go to Assyria or Egypt fol
hOrsemen.
There are always weak or bad men
who officiously offer advice which it is
dangerous to follow. They may not
give as wicked counsel as did Jobs
wife but perhaps it is not much better.
Whatever leads us to light thoughts
of sin, OF to hard thoughts of God /;
whatever inclines us to lean to our own
understandings, OF to make light of
Gods heavy strokes, is sinful. We can
not safely lean on any arm but that of
the Almighty.
We may rally our friends when they
act childishly under light sorrows; but
it is cruel to say to those under great
grievances that it is unmanly to weep
aud be in bitterness. Sometimes men
tell us that our tears will do no good,
when that is the saddest thing in all
our tribulation. If tears would bring
back our departed joys, we might then
have hope. Again, men tell us that our
griefs will not last always; but what
we want is present relief, or at least
present assistance in bearing our bur-
dens. Many such foolish things are
said.
What, then, shall the afflicted do ?
The answers are many such as
| II your afflictiOn is such that human
sympathy can either soOthe or alleviate
it, ask the aid and kindness of true
Christian friends. 1t is both lawful and
natural to do so. Job, though great
mau and a great believer, said "Have
pity upon me, have pity upon me, o We
my friends, for the hand of God hath
touched me.n He had before said "To
him that is afflicted pity should be
shown from his friends" Paul, the
great apostle, tells us how the visits and
sympathy of his friends refreshed him.
Even our blessed Master called on his
disciples for sympathy in his great
agony. Christian love is often a great
healer.
2. But we need divine sympathy also,
even the companions of God himself.
This is manifest in many ways, but pre-
eminently in and by Jesus Christ. On
this matter, both Testaments speak the
same language. By the evangelical
prophet the Lord says: ''In all their
atfiiction he was afflicted, and the angel
of his presence saved them in his love
and in his pity he redeemed them and
he bore them, and carried them all the
days of old" lisa. 60: 9. In the New
Testament we are assured of the same
blessed sympathy eve have not an
high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infrmity; but
was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without SIM" Heb. 4: Is.
3. 1t is always wise to roll our burden
over on the arm of the Almighty. He
is stronger than man. He is mighty to
save and strong to deliver. .'Cast thy
burden upon the Lord, and he shall
sustain thee. He shall never suffer the
righteous to be moved" Ps. 55: %.
4. Then the more of sanctified suffer-
ing we have, the more real comfort are
we sure to possess, even in this life.
Paul expressly says: GAS the sufferings
of Christ abound in us, so our consola-
ton also aboundeth by Christ" 2 Cor.
l: 5. The blessed apostle was so in love
with Christ that one of his strong de-
sires was ''to know him and the power
of his resurrection and the fellowship
of his sufferings, being made conform
able to his DEATH" Phil. 3: 10.
5. Not only does God increase our
blessed experiences by calling us to
trial, but he thus prepares US to help
others. "FOr he comforteth us in all
our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort them which are in any trouble,
by the comfort wheIewith we ourselves
are comforted of God" 2 Cor. l: 4.
Think of that and give thanks.
6. Paul presents very striking view
of the trials of Gods people, when he
speaks of himself land so of others) as
"flling up thSt which is behind of the
affections of Christ" Cor. i: "a. That
is very remarkable language. 1t cannot
mean that Christ did not suffer all that
was necessary for Precipitation, for the
Scripture expressly says that he did. 1t
probably presents Christ to us as a mys-
teal person, of which he, the head, had
already suffered his part, and now his
members, as joined with him, should
suffer their part.
Z. All these Affections are designed to
prepare the way for great, very great
and unspeakable joys at the time that
eternal mercy has selected for glori-
Gus manifestations. This doctrine was
known in the Church thousand years
before Christ: "Thou which hast show
ed me great and sore troubles shalt
quicken me again, and shalt bring me
up again from the depths of the earth.
Thou shalt increase my greatness and
comfort me on every side" Ps. 81:
1921.
8. Nor is there a saint in heaven,
even though he may have died martyr
who now wishes that his sufferings on
earth had been less. Indeed, the mar
tyrs wear a very glorious crown. See
Rev. 1917 IA: Is.
Then let each one of us humbly say
dare not choose my lot;
/ would not if might;
Choose thou for me, my God;
So shall walk Alright.
Take thou my cup, and it
With joy or sorrow fill,
As best to thee may seem;
Choose thou my good and i'll.