The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-10-29
THE PROMISES

promises Suppose those who read
these lines, lay the paper down for
moment, just at this point and consider
that question What do you under
stand by Gods promises to His people?
WAT is the great thing embraced in
His promises? Do you know? To
hear many talk, one would think that
God has made no promises at all, or
that he is very unfaithful in attending
to them. Their idea seems TO be some
thing like this: GOOD has made us ex-
ceeding great and precious promises
therefore we ought to prosper in this
world-be saved from trouble and want
have no struggles with temptation
and sln-see nothing but good times"
But adversely comes; trouble comes
want pinches; temptation renews its
fight every day, and sin takes no rest
from its assaults. So they have hard
times. Carnal struggles all the time;
spiritual struggles never ceasing. Then
they say: GOOD has forgotten us. All
Things are against us. We doubt that
we are to be saved. We are poor, af-
filcted, troubled on every side" And
what Bible-sound that last phrase
has Troubled on every side" Yes.
Some of the old Bible-worthies said
just SO, and they are now in glory.
Hear how Paul talked eve are trou-
bled on every side, yet not distressed
we are perplexed, but not in despair
prosecuted, but not forsaken; cast
down, but not destroyed" What is
the difference between Paul and those
OF whom we have been speaking? He
understood Gods promises; but then
do not understand them. Therefore
they are always anxious and distressed.
and he was not. Well, what are we to
understand about the promises then ?
This; that they are not given to insure
us good time in this world. In some
respects they do bless our actual condi-
ton in the present. For he who seeks
God, and so becomes heir to Gods
promises, will be nobler, happier, bet
ter now and always, than those who
do not. If there are privations and
sufterings coming to us as Christ's SER
wants, the privations and sufferings
brought on by life of sin are worse.
more hurtful, and degrading. But we
do not discuss this now Our cues
ton is: What are we to understand by
Gods promises to His people? A bet
ter answer cannot be given than that
furnished by Peter: ellis divine power
hath given unto us all things that per
tain unto life and goodness, through
the knowledge of him that hath called
us to glory and virtue-whereby are
given unto us exceeding great and pre-
clous promises, that by these We might
be partakers of the divine nature. hav-
ing escaped the corruption that is in
the world through lust" So then. we
are not here to have good time, Sc
cured to us through Gods promises
but to be trained and built up in the
divine nature, and to escape the cor
ruption that is in the world. Gods
promises look, over and beyond every
thing else, to our salvation and our
preparation for heaven. If we are
Gods children He is going to save us.
and not only so, but He is going to
prepare us to have and enjoy our blessed
heaven-hOme. If trouble is needed TO
influence us heavenward, or to make us
more spiritual, it will come. If world
ly prosperity will divert our thoughts
or hinder our strivings for heaven, it
will not be given. And tears will be
made to fall, here and there, if we will
walk the way of life better by so water
ing it, But His little children are ig-
norant, hayward, selfish fretful, any
thing but what they should be. There
fore, while He promises them grace
and glory, He does not work out their
ideas in fulfilling His promises. Were
the great Father to "spoil" His chill
dren, they would never grow in like
ness to Christ, nor escape the corrup-
ton that is in the world, nor be pre-
pared for heaven.
The Interior has made the extraor-
binary discovery that the so-called