Year: 1867

The Believers Soliloquy in times Of
Trouble.


'Why art thou cast down, o my soul? Why
art thou disqueted within me? hope thou in
| God for [ shall yet praise him for the help of
his countenance. .'-Pdlna 425
'"Temptations everywhere annoy,
And sins and snares my peace destroy
My earthly joys are from me torn,
And Oft an absent God l mourn.
My soul, by various tempests tossed,
Her hopes Oe' 'rturned-her projects crossed
Sees every day new strs its attend
And wonders where the scene will end.
Is this, dear Lord, that thorny road,
Which leads us to the mount of God?
Are these the tolls thy people know
While in this wilderness below?
'Tis even so; thy faithful love-
Doth all thy childrens graces prove;
IT'S thus our pride and self must foil,
That Jesus may be-all in all"
One of the most comforting results produced
In the minds of those who devoutly receive the
teachings of the sacred scriptures, is the assu-
rance, that they have, in Jesus Christ, SYM
pathizing friend He is touched with sympa-
temptations, for he had often felt the same
when man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief.


1t appears, however, that the doctrine of our
Redeemer's humanity affects the minds of his
followers quite differently. For illustration this
incident is related:


Not many years since two eminent servants
OF God were journeying through the wild, lone
y and gloomy recesses of the mountains of
Cheat and Alleghany. Their conversation
turned upon the subject of religious experience,
and the degree Of spiritual comfort each had
derived from the views hitherto had of the per-
son OF the Redeemer. One observed that his
religious peace in seasons of trial was in pro-
portion, to his ability to abstract the Divinity
OF Jesus from all association with his humanity.
His trust was established as he could realize
that ne was very God. The other observed,
that his purer and better feelings were AVA
kened, and his religious frame intensified, as
the conception of the humanity Of Jesus was
more and more clearly defined, by which he is
acquainted with our ways, and understands our
thoughts afar off. Now those holy and gifted
men will find, that there is nobler and sweeter
joy in store for them, when they learn to blend
In one sublime realizing conception the human
ity and divinity of Jesus Christ whereby there
throbs the heart of a brother close beneath the
omnipotent arm of God.


How tender his heart must be, that would
even prompt him to pray for those that wore
the crown of thorns and nailed him to the
cross, and reviled and mocked him in his dying
suferlngs, in such sweet words, Father, forgive
them, they know not what they do, and how
strong his arm when a little while after he as
cended on high far above all prlnclpahtles,
triumphant conqueror over death and the grave.


Since such as He, brother in love, and God
in power, lives to intercede for us, and when
justice calls for our blood, is ready to shed His
own, is the believer not right in demonstrating
with his soul, for being cast down and dis
quieted Since he has an Almighty arm to
lean upon, infinite goodness and mercy to trust
in, and unfailing promises 10 rely upon, may
he not say in the darkest hour, Trust in God,
for [ shall yet give thanks, His presence IS sal
vation." justified by faith in Him, who is
very God and very man, the believer may glory
in tribulations also, for they work experience
and experience hope, and hope makes not
ashamed. With such hope the believer may
sing as he journeys on:


'He is God of sovereign love


Who promised heaven to me-


And taught my thoughts to soar above


Where happy spirits be.


Prepare me, Lord for thy right hand,


Then comes the joyful day,


Come death, and some celestial band,


To bear my soul away"


Monterey, Va. w. T. p.