"Fear not, for I will help thee." Only firmer Holds He our hands when dark our path would grow, He points to heaven, daily drawing nearer, As the bright end to sufferings below. "Fear not, for I will help thee." Death's dark valley, With Thee beside us, offers nought to fear, Oh Saviour of the world, who by Thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us, save us and help us, we humbly beseech Thee, O Lord. O Lord Jesu Christ, who didst so meekly bear Thy cross, and wert crucified on it on Calvary; help me to bear whatever Thou sendest me with patience and resignation, following in Thy blessed footsteps. By Thy cross and passion, good Lord deliver me. Crosses are ladders to heaven. TWENTY-SIXTH DAY. LIGHT IN DARKNESS. "WHO is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light. Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God."-Isaiah 1. 10. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of our God. To comfort all point unto them that mourn into them beauty for ashes, mourning, the garment of irit of heaviness, that they trees of righteousness, the e Lord, that He might be aiah lxi. 1-3. of venge that mo in Zio the "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.”—St. John x. 27-29. My son, I am the Lord that giveth strength in the day of tribulation. Come unto Me when it is not well with thee. Trust in Me, and put thy confidence in My mercy. When thou thinkest thyself furthest off from me, oftentimes I am nearest to Thee. When thou judgest that almost all is lost, then oftentimes the greatest gain of reward is close at hand. All is not lost when anything falleth out contrary. Thou must not judge according to present feeling, nor so take any grief, or give thyself over to it from wheresoever it cometh, as though all hopes of escape were quite taken away. Think not thyself wholly left, although for a time I have sent. thee some tribulation, or even withdrawn thy desired comfort; for this is the way to the kingdom of heaven. And without doubt it is more expedient for thee, and the rest of My servants, that ye be exercised with adversities, than that ye should have all things according to your desires. I know the secret thoughts of thy heart, and that it is very expedient for thy welfare that thou be left sometimes without taste (of spiritual sweetness and in a dry condition), lest perhaps thou shouldest be puffed up with thy prosperous estate, and shouldest be willing to please thyself in that which thou art not. That which I have given, I can take away and restore it again when I please. When I give it, it is Mine; when I withdraw it, I take not anything that is thine, for Mine is every good and perfect gift. If I send thee affliction or any cross whatsoever, repine not, or let thy heart fail thee. I can quickly succour thee, and turn all thy heaviness into joy."-The Imitation of Christ. You ask why God tries you by sending this trial of spiritual darkness? It is to humble you, and to prove you, and it may last for a long or short time, as God wills. Some great saints have had to pass through it for years, but out of it the soul comes with a great strength, because it has found God in the darkness. Do not become indifferent to this state, look carefully to see if it is caused by any sin, or self-love in any form. If it is, your work is clear, you must carefully cleanse your soul. But if it arises from no special cause that you can discover, your soul must bow down meekly and say, "It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good." "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." You must walk on in peace, but ever reaching out in the darkness, to find Him. who is the light, and who may shine out at your side at any moment, to show you how very near He has been to you all the time. Only be true and humble and faithful, and you need not be dismayed because God keeps you long in the darkness, He is training you in it to glorify Him.-* Why restless, why so weary, And hath the cross no crown? |