whole heart to the Saviour. You are only half a Christian. You are not far from the kingdom of God, and yet you are not in it. You are near the door, but have never entered in. Do you not at once see then why God has afflicted you? It is to bring you nearer to Him. He would have you now see that a little religion will give you no comfort, and will bring no peace to your soul. It will not do for a sick-bed, and much less will it do for a dying hour. There is a voice that whispers to you now, which calls to you with loving earnestness, Why will you die? Why stand so far off, when you may draw near? Jesus comes close to you as it were now, saying, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. I have knocked before by my Word, by my Spirit, by my Ministers. Now 66 I knock still louder." Oh say not, Depart from me." But rather say, Abide with me, O my Saviour. Pardon my past half-heartedness. Draw near to me, and bless me. Claim me as thine own. Make me thine for ever.' 3. Or, it is possible you may be a Backslider. Once you felt deeply. You were in earnest. Religion was your delight. Your chief interest was in holy things. You loved God's Word and God's House. Prayer was your sweetest employment. The company of God's people was pleasant to you. But something happened, which turned you from this blessed path. You grew somewhat cold. The lamp burnt dimly within you. The world regained its power over you. language now is Your What peaceful hours I then enjoyed! God might have left you in this state. But no; He loved you too well to do so. He now chastens you; and is it not in mercy? He may deal roughly with you; and would you not deal so with your dearest Child or Friend, if you saw them running into danger? I am sure you would. And so the Lord is forced to deal with you. Though you have acted treacherously towards Him, and "turned aside" from Him "like a deceitful bow," He still loves you, and will not let you perish, without sending after you His warning voice, and stretching out His arm to save you. Oh make this illness a time for returning to Him whom you have forsaken. Think of God's great love in sparing you. Think of His kindness in making this gracious effort to bring you to Himself. He seems to say, "Return unto me, for I have redeemed thee. My arms are still open to receive you. I have blessings, which may yet be yours." He 4. Once more. You may be a true Child of God, one whom He greatly loves, a plant over which He is watching with peculiar care. sees you serving Him, and walking with Him, but He wishes your service to be a still more happy service, and your walk to be a closer walk with Him. " The Refiner takes a piece of gold, and is not satisfied that it is precious. He takes means to make it more precious, by putting it into the furnace. Thus he purifies it, burnin out every particle of dross that was in it. Aye, and when he takes it out of the fire, he rejoices to see it so pure and bright, that it reflects his own image. And so it is with you, dear Christian Sufferer. God's promise is, "I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross." "I will refine them, as silver is refined, and will try them, as gold is tried." Even the very best of us-how short we come of what we ought to be, and what we might be! Even the best of us— what need we have to be thus trained and disciplined for heaven! No longer ask then, Why am I afflicted? But rather say, "Lord, let not my affliction be lost upon me. Accomplish in me thy own most gracious purpose. May I come out of this furnace, as gold purified seven times in the fire." |