SUNDAY READING.

Shannon News, 17 October 1924, Page 4

SUNDAY READING.

.——« WEAK HEARTS MADE STRONG. Text: "Say to them that, are of «. fearful heart, Be strong, fear not..Isaiah xxxv. 4. . , Let me observe that, in the original, the word "fearful" is "hasty.*', Now, a hasty man is "never a wise man; ana equally true is it that a "fearful" man is never prudent. Fearful men are always hasty; they jump at conclusions. They say, with Jacob, "All things are against me," because they cannot see. , to the end of the Lord's dispensations.. They forget that He, is very pitiful, and full' of compassion. Circumstance or expediency is their guiding star. They seek to follow the track of the meteors, which fly hither and thither across the midnight sky; they forget the pole-star of God's "truth and faithfulness. They go to sea without chart of compass, and tliey are driven backwards and forwards by contrary winds; and even when there is no wind they know not how to steer their ship. As you know, eyen in this world's affairs, a hasty man is constantly getting himself into trouble., He speculates m certain stocks and shares because'some sharper has told him that he can gain by doing so; and* soon he hears quite a different story, some great disaster is about to come; he hastily believes the lie, and is again deceived. ■ ■ , '.r- - „ a So it is with fearful souls; they are always doing this or that on the hasty impulse of an ill-drawn conclusion. Thus they are . . _, ■ Constantly Misjudging Their God, misusing His Word, misdirecting their own steps, bringing a world of trouble upon themselves and dishonour upon the name of their God. Fearful souls are hasty souls. They judge the Lord by feeble' sense, by the bitterness of the bud, and not by the sweetness of ,the flower. They judge by the clouds of the moraine', forgetting that the clouds may soon be scattered, and that the sun may shine out brightly again. To them, then, that are of a Jiasty heart; to those who condemn themselves unjustly, who think that all things are against them, and so become exceedingly fearful, say, 'Be strong, fear not." • . ! Now, first I am going to speaK upon some of the fears which come; from within. Multitudes of believers are o£. a fearful heart .oecause they have not the joys and comforts with which, some Christians are favoured., God hath some of his people who live very near to Himself, and who, therefore, partake of the richest things upon His ' banqueting table. These privilged saints tell out their joys, but certain desponding Christians, who have backslidden from God, and who, therefore, have not-tasted of these dainties, cry out, "We cannot, be the Lord's people, for we have jao such joys as these." As well might the plant in the corner say that it was not planted at all,, because it did not , As well might some small tree in.the forest say that it did not live, because it did not tower aloft like some mighty Stand in the Front Row of the Bed. cedar of Lebanon. Because 1 am not the fairest rose, but only a humble violet, hidden among the green leaves, am I to conclude that I am not a flower at all? Oh no, no! We are not saved by our comforts; they are given to us after -we are saved, but we. are saved without them. I would say of the comforts of religion as Christ said of the comforts of. this world, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all th,ese things shall be added unto you." Seek Christ first; have simple faith in Him; and then the ecstasies, the raptures, the enjoyments, the upliftings, which some of Hisi people have, shall be added unto you if the Lord sees that It is Well For You to Have Them. But if you seek those things first, you shall neither have them nor any other sort of comfort whatsoever. The path of faith is the smoothest path, after all. The road of life will always be rough, out he who walks by faith will And half its roughness removed. The greater part of our sorrows come not from heaven, nor hell, nor earth, but from ourselves. We are Our Own Plague-makers-

and our crvtfn tormentors. A man with strong faith is like one, who wears ,a leathern glove who can lay hold of thorns and thistles and frot be hurt; but the man with weak faith is like one not only with a naked hand, but with the skin off it; everything he touches irritates the tender flesh, and even the small grains of dust may fret withi'a the wound, and breed ulcers and foul sores. "Be strong." God is with you, so how dare you be dismayed because of your own weakness? "Fear not." The Lord is your confidence; it is presumption for you to mistrust Him. "Be strong." The might of God-is engaged by promise and by oath, to bring you safely through. "Fear 'not." There is no cause for fear; the enemies whom ye have seen to-day, ye'shall see again no more for ever. "Fear not." I do not know whether this is a

portion of meat to any troubled heart here present; posioly it may be. If so, poor soul, feed on It. You have gone to a. new situation, have you.not,, and

there are some ungodly young .men who revile and ridicule you? Well, then, ','Fear not, be strong." Your business does not answer so well as it did, and you hardly know what will become of you. "Fear not, be strong'." Commit your cause unto the Lord, Ijay Your Case at His Feet.

Possibly you have sickness in the house, and you are half inclined to repine, and to think that there is some anger mingled with the strokes of the rod. "Fear not, be strong."; Either the blow you dread will never be inflicted, or it will be a blessed blow. This is but a silght sorrow; —do you think me hard and unfeeling in so describing it? But it may be that this sorrow will be very slight compared with that from which you are spared; if this blow did not fall, it might involve a ten times heavier one. Perhaps you have been sorely tempted .by Satan lately, and he says that he shall have you at the last. "Be strong, fear not." Smite him all the harder for telling that lie; strike at him with all your power,, for, in the might of God, you are mightier by far than he is, and you can prevail over him. And you,'' young man, have recently undertaken service ,for your Saviour, but you feel that you are inclined to give it up. "Fear >not, be strong." He who calls you to His service will support you in it. You and I have to stand, like Gideon's soldiers;, with the lamp inside the pitcher; that pitcher needs to be broken before the light of the lamp can be seen. The strength' of man is like that earthen pitcher, a'nd the light of God cannot shine forth until That Pitcher is Dashed in Pieces.

| There is one person I must not for-' 1 get, perhaps more. There are those who know that they are drawing nigh unto the grave; the shadows lengthen, out, and their life becometh like the

spider's web, and they are afraid—- , afraid to die.. They, -. know. the. living Saviour, but they fear the, dying hour. They think death's stream is dark, and cold, and deep; ,how shall they pass through,,it to reach the Celestial City? "Fear hot, ' be strong." Death is the.last enemy,, and he is to be destroyed. Remember that, a"nd be of good cheer. He shall "not destroy you. Do not call him Death the destroyer, but Death the - destroyed. Be certain of victory in your last moments; nay, look fprward even npw with hopeful joy to, that most .Jplessed t of all moments when, laying your head upon the death-pillow, you , shall find . that Christ's bosom is where. that pillow lies, a"nd you sjhall breathe'' your life out Sweetly theres, finding no iron fates, no shadow, of dark wings, no orror of darkness, no dying strife; but bliss beginning, bliss increasing, bliss o'erflowing, and- running on for evej* andiever. ..

God; grant unto.each one,of us that we may be strong, and fear not, for Christ's sake! Amen. (