" God will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to bear." (1 Cor. 10:13.)
For a time the way seemed easy,
Oh, my soul! Peace and joy were all unhindered,
Happy soul!
Little did I think that still
Lurked within my breast a will
Which would soon with sorrow fill
All my soul.
With the confidence of childhood,
Thou, my soul,
Fearless in thy strength, petitioned
[Poor, weak soul!]
That the Lord would straightway prove thee;
For I knew, Lord, Thou didst love me,
And I thought that naught could move thee,
Oh, my soul!
Little knew I what I asked for,-
How would roll Conflict after conflict over
Thee, my soul. Peter-like, I loved my Lord;
But He took me at my word-
Sent a sharp and piercing sword
Through my soul.
All-enticing came the tempter,
Ah, my soul! Fierce the struggle, in my longing
To control
All my being for His Name.
Yielding, I was put to shame-
Found my treacherous heart the same,
Faithless soul!
Ah! I never thought to grieve Him |
Who could save
My poor soul from lasting ruin
And the grave.
But I did not know my heart,-
That it was the counterpart
Of all others; but the dart
Pierced it well.
Sinned against the God who loved me !
How I groan
Over that which brought Thee, Savior,
From the throne,
In Thy love, to die, to bleed,
Live for me, and intercede!
Such surpassing grace, indeed,
Lord, I own.
Weak and wavering, still thou trustest,
Oh, my soul! Christ thy strength-
He will sustain thee,
Fainting soul.
Let me all my weakness feel,
Then Thy strength Thou wilt reveal,-
By Thy might, in woe or weal,
All control.
Then Lord, ever, in temptation
Let me plead
All Thy strength in all my weakness,
For my need;
And beneath Thy sheltering wing
All my heart's deep trial bring,
And Thou'lt teach me there to sing
Praise indeed.
Such deep exercise as is expressed in the above lines is not, as is frequently supposed, the result only of some gross, outbreaking sin. What by many would be esteemed a small sin, has often caused a sensitive soul the deepest anguish and severest self-judgment. Would to God we had always a tender conscience about all sin! Sin is hateful and hideous to God, in whatever shape or degree. We are apt to measure it by its immediate consequences, or the disgrace attaching to it, such as drunkenness, etc. But this is not God's way. He would teach us, first, that all sin is against Himself, against His holiness.
Every sin being the fruit of our sinful nature, comes under the sentence of God's wrath, even the cross of Christ, and must needs come under the severest judgment of the believer, if he would walk with God. He cannot go on with unholiness, however small it may seem ; and if we do not judge the first approach of sin, our consciences will soon cease to be our faithful monitors, and who can tell to what lengths we may go ? Oh, to shudder at the very approach of sin! but alas, how easily we are caught in the enemy's trap, if the shield of faith is down!
May the Lord help us, that we abuse not the grace of God, nor do despite to the cross of Christ, that we may not have to weep the bitter tears of Peter, nor cry with David, in his sorrow and humiliation, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned! " Yet, if we will have our own way, He lets us have the sorrow of it. But blessed is he who, through the discipline thus incurred, reaps the peaceable fruits of righteousness. H. McD.