For the children of God every trial has it compensation. Sooner or later we shall see a silver lining to the black clouds we so much feared. Alone-ness, as a trial and test for our souls has some very great compensations. Are we not justified in saying that a man or woman whose lonely life is turned to precious uses-to meditate in God's precious Word-to increased application to duty-to brighten life for others, brings precious rewards to those who exercise themselves therein? We have heard of melancholia and even suicide being laid at the door of loneliness. It may be that bereavement, unrequited affection, gross wrongs inflicted, have preyed on the mind, until in despair it has given way. But, thank God, this need not be for a child of God. Our Father is a refuge for us and a very present help in every trouble which He permits to pass over us. There is compensation through the very trial that instead of mourning over our pain and loneliness, it may be turned to a song of praise and thanksgiving in our hearts toward God.

One of the first things that occur to me as compensation for being alone is the opportunity and ability for meditation. Life is a continual rush now-a-days; duties and pleasures chase upon one another; business absorbs the thoughts from the first in the morning to the last at night, with little or no time to pray and meditate. Have we ever realized that thousands upon thousands of people are going headlong to ruin because they will not face a lonely hour with God as to the course of their life? They are building all their hopes and ambitions on this world which can last, at the most, but a little more than threescore years and ten, at the end of which they must wake up to find for all their labor-what ? A grave-a misspent life – naked of good works! Well do we read, in that grand "song" in Deuteronomy 32, "Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end." Shall not we, Christians, thank our Father that He has drawn us out from the whirl and directed our life to give us both heart for and time to commune with Himself ?And the one who can say with the psalmist, " In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul," will not then complain of being alone. For, as their Master, such have a spring of joy within which outside influences are unable to touch.

Then we have also the compensation of sympathy. We all know how easy it is to judge and arrange other people's matters for them, even when we have never been in their circumstances or trodden the path which they are treading. Yet we think we could do better than they are doing, and are quite ready with our advice, counsel, and opinion. A little later, perhaps, we find ourselves in similar circumstances, and prove we knew very little when we spoke so much, and are a bit afraid whether, after all, we shall come out at the end as well as the friend whom we were inclined to judge so hastily. So it is with the lonely path. O friends, we cannot sympathize fully where we have not trodden. Are we not reminded here of the beauty of those words in Hebrews 2:18. " For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted?" Do we covet to be a helper or comforter? Do we long to encourage the tried ones, to cheer the lonely, and to wipe the mourner's tears? There is but one way we can be fitted for this:it is the school of suffering-the lonely path. We cannot take the crown unless we bear the cross.

But there is still greater recompense than those already mentioned for the quiet and lonely life. Only in quiet with Him can we learn to know God; and surely this is the great essential in the life of each child of God. We have touched on this lightly in our previous chapter, but must now look a little more fully at it. Does not a deep, sweet joy spring up in our heart at the very thought of knowing Him -knowing Him not just by hearsay, or head knowledge, but intimately and experimentally, as One with whom we are having intercourse day by day ?

And yet what do we know of His wondrous love, that love which passes knowledge ? Reviewing our own life, even since our conversion, we have to own there has been so much of failure, so little response to His voice and His love, so many hard thoughts of His dealings with us that none but a perfect love, such as His, could ever have borne with us. Had we tried our earthly friends as we have tried Him, they would have left us to ourselves long ago. But bow is it with Him ? He loves us through all with a deep unchanging love. His love never alters, never tires; but "having loved His own which were in the world He loves them unto the end." The realization of His love melts all the hardness of our hearts, and we are humbled to loving devotion to Himself.

And what a faithful love is His! Have we ever pondered what deep, unselfish love is needed to use aright the rod of correction on the object of its love? "Faithful are the wounds of a friend," says Prov. 27:6; and how we should praise and thank Him that His love is so true that He will not hesitate to wound or smite when needful. He would rather we should bear temporal pain now than great loss in the future. He will risk our misunderstanding, and misjudging, through our short-sightedness in His wondrous dealings in love, and in spite of all will act for our greatest and eternal good, all ending to His own glory-in the manifestation to our souls of what He is. His is love worth knowing, even if it has to be through trial and a lonely pathway.

And how that love follows us in every step we take! If our eyes are open, we may see it in every earthly blessing given; in true friendships; in opportunities for doing good; in health and strength; in needed food and clothing; in sustaining grace and guidance in time of need. We have only to look back at the many deliverances He has given in times of trouble, the many answers to prayer, the gracious promises He has given us for this present life and the bright glorious hope for the future, to make us exclaim, Truly what compensations are found in His company and approval for all the loneliness and trials of our lives. Or if our hearts have met with but halfhearted sympathy from our friends, and been thrown back on our own resources, how different it has been when, within our chamber, we have poured out all our heart to Him who seeth in secret and understands all our pain! It may be that we have been unable even to express our needs-only groans, or even to kneel in silence before Him. Yet unfailingly He has strengthened, encouraged, or comforted – according to the need of the moment. So again I say, Was not the sweet consciousness of our Lord's direct dealing with us worth all the pain of loneliness which drove us to Him ?Ah, if we need real, effectual sympathy, go to Jesus ; for

'' Touched with a sympathy within,
He knows our feeble frame-
He knows what sore temptations mean,
For He has felt the same!
He in the days of feeble flesh,
Poured out His cries and tears;
And now, ascended, feels afresh
What every member bears! "

Concerning God's people of old, we read in Isaiah:" In all their affliction He was afflicted and the angel of His Presence saved them." And, in the New Testament, see Him as the widow passes out of the gates of the city of Nain with the dead body of her only son. Jesus halts the procession, touched by; the mother's deep sorrow, and restores again the son to life. See Him also at the grave of Lazarus! weeping with those who weep, but soon turning their sorrow into joy. All through the Gospels, we may trace our blessed Lord's tender compassion in active operation for the relief of sufferers. And He is the same today. If He calls us into the lonely places in life-in the house of mourning, by the sick bed, with the aged, the suffering, the poor and needy where we are necessarily shut away from much that others delight in, let us esteem it a privilege to keep company with Him there, for it is thus we may learn to know Him; and like Him to be tenderly thoughtful of others. Ah, fellow Christian there is a heavenly joy in this, far beyond anything the world can give. We crave the honor of His approval ?-let us welcome the training.

" Oh, not forsaken! God gives better things
Than thou hast asked in thy forlornest hour;
Love's promises shall be fulfilled in power.
Not death, but life; not silence, but the strings
Of angel-harps; no deep, cold sea, but springs
Of living water; no dim, wearied sight,
Nor time, nor tear-mist, but the joy of light.
Not sleep, but rest that happy service brings;
And no forgotten name thy lot shall be,
But God's remembrance. Thou canst never drift
Beyond His love. Would I could reach thee where
The shadows droop so heavily, and lift
The cold weight from thy life .'-And if I care
For one unknown, oh how much more doth HE."

M. M. S.

The next and last paper of this series will be Alone-ness Abolished.