230 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



he started homeward after that wonderful 

 journey off into the wilderness with his son 

 Isaac ;lnit we are told that God was ex- 

 ceedingly pleased with him when lie had 

 tried him and found him faithful: for he 

 says, -For because thou hast done this 

 tiling, and hast not withheld thy son, thine 

 only son. that in blessing I willbless thee, 

 and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed 

 as the stars of heaven, and as the sand 

 which is upon the seaslioi'c. And in thy 

 seed shall all the nations of the earth be 

 blessed, beeause thou hast obeyed my 

 voice.'" Friend 8., I don't even know that 

 you are a Christian ; but somehow I feel, 

 from your brief letter, that you are, in any 

 case, hot far from tlie kingdom of God. I 

 have sometimes thought that great afflic- 

 tion brings men into the kingdom Mhen 

 nothing else would. Skepticism and infi- 

 delity have nothing whatever to offer you. 

 A young man who was quite talented, and 

 who had studied pretty deeply into skepti- 

 cal writings, said, in our young people's 

 prayer-meeting, not very long ago, " If there 

 is any thing in' this world that is unsatisfy- 

 ing to the soul of man, it is skepticism and 

 infidelity. These writei's would take away 

 every liope — knock out every prop, and 

 leave the hungering and thirsting soul in a 

 vast sea of doubt in unbelief, and in place 

 of what they have taken away they give 

 nothing— ahs'olutely nothing.^' These may 

 not have been his exact words, but they 

 were the substance of them. The only 

 thing that is satisfying amid trials like 

 these is the gospel of Christ Jesus. It says, 

 " Come unto me, all ye that are weary and 

 heavy laden.'' Poor Peter was right when 

 he spoke the words of our text. At that 

 time the multitude seemed to decide that 

 the teachings of Jesus were too strict and 

 exacting: they cut off too many things that 

 the Pharisees delighted in. The path was 

 too straight and narrow, and the people 

 turned away. Even many of his followers, 

 we are told, went back and walked no more 

 with him. Jesus turned to the twelve— the 

 tried and the faithful ones— and in sadness 

 said, ''Will ye also go away?" Peter, out- 

 spoken and ready as he always was, made 

 haste to answer:"" Lord, to whom shall we 

 go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." 

 And I pray you, dear brother, in the name of 

 Christ Jesus, to cast your burdens on the 

 Lord. He, and lie only, has the words of 

 eternal life. No other one in tlie wide uni- 

 verse can speak peace to the one who stands 

 where you do. Since tlie world began, no 

 one except those who came in the name of 

 Christ Jesus have been able to bring solace 

 and comfort to tlie dying-bed. Yes, there 

 is sweetness for you. The jieace that Christ 

 can give is yours for the taking : and the 

 promise of eteriuil life may be yours if you 

 will accept it as a free gift, ami the promise 

 of again seeing the loved one beyond the 

 grave. It is true, God's holy word does not 

 tell us very much as to whatthe future shall 

 be; but those who study it diligently will 

 find promises that are every thing the hu- 

 man heart can ask for. If Jesus, on the 

 mount of transfiguration, talked with Moses 

 and Elijah, why shall not we meet face to face, 



and talk with the loved ones who have gone 

 before Y Christ is the way, the truth, and 

 the life. And there is no other way that 

 ever has been opened, or that ever will be, 

 to poor liumanity, when called uyion to en- 

 dure the trials and afflictions of life. 



In II. ('orinthians 9 : 7 we are told that 

 "God loveth a cheerful giver ;" that is, he 

 is pleased with those who submit in humble 

 obedience to his decrees ; and tt) be cheerful 

 givers we must have that loving faith aiul 

 trust. We read, also, that Abraham be- 

 lieved God, and it was counted unto him 

 for righteousness. Skepticism may tell you 

 there is no remedy for trials like these ; in- 

 fidelity says there is no escape — no open- 

 ing — no help in this wide universe ; but I 

 tell you, friend S., there is hope, and tliere is 

 a remedy. God, who gave this gift, still 

 rules the universe, and he is still a loving 

 Father. It is not probable, it is not likely, 

 it is not reasonable, that the Being who 

 planned this universe as we see and com- 

 prehend it should plan such trials as yoiirs, 

 with no opening and no escape. God the 

 Father wants us to look away from these 

 things toward him. The first of the ten 

 commandments reads. "• Thou shalt have no 

 other gods before me.'' which is, in effect, 

 " I am to be first and foremost in the affec- 

 tions of my children. I am the beginning 

 and the end, I am over all.'' The invita- 

 tion to come to him and to seek him in trou- 

 ble as well as in joy rings forth clear 

 through the whole Bible. " Like as a 

 father pitieth his children, so the Lord 

 pitieth those that fear him." 



Now, my dear friend, it is not true that 

 God has left you uncaredfor. Jesus tells us 

 that not a sparrow falls to the ground with- 

 out God's care ; and, again, he tells us that 

 God so loved the world, etc., as you have 

 probably read over and over again. He has 

 not forgotten you. He is not unmindful <.f 

 your sorrow, but he is ready and near. In 

 the very last \\()rds of the Bible we read, 

 "And let him that is athirst, come; and 

 whosoever will, let him come." I pray you, 

 my dear friend, let there be no misunder- 

 standing in your heart; let there be no 

 doubt, no want of faith. Say on your bend- 

 ed knee, " Here, Lord, am 1, a poor grief- 

 stricken, cast-down child of thine. Here 

 am I, feeling that the light of the world has 

 gone out. Plave mercy on thy poor stum- 

 bling and doubting servant. Take thou me 

 into thy care, and keep and help me to say 

 from rhy heart, ' Thy will, not mine, be 

 done.' " And, dear brother, if you can say 

 it, try to add. " Tell me, I beseech thee, 

 what thou hast for me to do in this Avorld. 

 If it be thy will, I will try to be happy again 

 in trying to make others happy. Take me 

 as I am, and teach me thy ways." In the 

 little book used by Moody and Sankey there 

 is a hymn composed by one who, like your- 

 self, saw nothing left on earth to live for. 

 She sat down in helpless sorrow, and appar- 

 ently gave up. In fact, so great was her 

 grief that she begged God to take her out 

 of the world. The little hymn is apparently 

 his answer. It was written after she found 

 joy and peace, and probably greater happi- 

 ness than she had ever known before— 



