God's Way and Leadings Perfect

“AS FOR GOD, HIS WAY IS PERFECT.” — PS. XViii. 30. “AND HE LED THEM FORTH BY THE RIGHT WAY, THAT THEY MIGHT GO TO A CITY OF HABITATION.” — PS. CVU. 7.

HERE are times in the experience of not a few, — and this is one especially on which you have entered, — when, amid adverse and baffling providences, “the foundations of the world seem out of course,” and all things appear to be rushing into wreck and darkness. The Divine, everlasting vigil seems to have ceased, and echo only answers to the wild cry of despair — “Where is now my God?” “Where is my God?” creating affections only to wither them; severing me, in the twinkling of an eye, from those He had sent to be helpers of my faith, interpreters of His own goodness, and wisdom, and mercy; — youthful priests in the domestic temple, whose removal leaves a silent, desolated altar, with incense unkindled and lamps put out, cherished memories alone surviving to read and reveal the blank! I was taught to imagine that His deaUngs to His own were those of a Father, not retributive or judicial, but paternal; that I could see no hand, and hear no lullaby but love. Why has the promised parental solicitude been superseded by the harsh voice and the

rebuking rod? Why has the All-gracious belied His own saying, “As one whom his mother cpmforteth?” “Thou, Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer; Thy name is from everlasting.... Where is Thy zeal, and Thy strength, the sounding of Thy bowels and of Thy mercies toward me? Are they restrained?” (Isa. lxiii. 15, 16).

Seek to repress these, and such like unworthy surmises. “As for God, His way is perfect.” This was a lesson impressively taught to pilgrim Israel, as suggested by one of the two verses which head this meditation. They, like many of Jehovah’s people still, were tempted at first to misinterpret the Divine dealings. At the very outset from Egypt, the cloudy pillar appeared to mislead them. Instead of taking them the near and direct route to Canaan, it conducted them round “by the way of the wilderness.” They had the Red Sea in front and their pursuers behind. The shout goes up from the Egyptian host — “They are entangled; the wilderness hath shut them in!” Even Moses yields to the panic and despondency of the hour. “Why liest thou on thy face?” were the words addressed to him as he crouched a sceptic at God’s feet; “speak to the children of Israel that they go forward.” Forward they did go, under the guidance of the symbol of the Divine Presence; and what was the song with which they made the opposite shores resound? It was the adoration of tTie all-perfect ways of God; — vindicating the rectitude of His procedure; “Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed.” “Lord God of hosts, who is a strong God like unto Thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillost them!”

This loving and gracious Guide still “loadeth Joseph like a flock;” even although often, in a spiritual sense, He makes ’ the depths of the sea ’ a way for His ransomed to pass over. You, too, may now be having your circuitous routes through the desert, your Red Seas of trouble, your Marahs of bitterness. His way may truly seem to be “in the sea, and His path in the deep waters, and His judgments unsearchable.” But it is for you to listen in submissive faith to His sovereign mandate, and to follow, however mysterious, the guidance of the Pillar-cloud. It is not for us to judge of the reasons for apparent harsh procedure, hidden from our gaze, and known only to the Infinitely Gracious One.

“God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.”

“Why,” says one of the saintliest men of the past generation, “Why are we not amply satisfied and acquiescing in the wise management of the Great Counsellor, who puts clouds and darkness round about Him, bidding us follow at His beck through the cloud, promising an eternal and uninterrupted sunshine on the other side?”

There is a beautiful saying in the 94th Psalm,” The Lord will not cast ofif His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance; but judgment shall shall return VLnto righteoTimess’’ {14, 15). Judgment often at times seems divorced — deflected from righteousness; — never more than in sparing the ripe and taking the green. We can discern no righteousness, no mercy, no * good ’ in such dispensations. But, —

“Hereafter thou shalt know where God doth lead thee. His darkest dealings trace; And by those fountains where His love will feed thee, Behold Him face to face.

Then bow thine head, and He shall give thee meekness,

Bravely to do His will:
So shall arise His glory in thy weakness,

O struggling soul, be still.

Watch on the tower, and listen by the gateway.

Nor weep to wait alone; Take thou thy spices, and some angel straightway

Shall roll away the stone.”

* Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” “Although thou sayest thou canst not see Him, yet judgment is before Him, therefore trust thou in Him.” “Thou, 60D, didst lead Thy people of old by the right hand of Moses, with Thy glorious arm dividing the water before them to make Thyself an everlasting name” (Isa. lxiii. 12).

“Awake, awake,” on our behalf still, “Arm of the Lord! “Finite wisdom has no place in Thy dealings. Let us seek no other way, let us surrender ourselves to no other guidance; remembering that “all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” We may now be, like the panic-stricken Hebrews, confronting the barrier waves; the foe behind, the desolate wilderness around. But fear not! that sea will, in some gracious way, recede to make a dry-shod pathway; that wilderness on the other side, with dreary sand and beetling cliff, will be wilderness still; but it will provide spiritual resting-places with overshadowing palms and refreshing springs.

*’ Times are changing, days are flying,

Years are quickly past and gone;
While the wildly mingled murmur

Of life’s busy hum goes on.
Sounds of tumult, sounds of triumph,

Marriage- chimes and passing bell;
Yet, through all, one keynote sounding.

Angels’ watchword — * It is well I ’

We may hear it through the rushing

Of the midnight tempest’s wave;
We may hear it through the weeping

Round some loved one’s early grave;
In the dreary house of mourning.

In the darkened room of pain.
If we listen meekly, rightly,

We may catch that soothing strain.”

To the eye of sense, however baffling be the ways of the Supreme, however seemingly unlike His right-

2r4 GOD’S WAY AND LEADINGS PERFECT.

eous wisdom, it is not for us to judge, and surmise, and conjecture, — but to believe; not to question, but, like Job, to kneel and to adore; not venturing presumptuously to arraign the faithfulness of dispensations the .most inscrutable; but rather, in reverent submission to say, amid crossed wills and adverse providences, even when we see innocent infant smiles or youthful aspirations arrested, and many a joyous parental hope buried with them underneath the sod, — “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.” “I know that Thy judgments are right, and that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me;” looking forward to the hour when, reaching “the city of habitation,” the wisdom and love of the * perfect way ’ will be fully revealed: when, in the true resting-places above, we shall join in the triumphant ascription, “The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.” “Soon,” says one now experiencing the reality of her own words, “Soon our tale shall be finished; the history of our lives will be put by in the library of God as a volume of His faithfulness.” Yes! and heaven will resound with the song, which on earth is oft warbled with trembling lips.

The present life, in its conflicting relations, its discords and confusions, is the tuning of the musical instruments before the great Hallelujah chorus — the magnificent harmonies of eternity. Then that chorus, like the anthem of the myriads in the seer’s vision, will become a louder and yet louder ascription, deepening till its effluent waves of sound become “like the noise of mighty thunderings:” — its everlasting refrain of praise — the sovereignty of God: — “Alleluia! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!”

ALL APPOINTED, AND ALL FOR THE BEST.

“I/need 6e.” — i Peter I. 6.

“Alleluia! for the Lord our God

Omnipotent doth reign” Each dark surmiBe

The thought represses, every muimur checks.

We are but lisping children here; unskilled —

Untutored in the mysteries of heaven.

There is no key to those dark letterings:

We cannot read them through our blinding tears.

Hei-e we have only partial links. But He

Has the whole chain unbroken in His hands.

At times with harshness He may seem to speak;

But there are ever undertones of love.

Behind the frowning cloud the sun is hid.

After the tempest and the fire comes forth

The still small voice, — Your Heavenly Father knows

That ye have need of all these things.”

Bereaved I
In your dark moments look to Calvary!
Almightiness Itself (to speak with awe)
Could, of supreme affection, give no pledge
Higher than this. And dare we entertain
The thought that He whose nature and whose name
Is Love, could send us one superfluous pang.
Impose redundant burdens, or permit
The thorn to pierce He knew would pierce in vain T
That Cross becomes the blessed gnarantee
That not one drop is mingled in the cup
Which oonld have been withheld.

Perchance he saw That too nmbiageooa had become the boughs Of the life forest They obscured the light. And bade defiance to the genial rays. Moni*s roseate hne, and even’s golden glow. Had entrance sought in vain. A kindly blast Has thinned the screening curtain: leaf by leaf Has fallen on the sod: His end is gained. Now the nnchequered radiance welcomed is Where it was Ion<; denied. The leaves are gone; Bat heaven’s bright sunshine is the recompense! This know, — to loved ones early taken hence, God’s dealings are unfolded: that which clothed An earthly home in sadness, will to them Revealed have inner meanings, which afford New matter and new theme for endless praise; While we, short-sighted mortals, “through a glass Darkly beholding “often thus exclaim: ‘’ Great God! Thy judgments are a mighty deep!” Oh! as the glorified behold His ways Seen in the mirror of eternity. They will be led to sweep the golden harp With bolder hand, and louder swell the song!

Ye, too, who now their early loss bewail. Will own the * needs be,’ long unrecognised. Safe in that haven which no wave disturbs, The retrospect of life’s disquietudes Will then disclose how love propelled the wings Of many a sweeping tempest; that each tear. Dimming the eye to a dark land of shadows, Was bright with sunshine from a tearless world. Then shall the lacerating thorn be weaved

Amid the dearest laurels of the crown. The brightest gem which sparkles there shall own Affliction’s polish; and all sorrows past, Weighed in the scales of Immortality, Shall seem but for a moment: — ‘’working out A gloiy far beyond what eye hath seen, Or ear hath heard, or heart of man conceived.”” As for Jehovah, perfect are His ways I ‘*