Soldiers and Sailors

“If because you are Christians yon promise yourselves a long lease of temporal happiness, free from troubles and afflictio7is, it is as if a soldier going to the wars should pro7nise himself peace and continual truce with the ene7ny j or as if a marijier coinmittitig himself to the sea for a long voyage, should promise himself nothing but fair and calm weather, without waves and storms; — so irrational it is for a Christia?i to promise hi7nself rest here up07i earth” Experience abundantly confirms this, and yet who would not be a soldier of the cross? And, being so, who would wish to be a feather-bed soldier, never flushing one’s sword, or smelling powder. If there be no war there can be no victory; ease is therefore our loss and hindrance. What we need is not freedom from conflict, but abundance of faith. Trials would little try us if we had more confidence in God, and afflictions would have small power to afllict us if we laid up our heart’s joy and confidence in the Lord alone. Nearness to God is the one desideratum.

O Lord, draw us very near thee, and then we shall dwell in peace though the whole world should battle with us.