January 4

“As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Deut. 33: 25.

Dr. Doddridge was one day walking much depressed, his very heart desolate within him. “But,” says he, “passing a cottage-door open, I happened at that moment to hear a child reading, ‘As thy days, so shall thy strength be.’ The effect on my mind was indescribable. It was like life from the dead.” Much is often done by a word; and many can say, with Watts,

“And when my spirit takes her fill
At some good word of thine,
Not warriors who divide the spoil
Have joys compared with mine.’’

And what does this word say to us? “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” There is strength bodily. The continuance of this is a mercy. How soon, how easily, can it be crushed or reduced, so that we may be made to possess months of vanity, and endure wearisome nights, and feel every exertion a difficulty, and every duty a burden. But there is strength spiritual. This is very distinguishable from the former, and often found separate from it. The Lord does not always give his people a giant’s arm, or an iron sinew; but his strength is made perfect in weakness. This is the strength here spoken of. For two purposes his people will find it necessary, service and suffering.

Every Christian has a course of duty common to him as a man. It is, to provide for his outward wants, and the support of his family. And this is done by labor, in which he is required not to be slothful. But there is a series of duties pertaining more immediately to him in his religious character. It is, to believe, to pray, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present evil world. The discharge of his high calling is sometimes expressed by a race, which he is to run with patience. Sometimes also by the life of a soldier. A soldier must not be effeminate, but endure hardness and fatigue. Even his preparations and exercises are often trying; how much more his actual services. And the Christian’s enemies possess every thing that can render them formidable; and so fights he, not as one that beateth the air.

Suffering is commonly connected with service in the divine life. It was so invariably in the beginning of the gospel. Then it was deemed impossible for any one to live godly in Christ Jesus and not suffer persecution. Therefore no sooner was Paul converted, than he was told how great things he had to suffer. As real religion is always the same, some degree of the same opposition may be always looked for; and the hatred of the world will be shown as far as they have liberty to express it, and are not restrained by law, or the usages of civilized life. But when the Christian has rest from such trials as these, God can subserve their purpose by personal and relative afflictions, which are often severer than even the endurings of a martyr. They are called chastenings and rebukes, which he is neither to despise nor faint under. They have been the experience of all God’s children from age to age. They are not wantonly inflicted; but there is a needs-be for them, of which their heavenly Father is the unerring judge; and who, as far as their education and welfare will allow, will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

Now the prospect of all this, when he looks forward into life, is enough to awaken the Christian’s anxiety; and nothing can effectually encourage him, but the discovery of strength equal to his exigences. And this he finds not in himself. The natural man has no sensibility of his weakness, because he is not earnestly engaged in those applications which require spiritual power. The Christian is. He knows that he is as destitute of strength as he is of righteousness. He feels himself entirely insufficient for all the duties and trials of the divine life. And the consciousness, instead of diminishing, grows with the experience of every day.

And he need not be afraid of this. Rather let him cherish it; for when he is weak, then is he strong. What he wants is provided and insured by the promise of a God who cannot lie, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” And “as we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of our God.” His veracity has been attested by all his people, not one failing. And what says our own experience? “Year after year I have been travelling in an enemy’s country, and carrying with me an evil heart, prone to depart from the living God. I have often said, I shall one day perish. But where am I this morning? Following hard after God, his right hand upholding me. My prayers have not been always lively and delightful; but I have looked again towards his holy temple, and, through many a benighted hour, I have waited for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning. I have had no might of my own, and have been often faint; but “he giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” This is my testi-. mony to the praise of the glory of his grace; and at the beginning of another year, I thank God, and take courage:

“Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
Hither, by thy help, I ‘m come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.”