The Bow in the Cloud, and The First Bereavement

No Bow of Promise in the “dark and cloudy day” shines more radiantly than this.

God — my God — the God who gave Jesus — orders all events, and overrules all for my good!

‘’ When ^” says He, “hrmg a chad over the earth,’’’ He has no wish to conceal the hand which shadows for a time earth’s brightest prospects. It is He aUke who “brings” the cloud, who brings ns into it, and in mercy leads us through it! His kingdom ruleth over all.” The lot is cast into the laj:), hut the whoh disposing thereof is of the LordP We are tenants at will; but, blessed thought, at Godh will. He puts the burden on, and keeps it on, and at His own time will remove it I

Beware of brooding over second causes. It is the worst form of atheism! When our most fondly-cherished gourds are smitten — our fairest flowers lie withered in our bosom — this is the silencer of all reflections, “The JjORB jjrepared the worm!” When the Temple of the Soul is smitten with lightning — its pillars rent — “The Lord is in His holy Tern- ‘pleP’’ Accident, Chance, Fate, Destiny, have no place in the Christian’s creed. His is no unpiloted vessel left to the mercy of the storm — no weed left to the sport of the fitful waves.” The voice of the Lord is upon the icatcrs /” There is but one explanation of all that befals him:” jT will he dumb, I will ojoen not my mouth, because Thcu didst it

Death seems to the human spectator the most capricious and wayward of events. But not GO. The keys of Hades are in the hands of this same reigning God! Look at the Parable of the Fig-tree. Its prolonged existence, or its doom as a cumberer, forms matter of conversation in Heaven; the axe can not be laid at its root until God gives the warrant! How much more will this be the case regarding every “Tree of RigliteousDess, the planting of the Lord?” It will be -watclied over bj Him, “lest any one should hurt it.” Every tremblin-g fibre He will care for; and if made early to succumb to the inevitable stroke,” lulio hnoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath icroughtthis V (Job. xii. 9).

Be it mine to merge my own will in His; not to cavil at His ways, or seek to have one jot or tittle of that will altered; but to lie passive in His hands; to take the bitter as well as the sweet, knowing that the cup is mingled by One who loves me too well to add one ingredient that might have been spared!

Who can wonder that the sweet Psalmist of Israel should seek, as he sees it spanning the lowering heavens, to fix the arrested gaze of a whole world on the softened tints of this Bow of Comfort — “The Lord reigneth, LET THE Earth rejoice.”

“What is ‘Prosperity?’ Is it the threads of life weaved into a bright tissue? a full cup — ample riches — worldly applause — an unbroken circle? ISTay, these are often a snare — received without gratitude — dimming the soul to its nobler destinies. Often spiritually, it rather means God taking us by the hand into the lowly Valleys of Humiliation; leading us as He did his servant Job of old, out of his sheep, oxen, camels, health, wealth, children, in order that we may be brought to lie before Him in the dust, and say, “Blessed he His name /”

Yes I The very reverse of what is known m the world as Pros;perit’y (generally) forma the back-ground on which the Bow of Pron.ise is seen. God smiles on ns through these raindrops and tear-drops of Sorrows! He loves us too well. He has too great an interest in our spiritual welfare to permit us to live on in what is misnamed Prosperity, “When lie sees duties languidly performed, or coldly neglected — the heart deadened, and love to Himself congealed by the absorbing power of a present world, He puts a thorn in our nest to drive us to the wing, and prevent our being grovellers forever!

I may not be able now to understand the mystery of these dealings. I may be asking through tears, “Why this unkind arrest on my earthly happiness? “Why so premature a lopping of my boughs of promise? Such a speedy withering of my most cherished gourd?” The answer is plain. It is thy Soul Prosperity He has in view. Believe it, thy truest Eben-EZERS will yet be raised close by thy Zare-PHATHS {the place of furnaces). His afflictions are no arbitrary appointments. There is a righteous necessity in all He does. A3 He

10 TPIE BOW IN THi CLOUD.

lays His chastening baud upon thee, and lead a thee by ways thou knowest not, and wliicli thou thyself never wouldst have chosen; Ilfj whispers the gentle accents in thine ear,” Beloved I wish above all things that thou wouldesl prosper and he in health

Best in the quicu consciousness that all is welh Murmur at nothino; which brings thee nearer His own loving Presence. Be thankfal for thy very cares, because thou canst confidingly cast them all upon Him, He has thy temporal and eternal “prosperity” too much at heart to appoint one superfluous pang, one redundant stroke. Commit, therefore, all that concerns thee to His keeping, and leave it there I

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