kept in mind there would be fewer hard thoughts of God amongst men, even when his strokes were most severe. I know not a better illustration of what the feelings of a saint should be, in the hour of bitterness, than the case of Richard Cameron's father. The aged saint was in prison " for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ." The bleeding head of his martyred son was brought to him by his unfeeling persecutors, and he was asked derisively if he knew it. " I know it, I know it;" — said the father, as he kissed the mangled forehead of his fair-haired son, — " it is my son's ; my own dear son's ! It is the Lord ! good is the will of the Lord, who cannot wrong me or mine, but who hath made goodness and mercy to follow us all our days."
2. It is the discipline of wisdom. He who administers it, is the " God only wise." What deep wisdom then must there be in all his dealings. He knows exactly what we need, and how to supply it. He knows what evils are to be found in us, and how these may be best removed. His training is no rauiom work. It is carried on with exquisite skill. The time and the way and the instrument, are all ac- cording to the perfect wisdom of God. The
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fittest time is chosen, — just the very moment when discipline was called for, and when it would be most profitable. The surest, direct- est, and at the same time most gentle method is devised. The instrument which will be surest yet safest, most effectual yet least pain- ful, is brought into operation. For all is wis- dom in this discipline of God.
3. It is the discipline of faithfulness. "In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me," said Da- vid. All is the doing of a faithful God, — a God who is faithful to us as well as faithful to himself. " Faithful are the wounds of a friend," says Solomon ; and the believer finds in trouble the faithfulness of the truest of friends. He is so faithful that he will not pass by a single fault that he sees in us ; but will forthwith make it known that it may be removed. He gave this command to Israel, " thou shall in any wise rebuke thy neigh- bor, and not suffer sin upon him ;"* and he himself acts upon the command he gave. He is too faithful a father to suffer sin upon his children unreproved. He is true to us, whether in sending the evil or the good ; shall we not Bay, more true and more faithful when he * Lev. xix. 17.
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inflicts the evil, than when he bestows tha good? It almost at times seems to break the heart of a loving friend to be obliged to say or do any thing severe towards the friend he loves. Yet for love's sake he will do it. In faithfulness he will not shrink from it. And in doing so, is he not true to his friend ? So with a chastening God. He is faithful when he blesses — more faithful when he chastens. This surely is consolation. It may well allay all murmuring, and stablish our hearts in peace.
4. It is the discipline of power. He who is carrying it on, is not one that can be baffled and forced to give up his design. He is able to carry it out in the unlikeliest circumstan- ces and against the most resolute resistance. Everything must give way before him. This thought is, I confess, to me one of the most comforting connected with the discipline. If it could fail ! — if God could be frustrated in his designs after we have suffered so much, it would be awful. To be scourged, and put to pain, by one who is not able to make good to us the profit of this, would add inconceivable bitterness to the trial. And then our hearts are so hard, our wills so stubborn, that nothing,
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save an Almighty pressure applied to them can work the desired change. Oh, when the soul is at strife within itself, battling in despe- rate conflict with its stormy lusts, when the flesh rises up in its strength and refuses to yield, when the whole heart appears like iron or like adamant ; it is most blessed to think upon God's chastisements as the discipline of power. It is this that assures us that all shall yet be well. And it is in the strength of this assurance, that we gird ourselves for the bat- tle, knowing'that we must be more than con- querors through him that loved us.
There might be love in the dealing, — love to the uttermost, — and yet all be in vain. For love is oftentimes helpless, unable to do aught for the beloved object. There might be wisdom too, and yet it might prove wholly in- effectual. There might also be untiring faith- fulness, yet no results. It might be altogether impotent even in its fondest vigilance. It might be baffled in its most earnest attempts to bless. But when it is infinite power that is at work, we are sure of every obstacle being surmounted, and every thing that is blessed coming most surely to pass. My sick bed may be most lovingly tended, most skillfully 5
50 THE FAMILY DISCIPLINE.