Morning, March 10
Go To Evening Reading
“In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved.”
Psalm 30:6
“Moab settled on his lees, he hath not been emptied from vessel to
vessel.” Give a man wealth; let his ships bring home continually rich freights;
let the winds and waves appear to be his servants to bear his vessels
across the bosom of the mighty deep; let his lands yield abundantly:
let the weather be propitious to his crops; let uninterrupted success
attend him; let him stand among men as a successful merchant; let
him enjoy continued health; allow him with braced nerve and brilliant
eye to march through the world, and live happily; give him the buoyant
spirit; let him have the song perpetually on his lips; let his eye
be ever sparkling with joy—and the natural consequence of such an easy state to any man, let
him be the best Christian who ever breathed, will be presumption ; even David said, “I shall never be moved;” and we are not better than David, nor half so good. Brother, beware
of the smooth places of the way; if you are treading them, or if the
way be rough, thank God for it. If God should always rock us in the
cradle of prosperity; if we were always dandled on the knees of fortune;
if we had not some stain on the alabaster pillar; if there were not
a few clouds in the sky; if we had not some bitter drops in the wine
of this life, we should become intoxicated with pleasure, we should
dream “we stand;” and stand we should, but it would be upon a pinnacle; like the man
asleep upon the mast, each moment we should be in jeopardy.
We bless God, then, for our afflictions; we thank him for our changes;
we extol his name for losses of property; for we feel that had he
not chastened us thus, we might have become too secure. Continued
worldly prosperity is a fiery trial.
“Afflictions, though they seem severe,
In mercy oft are sent.”