WHICH SORROW SHALL IT BE?
By S.
THERE are two kinds of sorrow in the world. There is the sorrow that bears in its arms nothing but bundles of tares to be burned, and there is the sorrow that comes laden with the precious fruits of a better life. Many go on for years in a life of sin, and when their record is made known to the world around them, they are exceedingly sorry—sorry that they have been found out. They were not ashamed when they were making the record, and reaping its illegitimate fruit. It is only the publication that causes shame. That kind of sorrow brings no good results. That kind of sorrow would lead a man to commit other wrongs to keep some one from making his evil course known. That kind of sorrow would lead him to minimize every published wrong, and seek to convince the world that he meant no wrong in what he did. That puts an insurmountable barrier in the way of true repentance, and sears and glazes over every tender spot in the conscience. But there is a sorrow that builds character, stone upon stone, a structure that can not be swept away. The sorrow of the world may and does work death; but "godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance that bringeth no regret." That kind of sorrow has the fruit of righteousness in it; for it is a sorrow against sin. It partakes of the nature of God's sorrow when sin entered the world. Because it does, it must be in harmony with God. It is a healing sorrow. The godly sorrow heals every wound with better material than was there before. Have we lost a cherished friend? That sorrow builds a bridge from our heart to the heart of Him who is the Friend of every man. Have we lost a love we cherished above everything else upon earth? We may be sad over the loss; but we know where to go for a love that passes the power of human tongue to express; and, accepting that, we gain an experience that makes us better men and women, gives us stronger courage and more power to do. Is it sorrow over actual wrong? Then comes in the knowledge of God's forgiveness of the wrong repented of and His acceptance of us, and we are helmeted and shod and corseleted and armed for stronger battle against wrong than before. But once let us excuse the wrong, and seek to palliate it, and we are weaker than we were, and the temptations that will come to us will be sharper pointed, and their barbs will fasten themselves into our very flesh. When we have failed and acknowledged our failure, then is when God can make victors of us. It is only when we have reached the point where we can make such acknowledgement that God can entrust us with victory. He dared not give victory to Gideon's host until it was thinned down beyond the possibility of its gaining a victory in its own strength; but then He crowned that loyal band with a victory that will always live. The sorrow at having our sins found out, and the desire to cover up our shortcomings are indications that we are anxious to appear better than we are and stronger than we are. But when all that is put away, then it is that God can use us, and make us powers for good in His service. Let us put away the false-faced sorrow of the world; for that works only death, and its fruits can be only the fruits of selfishness and sin. Let our sorrow be sorrow for sin. In that is hope, good fruits, and the prospect of life everlasting.