EXTRACT FROM "PROVISION FOR PASSIng over JORDAN."
By Dr. Scudder
CHRISTIANS often meet with little trials in their families and from other sources, and many of them it is to be feared, commit as much sin by their peevishness and fretfulness and murmuring as did the Israelites while under their trials in the wilderness. Thou knowest well my soul how prone thou art to err in these respects. Be on thy guard therefore, lest these sins should get the victory over thee. It will be well for thee to read often the 11th, 14th, and 16th of Numbers as well as similar portions of scripture that thou mayest know in what light a holy God views thy peevish, fretful murmuring spirit. I pray for sanctification, and when I thus pray I make no reserve as to the means by which this is to be brought about. In order to effect this sanctification my heavenly Father commences a course of discipline, the only course by which my prayer can consistently be answered. He exposes me to various trials from my own heart, or from others, or he sends bodily affliction upon me. No sooner however does he do this than I rebel against his treatment and murmur at my hard lot—murmur because he has been answering my prayer. O my soul what a mark is this of thy utter vileness and pollution. O my Father, I beseech thee for Christ's sake to forgive all my past murmurings, and grant that these sins may never again find a place in my bosom. Help me to keep in mind that every trial, every affliction, every pain that I experience is a love token sent by thee—sent expressly for my good—sent for my sanctification. For ought thou knowest my soul, if one of these trials, one of these afflictions, one of these pains were to be withheld thou mightest be lost. It is much easier for an earthly father to caress his children when they do well, than to chastise them when they need his discipline. But his chastisements are greater marks of his love than are his caresses, and the reason is, because it is so painful to inflict the one and so pleasant to impart the other. So it is with thy heavenly Father, my soul. It is much easier for him to caress thee than to chastise thee; but it is a greater mark of his love when he does chastise thee than when he caresses thee. He afflicts not willingly. O that this thought might constrain me to cry out, Welcome trials, welcome afflictions, welcome pains, as the choicest blessing which can be mingled in my earthly cup. Welcome anything, welcome everything which may lead me to my Saviour. It is to be feared that many Christians give place to a species of resentment, of the evil of which they are scarcely sensible. This shows itself by their giving utterance in a hasty manner to such expressions as, "You are a naughty child;" "You are a wicked man;" "You are a stupid creature"—expressions which are mere ebullitions of their displeasure. As the spirit which gives rise to these ebullitions and utterances is as really sinful as the spirit which prompts them to raise their hands in anger and use personal violence, it becomes thee, my soul to dwell upon thy watch tower and guard every avenue against the entrance of this most subtle enemy. If ever thou hast occasion to reprove others be careful to reprove them with words of gentleness and with such tenderness as to show them that it is not to gratify thy resentment, but to do them good that thou didst reprove them. Reprove them if possible, in such a manner that they will not only not become angry, but will love thee for thy reproof. I need more of that longsuffering and gentleness and meekness which are equally the fruits of the Spirit with love, joy and peace. That thou, my soul, mayest hereafter be constrained through grace to act a more consistent part, remember that the least violation of these graces—especially that the least species of resentment towards those who have injured thee, though it may be unmingled43with ill-will, and though it may amount only to the withdrawing of thy good feelings from them, will prove a great hindrance to thee in making thy provision for passing over Jordan. With such a spirit thou canst not ask thy Father to forgive thee thy trespasses as thou forgivest those who trespass against thee; for this prayer in appropriate words would be, Lord, be pleased to treat me in the same manner that I treat those who have injured me. If ever my soul, thou feelest the least spark of resentment, or if thou art in danger of acting contrary to the longsuffering, the gentleness, and the meekness of the gospel, flee to Calvary. Hear thy Saviour under the severest provocation from his enemies crying out "Father forgive them for they know not what they do," and learn from this prayer to hush every angry passion to peace. When disposed to be angry let me be very careful never to speak loudly. A suppressed tone of voice is one of the greatest antagonists to anger. It is of the greatest importance that I repress the very first risings of anger. Otherwise it may betray me though a word be not spoken, it may betray me through my countenance. By giving place to anger or other unbecoming tempers before an ungodly person, for aught I know, I may be the cause of his losing his soul. In thy interviews with those around thee be careful to never manifest such a spirit as will unfit thee to converse with them on religious subjects. If in these interviews thou shouldst exhibit an angry or otherwise improper temper into what a sad dilemma wouldst thou be thrown, wert thou to attempt to address them on their soul's concerns. How would thy very lips be almost closed to the utterance of a single word. Among my spiritual foes there is none so powerful as pride, and there is none of a more insidious character. That thou, my soul, mayest be properly impressed with its evil nature, thou shouldst remember that it is the sin most dishonoring to God. It is the sin which lies at the root of all other sins. It is the father and the mother, the brother, the sister of them all. It is the sin which is the first to live in thy bosom. It is the last to die there. It is this deeply stained crime in man which was the cause even of the humiliation of the immaculate Son of God. It brought him down from his glory to tread the valley of Gethsemane, and to die on the cross. O my soul when thou thinkest to what a state of degradation and abasement thy Saviour was brought by thy pride, wilt thou ever again have any towering thoughts of thyself? Wilt thou not be satisfied unless every one is ready to bow in thought, in word, and in deed to thee? Wilt thou ever look down upon those of thy fellow men who may be of what the world calls inferior birth, and congratulate thyself with the thought that thou art above them? Shall thy worldly possessions and thy standing in society puff thee up with the notion that thou wert cast in a mold superior to that in which they were formed? O if I could have any interest at the throne of heaven, if my royal Sovereign there would hold out his golden scepter that I might approach it and present a petition before him, that petition would be that the very last filament of pride might be torn from my bosom and buried in Gethsemane at the feet of my Saviour. O my soul if pride should ever again threaten to gain the mastery over thee, pause and take such a view of it as a dying bed, as the last struggle, as the coffin, as the grave are so eminently calculated to give. Should I ever come in contact with a proud contentious and angry spirit, let me be very careful not to meet him with a harsh answer. "A soft answer turneth away wrath." Art thou sensible that thou art nothing, and that if there is any good in thee, this good is Christ formed within thee. And as thy Saviour was abased in the sight of others, art thou willing to be abased for his sake in the sight of others? Art thou willing to yield points which come in contact with thy pride, with a quiet spirit and without any anxiety, for the sake of exalting thyself, to give thy reasons for such submission? and art thou willing to hear remarks which also wound thy pride without any desire to retaliate? "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."