Afflictions Repress Worldliness.
By Dr. Spencer
MEN are naturally worldly; just as naturally as they are sinful. The nature of sin, indeed, is such that its aims all lie beneath the moon. It has not one to overpass the grave. But when the ambitious spirit of worldliness finds nothing beneath the sun which can constitute a secure and sufficient portion, or can avail as a shield to ward off the arrows of affliction, its zeal is damped—its career is checked—its heart appalled—it may be only for a moment, indeed, and while the pain of affliction stings—but yet the power of worldliness is diminished by it. Amid unbroken felicity and successes, the worldly spirit increases in power. It becomes strong, absorbing mind and heart, far-reaching, rancorous and unsatisfied. Then there is no end to its ambition—no limit to its hopes, no boundary to its aims; it would engross the whole soul and gain the whole world. There never was a more blind and stupid spirit. It aims after what it does not need and cannot use. It longs to attain that which has no other tendency than to prove a burden. And this stupidity and blindness are not to be cured by moral lectures. Lecture to a rock as soon. There is a necessity for affliction to come in to hush down the clamor of worldly affection before the man will hear you. Trial must open his eyes, or he will see nothing but the world—a world that dazzles and blinds him. Make him miserable and you may cure his stupidity. And were it not for the miseries all around the worldly, and so often coming in at their windows, the evils of worldliness would become far worse than they are. A worldly spirit has strong influences to check it. What a lecture a fever gives to it! or a funeral! What a lesson the grave-yard reads in its ears! What a rebuke when a man bears to the tomb the son for whom he thought he was hoarding his thousands! The miseries we suffer are sent to repress a spirit of worldliness which might ruin us without them.—Dr. Spencer.