69. God’s Ways
God’s Ways
LUTHER REPROVED.—Luther said: “At one time I was sorely vexed and tried by my own sinfulness, by the wickedness of the world, and by the dangers that beset the church. One morning I saw my wife dressed in mourning. Surprised, I asked her who had died. ‘Do you not know?’ she replied; ‘God in Heaven is dead.’ ‘How can you talk such nonsense, Katie?’ I said. ‘How can God die? Why, He is immortal, and will live through all Eternity.’ ‘Is that really true?’ she asked. ‘Of course,’ I said, still not perceiving what she was aiming at, ‘how can you doubt it? As surely as there is a God in Heaven, so sure it is that He can never die.’ ‘And yet,’ she said, ‘though you do not doubt that, yet you are so hopeless and discouraged.’ Then I observed what a wise woman my wife was, and mastered my sadness.”
OCEAN LIES BEYOND.—A young child, who has hitherto fancied that the rim of the sky rests an the earth a few miles away, and that the whole world lies within that circle, sails down the river and sees the river-banks gradually widening, and the river passing into a bay. When he comes back, he tells his young companions how large the ocean is. Poor boy! he has not seen the ocean, it lies beyond—only the bay. Just so with all creature-knowledge of God. Though all the archangels were to utter all they know, there would still remain an infinity untold. YOUR FATHER IS RICH.—An aged Christian who had long been an invalid, and was dependent on Christian charity for her support, on sending for a new physician who had just come into the place, said to him, “Doctor, I wish to put myself under your care, but I cannot do it unless you will trust my Father.” “Well, ma’am,” replied the physician, “I believe your Father is rich; I may safely trust Him.” OUR FATHER.—Christ revealed God as a Father. In His first and last words, Christ calls Him “Father.” As a Father, God thinks of us, loves us, works for us, cares for us, protects us, provides for us in the future. “Father” is the most endearing appellation in which He is made known unto us. “I should have been an atheist,” said Randolph, “had it not been for one recollection; and that was when my mother used to take my hand in hers, and cause me on my knees to say, ‘Our Father which, art in Heaven.’“ “I never fear,” said a little child, “when Father is with me.”
NOW I KNOW.—The supplies of a missionary among the Indians were reduced, for three persons, to one small piece of meat and three potatoes. It was winter. They laid their case before God in prayer, and claimed His promise, that the trusting shall be fed. The last morsel they had was spread on the table, when an Indian came in with a quarter of venison, saying, “I come to feed you.” When the Indian heard of their extremity and prayer, he said, “Wow I know why, when I killed my deer, seven miles away, something said to me, ‘Go quickly, and carry a piece to the missionary!’“ THAT EYE.—Lafayette, the great man who was the friend of Washington, tells us that he was once shut up in a little room in a gloomy prison for a great while. In the door of his little cell was a very small hole cut. At that hole, a soldier was placed day and night to watch him. All he could see was, the soldier’s eye; but that eye was always there. Day and night, every moment when he looked up, he always saw that eye. “Oh!” he said, “it was dreadful.”