Perhaps he looks on them, not with wrath and indignation, but
with pity and sorrow, when he sees man's weakness, folly, and sin,
bringing to naught his gracious purposes, and falling short of his
glorious will.
It is a comfort, I say, to believe this, in these times of change.
Places, manners, opinions, institutions, change around us more and
more; and we are often sad, when we see good old fashions, in which
we were brought up, which we have loved, revered, looked on as sacred
things, dying out fast, and new fashions taking their places, which
we cannot love because we do not trust them, or even understand. The
old ways were good enough for us: why should they not be good enough
for our children after us? Therefore, we are sad at times, and the
young and the ambitious are apt to sneer at us, because we delight in
what is old rather than what is new.
Let us remember, then, that whatsoever changes, still there is one
who cannot change, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for
ever. Surely he can feel for us, when he sees us regret old fashions
and old times; surely he does not look on our sadness as foolish,
weak, or sinful. It is pardonable, for it is human; and he has
condescended to feel it himself, when he wept over Jerusalem.
Only, he bids us not despair; not doubt his wisdom, his love, the
justice and beneficence of his rule.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218