“LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.” Psalm 4:6
The cry of the Church has always been, “LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.” You may often feel as if immersed in the very shadow of death, and say with Heman, “I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am a man that hath no strength” (Psalm 88:4); but the very feelings of death, the chill at your heart, and the cold sweat upon your brow, make you long for the appearance of him who is the Resurrection and the Life; and who can in one moment whisper, “Fear not; I am alive for evermore and have the keys of hell and of death.”
You may be pressed down at times with the power of unbelief, and think and say there never was a heart like yours, so unable to believe, so doubting at every step; but this deep conviction of your wretched unbelief, which is the Spirit’s work to shew (John 16:9), only makes you long for that living faith of which Christ himself is not only the Object, but the Author and Finisher.
You may be sunk at times in despondency, as to both your present and future state; but that makes you the more to have a good hope through grace, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. You may feel at times the guilt, and not only the guilt, but the dreadful power and prevalence of sin; but that only makes you long the more earnestly for manifestations of pardon and peace, and that no sin may have dominion over you. “The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it,” that sooner or later you shall have every needful blessing.
The cry of the Church has always been, “LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.” You may often feel as if immersed in the very shadow of death, and say with Heman, “I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am a man that hath no strength” (Psalm 88:4); but the very feelings of death, the chill at your heart, and the cold sweat upon your brow, make you long for the appearance of him who is the Resurrection and the Life; and who can in one moment whisper, “Fear not; I am alive for evermore and have the keys of hell and of death.”
You may be pressed down at times with the power of unbelief, and think and say there never was a heart like yours, so unable to believe, so doubting at every step; but this deep conviction of your wretched unbelief, which is the Spirit’s work to shew (John 16:9), only makes you long for that living faith of which Christ himself is not only the Object, but the Author and Finisher.
You may be sunk at times in despondency, as to both your present and future state; but that makes you the more to have a good hope through grace, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. You may feel at times the guilt, and not only the guilt, but the dreadful power and prevalence of sin; but that only makes you long the more earnestly for manifestations of pardon and peace, and that no sin may have dominion over you. “The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it,” that sooner or later you shall have every needful blessing.
The valley you now feel to be in shall be exalted; the mountain and hill shall be made low; the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and your eye shall see the glory of the Lord; Christ shall be made precious to your heart; he will come sooner or later into your soul; and then when he comes he will manifest himself as your Lord and your God. And so you keep hanging, and hoping, and looking up until he appears; for your heart is still ever saying, “None but Jesus can do the helpless sinners good.”
