III. 1 TWOFOLD CHARACTER OF SICKNESS. If we look upon sickness as our own private property, and having reference only to ourselves, it becomes so. The lessons are then merely personal; and so are the blessings. We should never lose sight of the twofold character of sickness. It is personal; meant for individual profit, to make thee "a partaker of His holiness"a who chastens thee. It is intended to make thee like thy LORD; to increase all graces in thee; to "add strength to thy faith and seriousness to thy repentance;" to make that repentance real, and deep, and earnest, as never before; to mould thy will to GOD's will; to dissolve thee, until thou art lost in Him. It is for thy correction, punishment for past and present sin. It is to change the aspect of earth, and of all creatures. To show them in their true character.-To show them in contrast with GOD; to show what they can do and what HE can do for thee; their distance-His nearness; their incompetency-His completeness; their one-sided knowledge and judgment of thee-His perfect knowledge and inspection of thee. Heb. xii. 10. Service for the Visitation of the Sick. Let this personal character of sickness never be lost sight of; for every sickness is a chastisement, and it comes home into the very heart, saying, "Thou art the man." But the other view of it should never be forgotten. It is not for thyself alone, but for the whole Church; "The whole Church is fitly framed together by that which every joint supplieth." They who are well could not go on without those who are sick, any more than those who are sick could go on without those who are well. In many things they need them. They need to have this embodying of a large part of the life of our LORD ever before their eyes. They need to be reminded of death and of judgment. They need the ballast of suffering to keep them steady. They need to learn hereby that "man walketh in a vain show, that he is disquieted in vain." They need that what is kind and sympathizing and gentle in them should be drawn forth, and thus developed. They need to see life real and in earnest, with all its gloss stripped off; what it comes to; what they must come to. They need this voice to say to them, "Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."d * 2 Sam. xii. 7. b Eph. iv. 16. d Matt. xxiv. 44. To show them all this is one office of sickness. If thus you look upon sickness as a work, a mission, one to which God has called you, although you seem called only to suffer, you will not look upon it as a lonesome lot. IV. THE SEEMING LENGTH OF SICKNESS. "A LIFE-LONG sickness!" what a dreary thought! It seems as if it were said to be unending: yet "What is your life? It is even as a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."a Medical men may speak of its lasting "an indefinite time," for its length is undefined to them; but "with God are the issues of life and of death." He will daily and hourly, yea, moment by moment, apportion to you your lot of suffering, and the strength to carry you through it. You have not to bear the whole length of your illness now at this time, but minute by minute; do not increase your present suffering, by adding to it the future burden. He knows how best to deal with you. Fear not, for "All these things are in His hand; and He lays them on, not all at once, but little by little, to prepare us for greater trials. We James iv. 14. never have more than we can bear. The present hour we are always able to endure. As our day, so is our strength. If the trials of many years were gathered into one they would break us down; therefore, in pity to our little strength, He sends first one, then another, then removes both, and lays on a third, heavier, perhaps, than either; but all is so wisely measured to our strength, that the bruised reed is never broken. We do not sufficiently regard our trials in this continuous and successive view. Each one is sent to teach us something, and altogether they have a lesson which is beyond the power of any to teach alone. But if they came together we should break down, and learn nothing. The smoking flax would be put out, and we should be crushed into the dust of death."" There is no other way to look at the path which lies before you, for it seems a long and wearisome way, and without an end. At least the end is so far distant, so incalculable, that it seems to you endless. You are told that your sickness is not a mortal one, and yet may be of many years' duration. But even supposing this to be no mistake, it need not be this particular sickness which is appointed to take you to the "rest that remaineth." Some fresh thing may come any day; and however slight it may seern, He who sends it can make it to be His messenger, and it may bring the "true token." Do not, therefore, distress yourself with trying to ascertain the probable length of the illness, the forms it may assume, or how it may end. Leave it all to Him who hath said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."a You are saying, with St. Thomas, "Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way ?" The answer is the same now as then-"I am the Way." He is "the Way" in which you are walking. "The Truth" is your Teacher. "The Life" is Christ, in whom your "life is hid." To believe this with your heart would be perfect peace. You would have no second will, but let Him lead you any where, through any sickness, however long and wearisome it might be; even though to you it seem to have no end, yet trust Him that it is the shortest as well as the safest and the best-the only way which can lead you to that place which He "is gone to prepare for you." By all these means He is preparing you for that place which He has already prepared for you. He knows exactly what is necessary. In a dark night, and in a strange place, you must trust yourself to a guide. Put yourself into His hands; the way may seem very dark, and drear, and solitary; a John xiv. 6. b John xiv. 5. |