Life and Times of David. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. VI

Miscellaneous Writings of
Volume VI LOIZEAUX BROTHERS New York
FIRST EDITION 1898 TENTH PRINTING 1960 LOIZEAUX BROTHERS, Inc., PUBLISHERS A Nonprofit Organization, Devoted to the Lord's Work and to the Spread of His Truth 19 West 21st Street, New York 10, N. Y. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The original numbering of these writings has been retained. Many of the above may be had separately in pamphlet form.

Man's extremity is God's opportunity. This is a very familiar saying. It often passes among us; and, no doubt, we fully believe it; but yet, when we find ourselves brought to our extremity, we are often very little prepared to count on God's opportunity. It is one thing to utter or hearken to a truth, and another thing to realize the power of that truth. It is one thing, when sailing over a calm sea, to speak of God's ability to keep us in the storm, and it is another thing altogether to prove that ability when the storm is actually raging around us. And yet God is ever the same. In the storm and in the calm, in sickness and in health, in pressure and in ease, in poverty and in abundance, the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever —the same grand reality for faith to lean upon, cling to and draw upon, at all times and under all circumstances.
But alas, alas, we are unbelieving! Here lies the source of weakness and failure. We are perplexed and agitated, when we ought to be calm and confiding; we are casting about, when we ought to be counting on God; we are beckoning to our partners, when we ought to be looking unto Jesus. Thus it is we lose immensely, and dishonor the Lord in our ways. Doubtless there are few things for which we have to be more deeply humbled than our tendency to distrust the Lord when difficulties and trials present themselves; and assuredly we grieve the heart of Jesus by thus distrusting Him, for distrust must always wound a loving heart. Look, for example, at the scene between Joseph and his brethren in Gen. 50: And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.