The cause lies in the fact, they were not weaned. The Psalmist says, “Surely, I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.” If you want to spoil a child, indulge him in all that delights his fancy. Our heavenly Father knows better than to indulge his children in all their wants. He has promised to give us what we need—not all we want. “My God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” The best discipline that we get in this life, is to learn to deny self. The direct route to glory lies along that line. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” A radical cure is experienced in bearing the cross. This will crucify us to self, and our longing to be rocked and dandled at the expense of everybody. Bearing the cross, helping the souls and bodies of men as they need, and as you are blessed with means and opportunity will cause you to outgrow all of your infantile notions. It is gloriously possible to be fully saved in this life; to run the whole length of the Christian race with joy and gladness; go on forced marches; yea, on the double quick, carrying heavy knapsacks of sorrow and affliction, rejoicing evermore, and in everything giving thanks.

XXV.
Victory.

It is impossible to have a victory, until we have had a fight. It would be impossible to shout the shout of victory, unless it had been fairly gained. In order to win a victory we must fight. The route from earth to glory is through the battle field. “We must fight if we would reign.” Thank God, we fight not against flesh and blood, but against powers, against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Many a Christian warrior comes from the field of battle with an inglorious defeat, because he fails to properly estimate the strength of his enemy. Nations have suffered fearful defeats because they failed to estimate the character and strength of their foes. When our rebellion broke out, Lincoln called for 75,000 men to put it down. A great many at the North said the 75,000 men could conquer the South before breakfast; but Bull Run told another story. What a sight! implements of war scattered all the way from Bull Run to Washington!

How many of Zion’s soldiers have started out, full of hope and courage, giving promise of wonderful achievements, but alas! the very first foe, the skirmish line, and perhaps that was no more than a simple sneer from the devil, and defeat followed; like Ahab, pierced between the joints of the harness, they were borne from the field of battle on the litter of discouragement.

The hospitals all over the land are full of wounded soldiers; those who went into battle full of zeal, but failed to estimate the job they had on hand, were captured, and are now in the hands of their enemies. Ask such to shout victory! It would be for them an impossibility. They are prisoners of war.

God expects us not only to fight, but to win. We ought to go from every battle flushed with victory. The Word says, “Fight the good fight of faith; lay bold on eternal life.” That is, obtain victory in every place; the closet, at the family altar, in the prayer meeting, when the word of God is preached, among the children, in the kitchen, parlor, trade and commerce, when laboring to bring poor sinners to Zion, paying your vows unto the Lord, helping on the gospel as God has prospered you with means, and in every place and under all circumstances, let victory be written upon your banner. It is shameful to suffer defeat. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” How sickening to simply play fight and never know what a square victory means.

God has provided for our complete success in every engagement. We may be clad with heavenly armour sufficient to make the weakest saint victorious. The idea of being on the sick list half or two-thirds of the time is extreme folly. If you have on the whole armour of God, you will stand complete in all the will of God, and never know defeat.

“Courage! your Captain cries,

Who all your toil foreknew—

Toil ye shall have, yet all despise;