Not in Despair

Perplexed, but not in despair; cast down, but not destroyed.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:8,9

Faint, yet pursuing.

JUDGES 8:4

1, even 1, am He that blotteth out thy trans­gressions for mine own sake, and will not remem­ber thy sins.

ISAIAH 43:25

I DON'T think it is possible to overrate the hard­ness of the first close struggle with any natural passion, but indeed the easiness of after-steps is often quite beyond one's expectations. The free gift of grace with which God perfects our efforts may come in many ways, but I am convinced that it is the com­mon experience of Christians that it does come. There may be some souls, whose brave and bitter lot it is to conquer comfortless. Perhaps some terrible in­heritance of strong sin from the father is visited upon the son, and, only able to keep his purpose pure, he falls as fast as he struggles up, and still struggling falls again. Soft moments of peace with God and man may never come to him. He may feel himself viler than a thousand trumpery souls who could not have borne his trials for a day. For you and me is reserved no such cross and no such crown as theirs who falling still fight, and fighting fall, with their faces Zionwards, into the arms of the everlasting Father. "As one whom his mother comforteth" shall be the healing of their wounds.

JULIANA HORATIA EWING

This is a public domain version of Joy and Strength.