. This was Christ's cup, which His disciples were to
drink of as well as He; this was the baptism of fire with which they were
to be baptised of as well as He; this was to be their fight of faith;
this was the tribulation through which they, and all other great saints,
were to enter into the kingdom of heaven. For it is certain that the
harder a man fights against evil the harder evil will fight against him
in return; but it is certain too that the harder a man fights against
evil, the more is he like his Saviour Christ, and the more glorious will
be his reward in heaven.

_Village Sermons_.

V. OUT OF THE DEEP OF DOUBT, DARKNESS, AND HELL.

O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night unto Thee. Oh!
let my prayer enter into Thy presence. For my soul is full of trouble
and my life draweth nigh unto Hell. Thou hast laid me in the lowest
pit, in a place of darkness, and in the deep.--Ps. lxxxviii. 1, 2.

If I go down to Hell, Thou art there also. Yea, the darkness is no
darkness with Thee; but the night is as clear as the day.--Ps. cxxxix.
7, 11.

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my
calling. He brought me also out of the horrible pit, out of the miry
clay, and set my feet upon the rock. And He hath put a new song into
my mouth, even a thanksgiving unto our God.--Ps. xl. 2, 3.

God hath delivered my soul from the place of Hell. He shall receive
me.--Ps. xlix. 15.

It is sometimes true, that sunshine comes after storm. Sometimes true--or
who could live?--but not always. Equally true that in most human lives
there are periods of trouble, blow following blow, wave following wave,
from opposite and unexpected quarters, till all God's billows have gone
over the soul. How paltry and helpless in such dark times are all proud
attempts to hang self-poised in the centre of the abyss, and there
organise for oneself a character by means of circumstances. Easy enough
it seems for a man to educate himself without God while he lies
comfortably in idleness on a sofa. But what if he found himself hurled
perforce among the real universal experiences of humanity; and made free
in spite of himself, by doubt and fear and horror of great darkness, of
the brotherhood of woe, common alike to the simplest peasant woman, and
to every great soul, who has left his impress upon the hearts of after
generations? Jew, Heathen, or Christian;