her smitten and trodden under the
grass. "Well I know I must fail," one says, "I _am_ failing, but then
there is my boy, I shall never want some one to lean upon, I can trust
him." Ah! he may fail; you may stand by the grave where they are saying,
"Dust to dust," or you may with your hands over your eyes look upon a
sadder grave where his character lies corrupting. Another says, "Well, I
know I am failing, but there is my daughter so good and sweet and true--I
shall never want a comforter for my old age." Ah, you do not know, she
may fail, you may have to weep over her coffin or to blush over her
faults. And another says, "Well, I have never depended upon anything but
my own honest industry. I have something to rely upon. Mine is not
speculation, it is good steady business--I can trust it." Can you? can
you? God may permit you by one mistake to undo the doing of a life.
"But I am not depending upon the chances of business--my position is
secure--settled property. I shall not fail." Are you sure? You know
not the ways by which earthly things can make themselves wings and flee
away; or if they do not flee you may depart from them. Another says,
"Well, I have never trusted to anything but my right hand and I shall not
want--wherever I go I can take care of myself." Ay, but suppose the
right hand should fail? As long as the strong arm and the strong will
work together it is well, but suppose a day should come when an invisible
knife should pass between the arm and the will: and the will said,
"Stretch forth!" but the arm hung idle by the side. It may fail. "Well,
but my heart never fails me; whatever goes wrong I can make the best of
it." But suppose your heart should fail and that you became one of those
to whom the grasshopper was a burden, one that made the worst of
everything, that could look no difficulty in the face. Your heart may
fail, your flesh may fail, your money may fail, your employ may fail,
your friends may fail, everything upon earth may fail. If you have
Christ for your friend you will never fail, if you have God for your
Father you have a shelter, a home, a comfort that will never fail. If
you have not you have nothing that you can count upon. Then come this
day, come and say to all the shadows, "I trample over you, I clasp the
substance. Holy God, my Eternal Father, let me be reconciled to thee!
Be thou my God! Make me thy child! Give me a part and a lot in the
family of the holy!