to whom this world, as it is, is a place of banishment from that which they love best. It is not that there are not many pleasures, in every way lawful, in it—much intercourse with friends, many occupations which furnish great and deep satisfaction—for such there are. But nevertheless they have a feeling that, with all this, this world is not the true or satisfying home of their spirits. They cannot here "drink of God's pleasures as out of the river,"[1] but only sip, as it were, drops of it. They cannot find here anything that altogether satisfies. Even the highest and best joys of earth have drawbacks. Even the sweetest cup of earthly joy has its bitter in it. Even the love of one another, the love of those who are really God's children, which is one of the very purest of all pleasures, yet always has in it the feeling that it may at any time be stopped by death, by the removal of the object of the affections to another and distant world, never to be seen again till they have passed the gateway of the grave. Even the noblest pursuits, the study of good books, the contemplation of God's mighty works of nature—all high and great things, yet are not free from the feeling of transitoriness. We know that they must all, at least in their present forms, pass away. So that sometimes, in the midst of them, we may be ready to say, "As for our harps, we must hang them up upon the trees that are in this land of our captivitity."[2] This earth is but as "a land of banishment" after all. We are not yet in our true home, where we can be safe. We are wanderers in a strange land. We do not yet "see the King in His beauty, and the land that is very far off."[3] Our dear Lord and Saviour is still hidden from our eyes; we cannot yet "be ever with the Lord"[4] We are separated also from loved earthly friends. Many whom we knew are gone; all must soon follow. We are, in very deed, as the saints said of old, strangers and pilgrims on the earth,"[5] who "have
Page:Two Sermons on the Duty and Joy of Frequent Public Worship.djvu/25
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ON THE JOY OF FREQUENT PUBLIC WORSHIP.
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