I Am In Agony In This Fire! (and others)

I Am In Agony In This Fire! (and others)

The rich man called to him, "Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire!" But Abraham replied, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony!" (Luke 16:24-25).

It is a grievous fact that many an ungodly sinner walks in a flowery path to perdition - and goes merrily to his eternal ruin. It is, on the contrary, as certain that many a godly Christian travels by a rough and toilsome road to heaven - and ascends to glory amid many tears. Our Divine Lord has set forth this in the most solemn of His parables - the rich man and Lazarus. If we looked only at the outward and earthly condition of these two men, we would say one is the type of all that is felicitous; while the other is the type of all that is miserable.

But who that looks upon their eternal abode, would not a thousand times rather be Lazarus with his poverty, sores, and beggary, feeding at the rich man's gate upon the crumbs which fell from his table - than the wealth possessor of the mansion, with his purple and fine linen and daily luxurious living! Look up at the one who has dropped all his poverty, borne by angels to Abraham's bosom! And then look down upon the other, stripped of his splendid garments, deprived of his luxurious living, and from the midst of his torment begging for a drop of water to cool his parched tongue - and there see the end and outcome of "sanctified poverty" and of "unsanctified wealth."

~John Angell James~
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Honor, Wealth, and Pleasure Lose Their Charms

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word. It was good for me to be afflicted!" (Psalm 119:67, 71).

Afflictions tend to wean us from the world - and to fix our affections on things above.

We are all too worldly!

We gravitate too much to earth!

Our feet stick in the mire, and we do not soar aloft on the wings of faith and hope into the regions above, as we ought.

We are like moles - when we should be like eagles!

Hence the need, and the benefit too, of afflictions.

~John Angell James~
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Vacationing At Resorts?

The line of distinction between the world and the church is fast disappearing.

What shall be said of the conduct of some professing Christians vacationing at resorts? It has become almost one of the necessaries of life to most. To say that this is wrong to those who can afford to pay for it, is certainly not my intention. But some professing Christians have ruined themselves, and plunged their families into poverty and distress, by habits of expense and idleness, acquired by this annual excursion to the sea. The taste of the age is for luxurious gratification, and it is certainly one of these luxuries to while away a week or two amidst the beauties of the coast. I will suppose, however, that the professor can afford the gratification; still, are not his spendings for this enjoyment, out of all due proportion with his donations to the cause of Christ? When did he ever give, in one amount, to any Christian cause, what he gives, in one amount, for his treat to his family to a resort? No, put together all that he gives to the cause of the Lord for a whole year, and does it equal what he spends upon one vacation, lavishing hundreds - or thousands, in riding into the country, or sailing on the sea, and luxuriating in other ways on the shore.

When a world is perishing, and immortal souls are sinking daily in crowds to perdition, a Christian should give much thought to those souls around him. It is fun to have a little pleasure for ourselves if, and only if, we can value the cause of Christ also.

~John Angell James~