Wednesday, January 2, 2008

The blessings of the righteous



The righteous man is like a tree planted by the rivers of water. Now, a tree that is planted by the rivers of water sends out its roots, and they soon draw sufficient nourishment. The tree that is planted far away upon the arid desert has its times of drought, it depends upon the casual thundercloud that sweeps over it, and distills the scanty drops of rain. But this tree planted by rivers of water has a perennial supply. It knows no drought, no time of scarcity. Its roots have but to suck up the nourishment which pours itself lavishly there. “Not so the ungodly, not so.” They have no such rivers from which to suck their joy, their comfort, and their life. As for the believer... if earth shall fail him, then will he look to heaven. If man forsake him, then he looks to the divine man Christ Jesus. If the world should shake, his inheritance is on high. If everything should pass away, he has a portion that can never be dissolved. He is planted not by brooks that may be dried up, far less in a desert, which only has a scanty share, but by the rivers of water.

From a sermon entitled "The Chaff Driven Away," delivered October 23, 1859. Flickr photo by Adam Baker; some rights reserved.

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