The Adjusting of the Scales,
George Milne, Lessons for the Christian's Daily Walk, 1859 In the day of prosperity be joyful,
but in the day of adversity consider. Surely God has appointed the
one as well as the other. Ecclesiastes 7.14. Adversity
and prosperity are divinely balanced against each other with an erring
divine skill. In each, respectively, the due
proportions are precisely weighed, so lovingly and wisely, that
none should say, it might have been better done. Christian,
I appeal to you, could it have been better done? Are God's ways
unjust? Have they been so to you? It
is true, your path is checkered, sweet chasing bitter, and bitter
chasing sweet, in quick succession. It may be, that bitter is more
frequent than the sweet, that your prosperous times are few
and far between. Is there no reason for it? Is
God's divine balance then deranged? God knows the reason for your
adversity, though unknown to you. He faithfully keeps the
balance true between your needs and their supply, between His
chastenings and your good. He cannot be unkind or unequal
or unjust. Perhaps you cannot hit upon the
specific sin and say, for this particular sin I am chastened. But say, my friend, if there
is no particular sin, is there no particular lack of virtue
in you? Is there no grace to strengthen,
no infirmity to check? God's ways are always just. His purposes are always wise
and loving. How beautiful is His providence! How exquisite is His skill! Grace is poised against temptation. Joys are balanced against sorrows,
the lights and shadows of experience thus perfected, and perfecting
each other. Were all prosperity, we would
be lifted up in pride. Were all adversity, we would
faint under the heavy load. God's ways are just and equal. Look back and see. Had times
been pleasant with you, and experience been sweet? How surely they were
followed by deadness in the soul! Your joy was gone, you knew not
why. Ah, but God knew it. It was the adjusting of the scales,
that nothing might be out of balance. Has life gone prosperously? Sooner or later, crosses came,
some disappointment, something to bring you down, something
or other counter to your will, it was the adjusting of the scales. And just so with health and other
comforts, God keeps the scales perfectly balanced. Watch God's
providence in great things, watch it in little things, the events,
the thoughts, the feelings of the day. You will always find
it just. The balance must be kept. Hence
all your variations in the scale of comfort and the endless shades
and vicissitudes of your experience. All is well ordered in God's
wisdom, love, and mercy.