CHARLIE, like all other children, is not always good, and, when naughty, his mamma has to correct him. When Charlie is corrected, he generally, after crying for a time, turns to his mamma, and says, “Does you love me, mamma? Does you like me?” To these questions Charlie’s mamma replies, “Yes, I love you; but I want you to be good, and don’t like you to be naughty.”
God corrects His children, and scourges all His sons. When we are chastised, because we have done wrong, we are sometimes very foolish, and ask very ignorant questions, such as: “Will the Lord cast off forever? and will He be favorable no, more? Is His mercy clean gone forever? doth, His promises fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up. His tender mercies?” (Psalm 77:7-97Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favorable no more? 8Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? 9Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. (Psalm 77:7‑9).) These questions prove us to be possessed of the spirit of “infirmity.” Did we remember the former loving-kindness of our God, we should not question His love when we are chastened: “for whom, the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.” Chastisement is a proof of love. The answer to the question, “Do you love me?” is, “Yes, my son; if I did not love you, I should not have corrected, you.” Chastisement is a mark of sonship. The apostle says, “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not. But if we be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.” If were to see a number of boys in the street, throwing stones at a pool blind man, I should rebuke them, and drive them away; but, if saw my own boy among them, I should single him, out from among, the rest, and chastise hire, for his fault. Now, would anyone imagine I corrected my own child, because I love him less than I love the other boys. Nay, verily, everyone would see the reason why I corrected, my own child was because I loved him―because he was my son. So it is with our heavenly Father, when His children do wrong. He will chastise them for the wrong they have done; but His love towards them, is still the same. Thus God speaks in Psalm 89:30-3830If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. 36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. 37It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. 38But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. (Psalm 89:30‑38) “If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.” The believer may have occasion to say, because of his sin, “The Lord hath chastened me sore;” he shall however, be able to add, “but He hath not given me over to death.” When we are corrected and scourged for our transgressions, “we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”