“FOR our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17, 1817For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17‑18)), repeated the voice of the reader to the sick man.
Outside, the warm sunshine flooded the garden and street; and there was the hum of the town’s busy life.
Inside, was the hush and shade of an invalid’s room; and the worn quiet face of the sufferer.
“Our light affliction,” he said slowly, “our light affliction. That reminds me of a poor fellow―dear me, it’s years ago now ― he was dying of consumption, and I used to go and sit and read with him a bit at night; and he was glad of it, what with the cough and the lonesomeness. And he said to me one night, ‘Yes,’ he says, ‘put all the afflictions, all of them mind you, in one side of the scale, and the eternal weight of glory in the other―why,’ he says, ‘there’s nothing in ’em, nothing in ’em!’”
Yet every reader will own that consumption, ending a life in pain and weariness before it has well begun, was no light thing.
Nor was it a light thing, that even more painful disease that had suddenly laid the second invalid low. How then could they both agree with the words of Paul and, in spirit, thus rise triumphantly above their circumstances?
Surely because they paid no regard to the “seen and temporal things,” but looked at the “unseen and eternal things.”
Love makes a burden easy; and the strength of Christ’s love, uplifting the otherwise feeble human heart, makes its sufferings and trials feel light. More even than that. His power is so wonderful that He can remove all fear of suffering, so that it can be met courageously.
Think of the three Hebrews, in the days of Daniel, who were unhurt in the midst of “the burning fiery furnace.” Of the two prisoners at Philippi, in the days of the Cesar’s, who sang with bleeding backs. And of the martyrs in the days of Queen Mary, who prayed for their tormentors.
You will say all this is superhuman. It is quite true. Divine love and power are superhuman. And then we remember that the “affliction is but for a moment.” Even the long and weary days are as fleeting as that, when compared with the glorious years that lie before those who love Jesus.
May we take the “balances of the sanctuary” into our hands, and weigh up everything according to the estimate of God. L. J. M.