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<p>&quot;The Lord is a <strong>refuge </strong>for the oppressed,<br />
            a <strong>refuge </strong>in times of trouble!&quot; Psalm 9:9<br />
            <br />
            Do you not see how the Scriptures always put <br />
            together the <strong>malady</strong> and the <strong>remedy</strong>? How they <br />
            unfold the promises as suitable to certain states <br />
            and cases of soul? And how all the perfections of <br />
            God are adapted to His people only so far as they <br />
            are brought into peculiar circumstances? This vein <br />
            runs through all the Scripture. <br />
            <br />
            So here the Lord is declared to be a refuge. <strong>But when? </strong><br />
            &quot;In times of trouble!&quot; We do not need Him to be a refuge <br />
            when there is no trouble. Shall I use the expression <br />
            without irreverence—'We can do without Him then.' <br />
            <strong>We can . . .</strong><br />
            love the world, <br />
            amuse ourselves with the things of time and sense,<br />
            let our heads go astray after perishing, transitory vanities,<br />
            set up an idol in our heart,<br />
            bow down before a 'golden god',<br />
            have our affections wholly fixed on those naturally dear to us,<br />
            get up in the morning, pass through the day, <br />
            and lie down at night—very well without God. <br />
            <br />
            But when times of <strong>trouble </strong>come, when <strong>afflictions </strong>lie <br />
            heavily upon us, when we are brought into those scenes <br />
            of <strong>tribulation </strong>through which we must pass to arrive at <br />
            the heavenly Canaan; then we need something more <br />
            than flesh and blood; then we need something more <br />
            than the perishing creature can unfold; then we need <br />
            something more than this vain world can amuse us with!<br />
            <br />
            <strong>We then need God!</strong> We need His everlasting arms to <br />
            be underneath our souls; we need His consolations; <br />
            we need something from the Lord's own lips dropped <br />
            with the Lord's own power into our hearts!<br />
            <br />
            These times of<strong> soul trouble</strong> make God's people know <br />
            that the Lord is their refuge. If I am in soul trouble;<br />
            if my heart is surcharged with guilt; if my conscience <br />
            is lacerated with the pangs of remorse—<br />
            Can the creature give me relief? <br />
            Can friends dry the briny tear? <br />
            Can they still the convulsive sigh? <br />
            Can they calm the troubled breast? <br />
            Can they pour oil and wine into the bleeding conscience?<br />
            <br />
            No! They are utterly powerless in the matter!<br />
            <br />
            They may <strong>increase </strong>our troubles, and they often, like <br />
            Job's friends, do so! But they cannot alleviate it!<br />
            <br />
            <strong>Only one hand can ease the trouble</strong>—the same hand <br />
            which laid it on!<strong> Only one hand can heal the wound</strong>;<br />
            the same which mercifully inflicted it!<br />
            <br />
            Now, in these times of soul trouble, if ever we have <br />
            felt them—we shall make the Lord our refuge. <br />
            <br />
            There is no other to go to! We may try every arm but <br />
            His—we may look every way but the right way—and <br />
            we may lean upon every staff but the true one. But, <br />
            sooner or later, we shall be brought to this spot—that <br />
            none but the Lord God Almighty, who made heaven and <br />
            earth, who brought our souls and bodies into being, who <br />
            has kept and preserved us to the present hour, who is <br />
            around our bed, and about our path, and spies out all <br />
            our ways, and who has sent his dear Son to pay for our <br />
            sin—that none but this eternal Creator, Preserver, and <br />
            Redeemer, who made and upholds heaven and earth—<br />
            can speak peace, pardon, and consolation to our hearts!<br />
            <br />
            How sweet it is in these times of trouble to have a God to <br />
            go to; to feel that there are everlasting <strong>arms </strong>to lean upon; <br />
            that there is a gracious <strong>ear </strong>into which we may pour our <br />
            afflictions; that there is a <strong>heart</strong>, a sympathizing heart, in <br />
            the bosom of the Lord of life and glory, which feels for us; <br />
            to know that there is a <strong>hand </strong>to relieve, and to experience, <br />
            at times, <strong>relief from that Almighty and gracious hand!</strong>
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