A Carillon of Bells

SUSIE’S PREFACE TO HER ODE

“Sometimes, in my house of grief
For moments, I have come to stand
Where, in the sorrows on me laid,
I felt the chastening of God’s hand;
Then learn’d I that the weakest ones
Are kept securest from life’s harms ;
And that the tender lambs alone
Are carried in the shepherd’s arms.”‘

CHAPTER ONE –
A CARILLON OF BELLS

“He that spared not His own Son how shall He not with Him also freely give
us all things? ” Rom. viii . 32.

DEAR LORD, faith’s fingers are joyfully touching the keys of this carillon of sweet bells this morning, and making them ring jubilantly to the praise of Thy gracious Name !

“How shall He not!”
“How shall He not!”
“He that spared not!”
“How shall He not!”

What a peal of absolute triumph it is! Not a note of doubt or uncertainty mars the Heavenly music. Awake, my heart, and realize that it is thy faith which is making such glorious melody! Thou canst scarcely believe it for gladness ? Yet it is blessedly true, for the Lord Himself hath given the grace, and then accepts the tribute of gratitude and praise which that grace brings. Press the tuneful keys again and again, for faith holds festival to-day, and the joy of assurance is working wonders.

“He that spared not!”
“How shall He not!”

Hear how the repeated negatives gloriously affirm the fact of His readiness to bless ! These silver bells have truly the power to scare away all evil things. “He that spared not His own Son.” He gave His most precious treasure; could He withhold any lesser good from thee ? He has given thee pounds; will He refuse thee pence? No; while faith is thus quickened into lively exercise by the Spirit of God, the cadences of exulting praise must ring out, clear and loud,”How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? “Think well, my heart, what all things” mean to thee! If thou hast Christ, then along with Him, and included in Him, thou dost possess “all things.” All spiritual blessings, rich and precious, are laid up for thee in this Divine storehouse, and God’s choicest and most excellent gifts are here waiting for thy faith to claim them. Rejoice, O my soul, that Christ and “the things of Christ ” cannot be divided! Pardon, peace, sanctification, close walking with God, constant communion with Jesus, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, are not all these gathered together” with Him ” as a cluster of ripe grapes on a choice vine ? Having Him,thou hast all else. There is not a need or desire of thy inner life which cannot be triumphantly met by faith’s unwavering challenge, “How shall He not? “Nor is there a necessity of thy temporal state which cannot equally claim the blessing of possessing “all things ” in Christ.Lord, quicken my faith, give me to see how deep and wide, and full and free, is the unspeakable love which spared not Thine own Son, and therefore can spare every other gift, to me,Thy undeserving child! I thank Thee that it is not “way over Jordan, Lord,” that I must go to “ring these charming bells;” but here, now, in the sanctuary of my heart, and all day long in the open cloisters of my daily life, I may make the blessed music resound to Thy glory, and my own exceeding gladness,

“How shall He not !”
“How shall He not !”