Terror by Night

What is this terror ? It may be the cry of fire , or the noise of theives , or fancied appearances , or the shreik of sudden sickness or death . We live in a world of death and sorrow , we may therefore look for ills in the night watches as well as under the broiling sun . Nor should alarm us , for be the terror what it may , the promise is that the believer will not be afraid . Why should he ? Let us put it more closely . Why should we ?  God our Father is here , and will be here all through the lonely hours . He is an almighty watcher , a sleepless Guardian , a faithful Friend . Nothing can happen without His direction , for even hell itself is under His control . Darkness is not dark to Him . He has promised to be a wall of fire around His people - and who can break through such a barrier ?  Worldlings may well be afraid , for they have an angry God above them , a guilty consience within them , and a yawning hell beneath them ; but we who rest in Jesus are saved from all those things through rich mercy . If we give way to foolish fear we shall dishonour our profession , and lead others to doubt the reality of godliness . We ought to be afraid of being afraid , lest we should vex the Holy Spirit through foolish distrust . Down , then , ye  dismal forbodings and groundless apprehensions , God has not forgotten to be gracious , not shut up His tender mercies ; it may be night in the soul , but there need be no terror , for the God of love changes not . Children of light may walk in darkness , but they are are not therefore cast away , nay , they are now enabled to prove their adoption by trusting in their Heavenly Father as hypocrites cannot do .
  Though the night be dark and dreary ,
Darkness cannot hide from Thee :
Thou art He , who , never weary ,
 Watchest where Thy people be.

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