The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-04-11
The Small Worries. !
,ada siIl -. 1selro q

The christian p world has long been
guessing what PauI's thorn IN the flesh
was, Many Of the theological doctors,
have felt Paul''s pulse 10 see whas was
the matter withhim, We suppose the
reason he, did not tell lis what it was
may have, been, because he did not
want US to know. He knew that if he
stated what it wa7, there woald have
been a great many people from Corinth
bothcring him. with Prescriptions as to
how lie might cure it.
Some say it was diseased eyes; som
that it was bumped back 1t may have
been neuralgia. Perhaps it was gout,
although his active habits and sparce
diet throw doubt upon the suppositon.
Suffice it to say, it was thorn-that is
it stuck him. 1t was sharp.
1t was probably Of not much account
to the eyes Of the world. 1t was not Il
trouble that could be compared to Il lion,
or q bostcrous sea- 1t was like thorn
you have in your hand or foot, and no
one knew it. Thus we see that it be
comes type of these little nc,tlcsome
worries Of life that exasperate the
spirit. ''
Every one has thorn sticking him
The housekeeper finds it in unfaithful
domestics; or an inmate who keeps
things disordered; or house too small
for convenicnces, or too large to be
kept cleauly. The professional
man finds it in perpetual Interruptions,
or call for 'm ore copy The Sabbath
school teacher finds it in inattentive
scholars, or neighboring teachers that
talk loudly aud make greut noise in
giving little instruction. One man
has rheumatic joint which, when the
wind is north east, lifts the sto rn signal.
Another, business partner who takes
full half the profits but does not help
earn them. These trials are the more
nettesolne because, like Pauls thorn
they are not to be mentioned. Men
got sympathy for broken bpnas and
smashed icot, but none inr the cad Of
sharp aorns ,h,t have b .ch broken of
in the (ingcrs,
Let us sturt out with the idea that W.
must have nnnoyanccs. 1t seems t.
take certain numbr: Of them to kcap
us humble, wakelul and prayorluI. To
Paul. The thorn w;s rs disciplinary as
the shipw,cck. i it is not o.e thing
it is another If the stove does not
smoke, the boiler must leak II the pen
is good, the ink must be poor. If the
thorn does not pierce the knee, it must
stick you in the hack. Life must have
sharp things in it. We can not make
up our robes Of christian character with
out pins and needles.
Wc.want what Paul got-grace to
bear these things, Without it we be
come cross; ccnsorious and rrascibl c
We get into the habit of sticking our
thorns into other peoples fingers. But,
God helping us, we place these annoy
ances in the category Of the ''al things
which work together Tor food. We see
how much shorter thorns are than the
spikes that struck through the palms of
Christ,s hands, and, remembering that
He had on His head whole cr,wu OF
horns, we take to ours Ives the consoa-
tion that if we suffer with Him on earth
We shall b, glorifcd with Him in hca
ven. But how could Paul positively re
joice in these infirmi les The school
Of Christ has three clhsscs Of sclulars;
N tho f,st class we learn how to be
stuck with thorus without losing our
patience; in the second class VIC learn
how to make the sting positively alvan
taSeous; in the third class of this sch ool
We learn Eow, even to rejoice in being
pierced and wounded: but that is the
senior class, and when wc get TO that,
we are near graduating into glory.