, 1874-06-22
THE MYSTERY OF AFFLIUTIoN.

Sermon by tue Rev. NJ. j. Savage, oftho Third
Unitarian Church.
The Rev. n. j. Savage, Of the Third Unitarian
Church, corner OF Lafin and Monroe atfeets,
preachod tho following sermon yesterday morn
ing, taking aa his text:
What! Bhai1 wo receive good At tho hand Of God,
and shall we not receive cYl3-Job2 u.
Job is sitting In tho asllos. Property Is gone.
Sons IRE gone. Daughters are gone. Friends
come not nigh. The persons he has saved from
Injustice and helped in their poverty have de-
serted him in his hour Of calamity. But, though
children come not back, perhaps ho may retrieve
his earthly fortunes by skill aud management Of
his affairs No; all hope Of this is cut of for
he ia cursca with disease that preoludes labor
or dealing with Ills fo1low-men. Now, IT ever, ia
the time to doubt II there ia any Cod; or, II
there Is, that He is just; much more that He is
meroiful aud kind. Jobs wife was decidedly Of
this op:nIon; for she urges him to give up his
nonaeuBioal trust,-t "ourHe God, and die."
And surely aho had the logic on her side, go far
! a. mon could see. That didn't look like the way
father would treat q child; and certainly 1t
seemed q little unreasonable, in the face OF such
! disaster, to look up and say, " Our Father Who
IL in heaven."
But Job saw another side Of the case.
I" God llas given me good. trusted Him thon.
for Ho proved himself kind. Now, shall I
renounce Him because canuot underatana
how my present condition can be conslatant Witl.
| tlat goodness !? No! Ill wait and Boc." That
ls tile attitude Of faith. Juss tho same kind Of
faith you exercise In the character OF . tried
friend. Something comes up that seems to in i'm,
be- ana %orss you ssy f.
it Of hin, I'LL have to-"
Hero stood Job. Hero let US stand. Tic
Mave received al geoa ana ,na 1ha 49,
all dark as ever. It is only voice In the darl
Tint says, :. can't zee the way Of God; but
won't call 1t wrong until can soo."
This lifo ia walked Under cloud. lYo canlt
ont Of shadow NO SO into shadow. Whnt 1t al
moaps no mortal has yet discovered. But w
leur voice out Of the cloud SAVING to us."Wh1
do thou Anowost not now, but thou sial
know heroaftor." For tue sunrise 81 tue here \,
comes to us some feN faint CLEANS OF dawn
ThoIr dim twilight III just enough to help ou'
faith, and to make us looh moro hopefully fo
Il 10 the question, "Why do we suffer 7" soy
era1 answers tho world has offered. The frs
ono is that Of Jobs friends, and 1t has bee
echoed over a!noo -" Yor aro Torse %.;e+ ta '; eth
ers an are 1ein4 punlshea olTst ,sa G1.h 4f p
, perfect. M - e1oanod and dIod, ,-haB authorize
t Us to deny this. Not TINT God docs nc
punish for nin hut. only TINT tho fac
+ that wo Huffor Is no proof OF our Elm. Anothe
. answer is q denial Of Providonco, anl refer d
: once Of MI things to unyloldiuy law: Thlf
pushed too far, takes away our God. God III
q Proyldenee, and law is 1ioldod by love.
But tho question comes back. "Why sn1ro'
a tAon, II tic Father Of Our Lord Jesus Christ i
Q 0odi Ho Is wise, and knowa What y bert. II
o wishes III no harm. Why, then, pain, and los
o aid weoping2" just thjs is tho cloud. II dot
q ohscure Tho sun. Let III not donY't this. But
has rlfts and chinks IN it. aud tho rays ora
). what Giats ti.oy can give us Of tho light that
:; aboyo.
t First-It may bo necessary, in tue nature
q things, and neodful for our highest culture, th
We shonM not know now,
o Ia natural aud necessary. Our earthly oxiaton'
e is state OF tutelage and training. All thtnl
X eau bs understood only by the 1nilnlte. Eve
= step Of proQGsaR u simply tho solution al ~