The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-10-25

dart can reach them that does not first
strike their divine Lord, and there lose
its sting Tt is in this sense that Paul
said to the believers Of Colinth-"All
things are yours, for We are Christ's,
and Christ is Gods" Light and dark
ness, joy and sorrow, poverty and
wealth, loving friends and malignant
foes, life and death, are integral parts
of Gods moral machinery, and by WON
derful combinations succeed in promo
ting the good Of his redeemed and low
ing people
Sometimes this utterance of PauI's
is carelessly quoted, in such a manner
as to leave out its foreefAlne8s, 1t is
said"all things work together for good
to them that love God and there the
quoter stops, emitting the latter clause
ito them who are the called according
to his purpose" Whereas it is in
the latter part that the argument is
contained. God "purposed i'm himself
that in the dispensation of the fulness
of times he might gather together in
one all things in Christ It and it is in
the carrying out Of this divine pur-
pose that there is secured the welfare
of his people. There are many clouds,
dark, lowering clouds, the edges Of
which have not yet been tiGged with
| the gold and silver Of the lght beyond,
under which men seem disposed to say
"Wh am I thus? Why ana ! called
upon to suffer i'll this way, o. to be
bereayed more than others?"
The answer to this is only found in
the fact that providence is working for
the children8' good at the sense time
that it is working for the Fathers
glory securing the interests of the re-
deemed in the same way and fg the
same methods that it is rendering all
things subseryient to the interests Of
| the Redeemer's Kingdom.
We should not fal into the mistake
of confusing ultimate good with 1nere
exemption from trouble. The SQrip-
|
lures nowhere promise that all thiags
shall work together for the present
ease and comfort, and for the exemp-
ton from every pain and sorrow, dis
tress and trial of Gods faithful chill
dren. On the contrary, we read that
"many are the troubles of the rig1r-
teous;" and we are taught that theme
are times and circumstances when
medicine is more needful than food,
and bitter medicine more suitable than
sweet. But the assurance is that all
things tend to the promotion Of their
Interior good, Our dreams and antic-
| ipations prosperity are usually made
up of robust health, competent in
come, gratifed ambition-the acquisi-
ton of love, honor, wealth, and TROOPS
| of friends" But in place Of these we
IhaYe encountered, some more, some
E&eWer, of "the whips and scoTns Of
ftime," bafled endeaYors, bighted pro-
jects, broken health, or desolate homes
1.-The present dark, the future cl0uded,
until we have broken out with the cry,
twas ever SORROW like unto my s0r-
ROW." But let us wait,-wait until
we have learned that the foresight Of a
.pategnal Providence has ordained this
very trial as the precise one which our
case and moral constitution required
wait, TIL having learned to bow before
the discipline with lial nleekness, that
discipline has begun to take its intend
ed and legitimate effect, detaching us
from the pursuit of shadows, purging
us from self and sordid influences,
teaching us to appraise our possessions
at their respective values, and thus byI
degrees, acelimatizing us for eternity
and then we shall no longer hesitate,
to admit that sweet are the uses of adj
.Tersity, pain, aud bereavement-and it
will no longer seem a paradox to say
I'VE know that all things work to-
gether for our good"
The temper and character of the re-
eipient have much to do with the re-
suit Of the divine dealings in his case,
as to whether or no, they concur to his
advantage. The same agency brought
into contact with different objects will
sometimes produce totally different