The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-12-18

/ OF the GlSpIeasure of the Shepherd anC
Bishop OF our souls? / cannot believe it
l do not know why 4e has done . al
thls When my heart cries out fol
these godly men, and the arms of my love
reaching ont To encircle them In warm
embrace, close upon vacancy, and sense
! OF desolatlon comes over me, | sometimes
/ think | can hear the great Worker say
ing: :" What do thou INQUEST not n0lc,
out thou shalt kaoto hereafter. In the
midst of the terrors OF death He has to
US discovered anew His majesty some
how, too, | am sure, He is unfolding
His glory; somehow pushing forward the
march of His great plans. l cannot
understand it; but bow my head in the
possession of supreme faith that He
makes no mistakes
Sometimes | am comforted with the
words: :" Whon1 the Lord loreth, He
chasteneh - # ye endure Christening
God aealeh Nth you as ,oith sons TOR
eohat son is he aUhom the father chasteneth
Fnot - Heb. xu:6l and | think of
His purpose to bring out faith where
there Is none, and to enlarge that which
already exists.
Sometimes | try to look far beyond this
dark hour to Time when out of these
great trlbulations we shall behold great
outgrowth OF righteousness and spiritual
glory, the peaceable fruitage of all this
suffering. And when my mind is thus
intently fixed upon the future | fancy |
can see the Great Husbandman working,
even now, in His vineyard. Now His
hand is to the plough, and the snare is
deep down in the soil, and here and there
aud there the tender roots of vines and
trees are bare and torn and bleeding. Now
His pruning knife is in His hand and
His hand uplifted among the branches,
and & every branch that beareth fruit, He
prUneh 1t that 1t may bring forth more
fruit. And then my thoughts rest on
the spring time when the Garden of the
Lord shall blossom with His glory and
give promise of fruit to fill all His
garners.
Amid these varying views, these fears
and hopes, this gross darkness concern
ing the purposes and plans of God,
happy are We and all of US, if we can
hit up our eyes to our Heavenly Father
and say: " All this is come upon
us; yet have we not forgotten thee,
neither have we dealt falsely in thy
covenant. Our heart is not turned back,
neither have our steps declined from thy
way" Oh if we can do this we may
take for ourselves his words: ''Cast thu
burden on the Lord and He shall sustain
thee He shall neUer suffer the rtqhteous to
be moUed. > Ps. Lv:22.
~. OR Cry and Gtrists Call: Last
iy, my brethren, if in this spirit you can
stand before God, you may, like the
Psalmist, lift up your cry for help and
the Lord Almighty will answer YOU.
The troubled sinner meier felt his soul
trembling into faith without responsive
feeling in the Divine heart. Heart
answereth to heart is true Of God and
man, as of man and man. When the
prodigal turned back to his home, he
was not suffered to 60 all the way alone.
The Father saw him while yet afar off
and for JOY fastened forth to meet him.
Doth he love you less ? Make your cry
to him and before you call he will an
swer you. Listen to the huntsman as
he winds the shriu blast from the noun
tain top how the wales are all jubilant
with the echo they catch mp the sOi1nd
and answer back Down there now,
IN the valley, comrade shouts hear
the clear voice climbing up crag and
ledge until all the heights around are
shouting back. Hill and dale are hold
ing hearty converse; and so may it be
with heaven and earth. Make now your
cry to God, as the Psalmist did, saying:
" A,c"ke, Vhy sleepest thou, 0 Lords"
and from the heights of heaven shall
come back to you the answer, :" Quake
awake, put on thy strength, 0 lion put
on thy beautiful garments, 0 Jerusalem"
Do you say: :" Therefore hidest Thou
Thy face and forgetteth our affection ?"
Hear the reply & For a small moment
haze 1 forgotten thee; but nth great
nleTcie5 aciH gather thee" Do you cry,
g Arise, achy easiest Thou as off foreUer!
Arise for oar help and redeem as for Thu
mercys sake?" Lo! the echo from on
high, " Arise, shine, for Thy light as
come and the glory Of the Lord is risen
upon thee"
Brethren of the Presbyterian Church,
few in number and broken i'll spirit,
stand not still in this great hour. Gath
er around the new-made grave of your
dead shepherd and covenant together
once more to be faithful, as he was,
even unto death, and pray the Great
to send you another holy man
to lead you in the paths Of righteousness
and peace. Then as you give yourselves
to His service, expect His blessing and
make room to receive it. You, my
Methodist brethren, happy in the provi
dence which through the sickness and
consequent absence of your pastor, pre-
served his life and gave him back to you
again, do you stand fast about him now
and strengthen his hands as you and he
take hold of the Lords work anew. And |
you, brethren of the Baptist Church, |
while the air is full of the fragrance of
Haddlck's heroic young life-a life like |
a flower blown into fullness in day and |
gathered for the Kings crown while the
dew OF the morning is still upon it
come back, ye also, to your home; set |
your house in order and rekindle your |
lights. The Master is coming.
Q people of the living God, brethren
Of the Lord Jesus, awake, arise, and
mount each one to his place in the brok-
IN walls of your Zion and begin to build
again. Are We Gods? Then do His
work Are there but three of you where
here were ten Then three must I'm
iertake the work of ten. Stay not longer
Q mourn for those that are gone, but
i'll the measure Of the purpose for which
you were left. The dead are safe let
Is save the living. Up! and to your
oil, and your grief shall turn into glad
less. your signs into songs So shall the
Forsaken and the Desolate be called
1ephzibah and Beulah and Grenada
become T" a Groom Of glory an the hand
# the Lord"
A BRIGHT little Soreham boy, who had
'een engaged in combat with another boy
vas reproved by his aunt, who told him
lie ought always to wait until the other