The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-11-18

any JrOuDl6 lu6utolNob' A i"A
can not lecture on the nature Of snow
flake--it never saw one, And those
people who have always lived in the
summer of prosperity, can not talk to
those who are frozen in disaster. God
keeps aged people in this world, | think
for this very work--of sympathy. They
have been through all these trials; they
know all that which irritates, and all
that which 500 hes. If there are men
and women here who have old people in
the house or near at hand, 30 that they
can easily reach them, congratulate
them. Some of us have had trials IN
life, and, although we have had numer
GUS friends around US, we have wished
that father or mother were still alive
that we might go and tell them. Per
haps they could not say much, but II
would have been such comfort to have
them around, These aged ones who
have been through the trials OF life dc
know how to give coincidence. Cherish
them; let them lean on your arm-thest
aged people. If, when you speak tc
them, they can not hear what you say
the first time, and you have to say it
second time, do not speak har0hly. II
YOU do, you will be sorry for it on the
day YOU take the last look and brush
back the silvery locks from the wrinkled
brow Just before they screw the lid on
Blessed be God for the old people. They
may not have much strength to go about
but they are Gods appointed ministers
of comfort to a broken heart.
People who have not had trials them
selves cannot give comfort to others
They may talk nice, and be very senti.
mental; 1t makes a poor salve. But all
who have been bereft; all who have had
sorrow, and stand around tnese afflicted
souls, and say to them, I've have had
these sorrows, and God helped US; de
will comfort you" That will go right
to the spot.
But there are some considerations
will bring this morning to those who are
sorrowful and distressed. God sends us
our troubles in love. Do you not recol'
lect that passage of Scripture, Whom
the Lord loVeth He Chasteneth" A
child comes in with very bad splinter
in its hand, and you try to extract it. IT
is a very painful operation. The child
draws back from you, but you persist
You are going to take that splinter out
80 you take the child with gentle but
firm grasp; for, although there may be
pain in it, the splinter must come out
MY friends, | really think nearly all our
sorrows in this world are only the hand
of God extracting some thorn. If all
these sorrows were sent by enemies
should say, arm yourselves against them
But no, they come from a Father 80 low
ing, so gentle, that the prophet, speak
ing of his tenderness and mercy, drops
the idea of a father and says: AS one
whom his mother Comforteth, so will
comfort you"
Again remark, hat God, by all this
process is going to make you useful. Do
you know that those who accomplish
the most for God and heaven have all
been unuer the harrow? Show me q
man that has done anything for Christ
in his day in pub ic or private place,
who has b no trouble, I'd whose life
has been smooth. All, no! What USE
less beings we are until sanC,ified trOu-
BILE molds usl | once went through an
ak factory; saw them take the bars OF
iron and thrust them into the terrible
furnaces. Then besweated workmen
with long tongs stirred the blaze; then
they brought out bar of iron and put it
into crushing machine, and then they
put it between jaws that bit it in twain
Then they put it on anvils, and there
we're great hammers swung by maChin-
ery-each one half ton in welght-that
went thumpl thumpl thumpi Why all
this beating2 Why must be pounded
any more than the iron2 We want to
make axes Of you-keen, sharp axes
with which to hew down the forest and
build tne ship, and erect houses, end
carry on thousand enterprises of civil
zation. That's the reason we pound
you. Now. God puts soul into the fur
mace of trial; then it is brought out and
run through the crushing machine; then
it comes down on the anvil, and upon it
blow after blow, and the soul cries out,
20, Lord, what does all this meanP" God
says, II want to make something useful
out of you. You should be something to
hew with, something to build with. 1t
is practical process through which you
are going" Yes, my friends, we want
more tools in the church Of God. Not
more wedges to split with; We have
enough of these; not any more bores, we
have too many bores. What we really
want ia keen, sharp, we'll tempered axes,
and if there be any other way making
them than in hot furnace and on the
hard anvil and under the heavy hammer
don't know what it is, Remember, if
God chastises you it is only TO make you
useful. Do not say, Il wish l were dead"
Oh, there never was 80 much need ofyour
living as now. By this ordeal you have
been consecrated a priest of the most
high God. Go on and do your whole
work for the Master. Again, there is
comfort in the thought that all troubles
are revelation. Did you ever think Of
it in that connecticut The man who
has never been chastised is ignorant of
u Thousand things in his soul he ought
to know. For instance, here is man
who prides himself on his cheerfulness
of character. He has no patience with
anybody who is depressed in spirits. IL
is easy for MIN to be cheerful, with all
the ConvenienCes and comforts of life.
But suppose his comforts, and lu1uries,
and house should all be taken fro n him
by misfortune, Suppose those people
who were once entertained at his table
get 80 short sighted they cannot recog-
nize upon the street. How then? Is it
80 easy to be cheerful When a man
wakes up and finds his resources are all
gone, he begins to rebel, and says: "God
is outrageous; He hau no business to do
this to mel" My friends, it is only i'll
the light of Gods flaming providences,
guided bv his mercy and Visdom, that
we properly appreciate His blessings.
There is also a great deal of comfort
in the fact that there will be family re-
construction in better place. From
Scotland, or England, or Ireland child
emigrates to this country. 1t is very