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


ers are ye ALL"
The man of Uz had a great many tri'
ais; the loss of his family, the loss of his
property, IL o loss of his health but the
most exssperatiDg trial that came upon
him was the tantalizing talk of those
who ought to have sympathized with
him, and, looking around upon them
and weighing what he had said, he ut
ters the words of my text, Why did
God let sin come into the worldP 1t is
question / often hear discussed, but
never satisfactorily answered. God ere
ated the world fair and beautiful at the
start. If our first parents had not sin
ned in Eden they might have gone out
of that garden and found fifty paradisee
all around the earth-Europe, Asia, AT,
riCa, North and South America. So
many flower gardens or orchards of lus'
Cious fruit. I suppose when God pour
ed out the Gihon and the Hiddekel, he
poured out at the same time the Hudson
and the Susquehanna the whole earth
was fair and beautiful to look upon,
Why did it not stay 80? God hath the
power to prevent sin and woe. Why
did he not prevent themP Why not ev-
cry cloud, roseate; every step, joy; and
every sound, music; and all the ages
long anthem of sinless living, and hui
manity perfect God can make rose
as easily as he can make thorn? He
can make good, fair, ripe fruit as we'll as
gnarled and sour fruit. Why 30 much,
then, that is gnarled and sourP He can
make men robust in health. Why,then,
are there so many invalids? Why not
have for our whole race perpetual leis'
ure instead of this continued anxiety
for livelihood I will tell you why
God let sin come into the world-when
l get on the other side of the river Of
death. That is the place where such
questions will be answered and all such
mysteries solved. He who on this side
of hat river attempts to solve the ques
ton only illustrates his own ignorance
and incompetenCy. All l know is one
great fact, and that is, great many mis-
fortunes have come upon us, transform
ing everything fair and beautiful into
sin and woe pictures. The six thousand
winters have made more scars than 80
many summers can cover up. If all the
mounds of graveyards that have been
lifted were put side by side, you might
step on them and on nothing else, going
all around the world. These are the
facts, and now l have to say, that in a
world like this, the grandest occupation
is that of giving coincidence. The holy
science Of imparting comfort to those in
distress we all ought to study, There
are many of you who could look around
upon your very best friends who wish
you well, and are very intelligent, and
yet be able truthfully to eay to them in
your days of trouble: Miserable COM
forters are ye all"
Iremark, in the first place, that very
voluble people are incompetent for the
work of giving comfort. Bildad and EI.
iphaz had the gift of language, and their
words almost bothered Jobs life out
Alas for those voluble people that 90
among the afflicted and talk and talk
They rehearse their own sorrows, and
then tell the poor sufferers they feel
badly now, but they will be worse after
awhile. Silence! Do you expect the
thin court plaster of words to heal a
wound deep as the soulP Step very gen
tly round about broken heart. Talk
very softly round those whom God has
bereft. A firm grasp of the hand, com.
passionate look, just one word that has
more of comfort in it, and you have per-
haps given all that soul needs. A man
has a terrible wound in his arm. The
surgeon comes and binds it up. "Now,"
says he, "carry that arm in sling, and
be very careful of it. Let no one touch
it," But the neighbors have heard of
the accident, and they come in and say,
"Let us see it," And the bandage is ia.
ken off, and this one and that one must
feel it, and see how much it is swollen;
and there is irritation and inflammation
where there ought to be healing and
cooling So there are souls broke down
in sorrow. What they most want 10
rest, or very careful and gentle treat
ment. The neighbors have heard Of the
bereavement and come in to sympat ize.
Tearing off bandage here and there,
leaving ghastly wound that the balm
of Gods grace had already begun heal.
ing up. Oh, let no loquacious people,
with ever rafting tongues, go into the
homes of the distressed
Again, l remark, that all tn Sc persons
are incompetent to give comfort who act
merely as worldly philosophers. They
come and say, why, this is what you
ought to have expected; the laws of ma
ture must have their way" Then they
get eloquent over something they have
seen in post mortem examinations Now
away with all human philosophy under
such circumstances. What difference is
there to father or mother what disease
their son died of. He is dead, and it is
no difference whether he died of fever
or consumption. 1t is no evidence of
weakness when one is overcome of sor,
row. Thank God for the relief of tears
Have you never been in trouble when
you could not wevp, and you would have
given anything for a good Cry2 David
did we'll when he mourned for Absalom;
Abraham did well when he mourned for