Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-11-08

been in trouble when you Could not
weep, and YOU would have given any.
thing for q good cry? David did we'll
when he mourned for Absalom; Abra-
ham did well when he mouraed Sarah
Christ did well when ne wept for
Lqzlrus, and the last man that want to
see come near me when / have any kind
Of trouble is a worldly philosopher.
Again, remark that those persons
are incom petent for the work OF COM
for,-bearing who have nothing but can:
10 oHer. There are those who have the
idea that YOU must groan over the dis.
tressed aud afflicted. There ara times
in grief when one cheerful face dawning
upon mans soul is worth thousand
dollars to him. Do not whine over the
afflicted. Take the promises OF the gos-
pei, and utter them in q manly tone.
Do not be afraid 10 smile il y)u feel like
it. Do not drive any more hearses
through that poor soul. Do not tell
them that trouble vas iore-ordained. 1t
will not be any comfort to know it was
million years coming. II you want to
find splints for broken bone do not
take cast iron. Do not tell them that 1t
is Gods justice that weighs out grief.
They want now to hear OF Gods tender
mercy. In other words, do not give
them aqua fortis when they need vale
rian.
Again, / remark that those persons
are
Poor Comforters
who never had any trouble themselves.
A larkspur cannot lecture on the nature
of a snow -flake-it never saw snow
flake; and those people who have always
lived in the summer OF prosperity can
not talk to those who are frozen in dis
aster. 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
soothes. Ii there are men
and women here who have
old people in the house, or near at hand
SO that they can easily reach them. l
congratulate them. Some OF us have
had trials in life, and although We have
had many friends around about us We
have wished that father and mother
were still alive that we might 30 and tell
them. Perhaps they could not say
much, but it would have been such II
comfort to have them around. These
aged ones who have been all through
the trials OF life know how to give condo
lence. Cherish them; let them lean on
Your arm-these aged people. Ii, when
you speak to them, they cannot hear
iust what you say, say it the second
Time, bu do not saw it sharply. II you
do YOU will be sorry for it on the day
when you take the last look and brush
back the silvery locks from the wrlnkled
brow just before they
Screw the i'd Down.
Blessed be God for the Old people.
They may not have much strength to
90 around, but they are Gods appoint
ed ministers Of comfort to a broken
heart.
People who have not had trials them
selves cannot give comfort to others.
They may talk very beautifully, and
they may give you great deal OF poetic
sentiment; but while poetry is the per-
fume that smells sweet it makes n very
very poor saive. II you have a grave in
your pathway and somebody comes and
covers it all over with flowers, 1t Is
grave vet. Those who have not had
grief themselves know not the mystery
of broken heart. But come all We who
have been bereit and ye who have been
comforted in your sorrows, and stand
around these afflicted souls, and say to
them, 81 had that very sorrow myself.
God comioited me and he will comfort
YOU; and that will go right to the spot.
In other words, to comfort others We
must have faith in God, practical expe-
rience and good sound common sense.
But there are three or four considera-
tions that will bring this morning TO
those who are sorrowiul and distressed,
and affect a cure. And the first consid-
Grafton is that God sends our troubles
in love. Do YOU not remember that
passage i'm Scripture, "Whom the Lord
ioyeth he chasteneth ?" A chill comes
in with very bad splinter in its hand,
and you try to extract it. 1t is a very
painful operation. The child draws
back from you, but you persist, with a
gentle but firm grasp; for although
there may be pain in 1t the splinter
must come out. And il is love that
dictates it and makes you persist. My
friends really think that nearly all our
sorrows in tins world only in the hands
OF our Father.
Extractiug some Thorn.
II all these sorrows were sent by enc
mics should say, arm yourselves
against them; but no, they come from
father so loving, so gentle. ihaE the
prophet speaking of his tenderness and
mercy, drops the idea of father, and
saws: As one whom his mother COM
for,eth, so will l comfort you"
Again remark there is comfort in the
thought that God, 10y all this process, Is
going 10 make you useful. DO you
know that those who accomplish the
most for God and heaven have all been
under the harrow? Show me a man
that has done anything for Christ in
this day in a pdblic or private place,
who has had no trouble and whose path
has been smooth. Oh. no; what useless
beings We are unit! sanctitied troubles
mould us. once went through an axe
factory, and | saw them take the bars
nj iron aud thrnst them into the terri
BILE furnaces. Then besweated work
men with long tongs stirred up the
blaze. Then they brought out bar OF
iron and put it into crushing machine,
and then they put it between
Jaws that Bit 1t
in twain. Then they put it on an an
vii and there were great hammers
swung by niachinery-each one halt
ton in weight-that went thump.
thump. thump, Ifthat iron could have
spoken, it would have said, why all
this beating? Why must be pounded
more than the other iron" The work.
men would have said: "We want to
make axes out of YOU, keen, sharp,
axes-axes with which to hew down the
forest and build the ship, and erect
houses and carry on thousand enter
prises OF civiliz ,tion. That's the reason
We pound you" Now, God puts a soul
into the furnace OF trial, and then 1t is
brought out and run through the crush.
ing IN ichine, and then it comes down on
the anvil, and upon it blow after blow,
blow after blow, and the soul cries out,
20 Lord, what does all this mean?
God saws, 81 want to make something
very useful out of you. You should be
something 10 hew with, and something
to build with. Is is q practical process