Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-12-25
TRUST THE BASIS OF CONSOLATION
BY REY. WILLIAM aHEST.

This il the truth we have 10 learn in the
terrible distresses, throes Of agony, and
threatening anticipations which rend our
hearts; 1.-The Lord is good, stronghold
in the day OF trouble and he kuoweth
them that trust ia him." Trust is the es
sence and the essential of true religion.
Not knowledge knowledge compre-
hends by sense: trust understands
by love. knowledge asks for rea-
sons. trust asks only for God himself
When all can be made plain, knowl-
edge should be sought when impene ttable
shades close around Us, trust ID all that is
left. 'Of all great souls, Of ali s.esdtast
and heroic lives, tbs ultimate basis is sim.
pie trust in God, nd profound sense of
the Divine significance and relations of cur
being here.' Such trust suthces it touches
the very heart of God, and the human head
is pillowed there; it lays q uiet hand on
the threbbiBg anguish, and breathes into
the center of the soul the staying of per-
feet peace.
And this trust comes from faith in him
who is all good, aud whom Jesus rev called.
1t may have been preceded at some time
| or another by an agony Of prayer, but
mostly Its Immediate aGteceGent is the
| calm, expsctant passivity of an. ultermost
| surrender of ourselves TO God.
| Let It then be repeated, the basis of all
| peace and blesseGuess IL world OF tears Is
t perfect trust in God. We have all seen
| after violent ocean storm the tiny sheel-
| FISH in ssfety and fImness on the rock to
! which it had chung. If We may conceive Of
| that strong sea rock endowed with mind
and voice. it would have said to the help
ness limpet, Press the edges on your she'll
| against me; draw in the center OF your
foot, that the air may be exhausted; have
| no reliance whatever on methods whereby
you have urged your way; rencunce abb
! solutely all power in yourself except ID 1T
+, of contiding trusti now will take you in
SO fellowship with myself now the pres
ture ofthe superincumb bent atmosphere from
| above will find IN you no dan ger of futile
resistance, and will hold you firm; the
storm may fereely rage, and lift up ike
chips the granite blocks which men have
built into piers to defy the tempest, but
yeur very weakness Will guard strength
| the pressure of the air from above and my
mistaken foundations from below will be
your tranquil, strong, and adamantime safe
| ty. ouch, and much more, is the secu-
| rity, confidence, strength, and consolation
to be found in God.
1t was once the privilege of The writer,
| a privilege he regar.s IS among the deep
est and richest blessings of his lite, to count
rs his father and friend one who Lost his
| vile at : period of lfe when he seemed
specially to require her wise, holy, and
traLquilizing presence. To his flock ne
wrote wnen the stroke fell. PITY me, pity
me, . my frier DIS, for h. hand Of God hath
touched me- Afterwards however he wrote
to them again N 3 pastors! address, words
with which we close these bTief medi it 4tions:
Nv hen holy and beloved object of our
affection is removed by death we ought to
sorrow. A man without tear s savage
OF stole, but not Christian. But then,
| though We mourn, We must not murmur.
Our sorrow must flow, deep as we like,
but nuiseless and still in the channels of
submission. 1t must be sorrow SO quiet
as to hear all the words of consolation
which our Heavenly Father utters amid all
the gentle strokes of his rod so reveren-
lisl as to adore him for the exercise Of lis
prerogative in taking away what and W hom
he pieases; SO composed to prepare US
for doing his will, as well as bearing it; SO
meek aud gentle as TO justify him in his
dispensstioLs ; so contiding rs tojbe assured
that there is IS much love in taking
the mercy away as there was in bestowing
it; SO grateful rs 20 be thankful for the
mercies LETT, as we'll as afflicted for the
mercles lost so trustful as to look forward
to the future with hope as Well as back
upon tbs past with distress; so patient as
to bear all the aggravations that accom-
pany or follow the bereavement with uno
rutfied acquiescence; SO holy as to lift the
prayer of faith for Diyine.graee TO ssnctify
the stroke, and SO lasting as to preserve
through all the coming years Of life the
benefit of that event, which in one awful
moment changed the whole aspect of our
earthly existence" Msy our one Father
grant to all those in sorrow such submis-
sive trust and consolation. -Evange
Magazine.