The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-07

souls liberation. Every rheumatic
pain is only plunge of the husking
peg. Every neuralgia tinge is only
a twist of the husker. There is good
in you that must come out. Some
way the shackle must be broken.
Some way the ship must be launched
for the heavenly voyage. You must
lei the heavenly husbandman husk off
the mortality from the immortality.
There ought to be great consolation
in this for all who have chronic all
ments, since the Lord Is gradually
and more mildly taking away from
you that which hlnders your soul's
liberation. doing gradually for you
what for many of US in robust
health, perhaps, He will do in one
fell blow at the last. AT the close of
every illness, at the close of every
paroxysm, you ought to say, "Thank
God that is all past now; thank God,
| will never have to suffer that again;
thank God, l am so much nearer the
hour of liberation" You will never
suffer the same pain twice. You
may have new pain in an old place,
but never the same pain. The pain
does its work and then it dies. Just
so many plunges of the crowbar to
free the quarry stone for the build
ing. Just so many strokes of the
chisel to complete the statue. Just
so many pangs to separate
the soul from the body. You
who have chronic ailments and dis
orders are only paying in INSTALL
ments that which some of US will
have to pay in one payment when
we pay the debt of nature. Thank
God, therefore, you who have
chronic disorders, that you have so
much less suffering at the last.
Thank God that you will have SO
much less to feel i'll the way of pain
at the hands of the heavenly hus-
bandman when the shock of corn
cometh in in His season. Perhaps,
now, this may be an answer to a
question which l asked last Sabbath
morning, but did not apwer: Why
is it that so many really good people
have so dreadfully to suffer? You
often find a good man with enough
pains, and aches and distresses, you
would think, to discipline a whole
colony. while you find man who is
perfectly useless going about with
easy digestion and steady nerves
and shining health, and his exit from
the world is comparatively painless.
How do you explain that? Well, L
noticed in the husking time that the
husking peg was thrust into the
corn and then there must be a stout
pull before the swathing was taken
off of the ear and the full, round,
healthy, luXuriant corn was develop
ed; while on the other hand there
was corn that hardly seemed worth
husking. We threw that into place
all by itself and we call it "nubbins."
Some of it was widowed, and some
of it was mice nlbb.ed, and some of
it was great promise and no fulfill
ment. All cobs and no corn. Nub-
binsl After the good corn had been
driven up to the barn we came
around with the corn basket and we
picked up these nubbins. They were
worth saving, but not worth much.
So all around us there are people
who amount to nothing. They de-
velop into no kind of usefulness.
They are nIbbled on one side by the
world, and nibbled on the other
side by the devil, and widowed all
over. Great promise and no fulfill
ment. All cobs and no corn. Nub-
binsl They are worth saving. 1
suppose many of them will get to
heaven, but they are not worthy
to be mentioned in the
same day with those who went
through great tribulation into the
kingdom of our God. Who would
not rather have the pains of this life,
the misfortunes of this life-who
would not rather be torn, and wound
ed, and lacerated, snd wrenched and
husked, and at last go in amid the
very best grain in the granery, than
to be pronounced not worth husking
at all Nubbinsl In other words
L want to say TO you people who
have distress of body, and distress in
business, and have distress of all
sorts, the Lord has not any grudge
against you. 1t il not derogatory,
it is complimentary. "Whom the
Lord loveth, He chasteneth," and it is
proof positive that there is some
thing valuable in you, or the Lord
would not have husked you.
You remember that in the time of
husking it was a neighbOrhood re-
union. By the great fireplace in the
winter, the fires roaring about the
glorified backlog on an old-fashion-
ed hearth, of which the modern
stoves and registers are only the de-
generate descendants, the farmers
used to gather and spend the even
ing, and there would be much social
ity, but 1t was nothing like the joy
of the husking time, for then all the
farmers came, and they came in the
very best of humor, and they came
from beyond the meadow, and they
came from beyond the brook. and
they came from regions two and
three miles around. Good spirits
reigned supreme, and there were
great handshakings, and there
was carnival, and there was
the recital OF the brightest ex.
periences IN all their lives, and
there was a neighborhood reunion.
the memory of which makes all the
emotion, as the strings of harp
when the fingers of player have
swept the chords. The husking
tune was the tune of neighborhood
reunion, and so heaven will be just
that. There they come up! They
slept in the old village churchyard.
There they come up. They reclined
amid the fountains and the sculpture
and the parterre of city cemetery.
There they come upl They went
down when the ship foundered off
Cape Ha.teras. They come up from
all sides from Pottef's field and out
of the solid masonry of Westminster
Abbey. They come up! They come
up! all the hindrances to their bet
ter nature husked off. All their
physical ailments husked off, All
their spiritual despondences husked
off. Ali their hindrances to useful
ness husked of. The grain, the
golden grain, the God-fashioned
grain visible and conspicuous. Some
of them on earth were such disagree
able Christians you could hardly
stand it in their presence. Now in
heaven they are so radiant you hard
ly know them. The fact is, all their
imperfections have been husked off.
They did not mean on earth to be
disagresable. They meant well
enough, but they told you
how sick you looked, and
they toll you how many hard
things they had heard about you,
and they told you how often they
had to stand up for you in some
battles until you wished almost they