The Grenada sentinel., 1888-09-08

| half ton in weight that went thumpl
thump! thumpl II that iron could have
| spoken it would have said:
"Why all this beating? Why must / be
pounded any more than any other iron?"
The workmen would have said:
1--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 a thousand
enterprises of civilization. That's the
reason we pound you"
| Now, God puts soul into the furnace
of trial, and then it is brought out and
run through the crushing machine and
| then it comes down upon the anvil, and
upon it blow after blow, blow after blow,
and the soul cries out:
30 Lord, what does all this meanW
| God says:
81 want to make something very use
| full out of you. You shall be something
to hew with and something to build with.
1t is practical process through which
am putting you"
Yes, my Christian friends, We want
more tools in the Church of God. Not
more wedges to split with; we have
enough of these Not more bores with
which to drill; we have too many bores.
| What we really want is keen, sharp, we'll.
| tempered axes, and if there be any other
way of making them than in the hot fur
mace, and on the hard anvil, and under
the heavy hammer, | do not know what it
is. Remember that if God brings any
kind of chastisement upon you, it is only
to make you useful. Do not sit down dis
couraged, and say:
81 have no more reason for living. ]
wish i were dead"
Oh, there never was so much reason for
your living as now. By this ordeal you
have been consecrated a priest of the
most high God. Go out and do your whole
work for the Master
Again, there is comfort in the thought
that all our troubles are revelation.
Have you ever thought of it in that con-
nection? The man who has never been
through chastisement is ignorant about
thousand things in his soul he ought to
know. For instance, here is a man who
prides himself on his cheerfulness, with
his fine house, his frilled wardrobe and
we'll strung instrum ents of music, and
tapestried parlor, and plenty of money in
the bank waiting for some permanent in
vestment. 1t is easy for him to be cheer
full. But suppose his fortune goes to
pieces, and his house goes down under
the sheritf's hammer, and the banks will
not have any thing to do with his paper.
Suppose those people who were once ele-
gantly entertained at his table get so
short-sighted that they can not recognize
him upon the street. How then? Is it so
easy to be cheerful? 1t is easy to be
cheerful in the home, after the days
work is done and the gas is turned on,
and the house is full of rompling little
ones. But suppose the piano is shut be-
cause the fingers that played on it will no
more touch the keys, and the childish
voice that asked so many questions will
ask no more. Then is it so easy? When
man wakes up and fl ids that his re-
sources are all gone, he begins to rebel,
and he says:
"God is hard; God is outrageous. Ee
had no business to do this to me-"
My friends, those OF US who have, been
through trouble know what a sinful and
rebelious heart we have and how much
God has to put up with and how much we
need pardon. 1t is only in the light Of a
flaming furnace that we can learn our
own weakness and our own lack Of moral
resource
Iremark once more: Our troubles in
this world are preparative for glory.
What transition it was for Paul-from
the slippery deck Of laundering ship to
the calm presence Of Jesus! What
transition it was for Latimer-from the
stake to the throne! What transition
it was for Robert Hall-from insanity to
plory What a transition it was for
Richard Baxter-from the dropsy to the
saints everlasting restw And what a
transition it will be for you-'rom world
of sorrow to world of joy. John Hol.
land, when he was dying, said:
"What means this brightness in the
room? Have you lighted the candles?"
NO." they replied, "we have not lighted
any candles" Then said he:
"Welcome Heavenw the light already
beam:ng upon his pillow. Dye who are
prosecuted in this world, your enemies
will get off the track after awhile, and all
will speak w,Il of yoI am ong the thrones.
Ho . ye who are sick now, no medicines to
take there Ole breath Of the eternal
hills will thrill You with immortal vigor.
And ye who are lonesome now, there will
be thousand spirits to welcome you into
, their companio lship. o sc bereft souls!
there will be no grave-dig GERS spade
that will cleave the side Of that hill, and
there will be no dirga wailing from that
temple. The river Of God, deep as the
joy of Heaven, will roll on between banks
odorous with balm, aud over depths bright
with jewels, and under skies roseate with
gladness, arg)sies o. light going down
the stream to the stroke OF glittering oar
and the song Of angels. Not e sigh in
the wind not one tear minging with the
waters.
There shall battle my weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest,
And not q wave Of trouble roll
Across my peaceful breast