The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-03

OdNtQ ufu Wcl WuCA bN uOuEuSQ IOT
Absalom, Abraham did well when he be-
moaned Sarah, Christ did we'll when he
wept for Lazarus; and the last man want
to seS come anywhere near me when | have
any kind Of trouble is worldly philosopher
Again | remark, that blose persons are
Incompetent for the work of comfort
bearing who have nothing but cant to offer
There are those who have the idea that you
must grcan over the distress I'd and afflicted
There are 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 Gospel, and utter them III a manly tone.
Do not be afraid to smile II you feel like it,
Do not drive any more hearses through that
poor soul Do not tell him fhe trouble was
foreordaiued; it will not borply comfort to
know it was a million year inning. II you
want 10 fiad spEnts for a Ernkea bo le do
not TAX cast-iron Do not tell them it is
Gods justice that weighs osIt grief. They
want now to hear of Gods tender mercy.
In other words, do not give them aqua
fortis when they need valerian.
Again remark, tina t those persons are
poor comforteis who have never had any
trouble themselves. A larxspur can not
lecture on the nature of suowtlake-it
never saw a snowflake; and those people
who have always lived in tie summer of
pIOSpcIkby Chu llOb tttik W ttlOSS WIZ dT6
frozen In disaster. God keeps aged people
in the world, think, fog 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, congratulate them.
Some of us have had trials in
md oI4 erh hod
friends around about us, we have wished
that father and mother were still alive, that
we might 60 and tell them. Perhaps thoy
could not say much, but 1t would have been
such comfort to have them around These
aged ones who have been all through the
trials of life know how to give coincidence
Cherish them; let them lean on your arm
these aged people, II, whom you speak to
them, they cannot hear just what you say
the first time, and you have to say 1t a
second time, when you say 1t the second
time do not say it sharply. If you do, you
will be sorry tor it on the day when you
take the last look and brush back the sill
very locks from the wrinkled brow Just be-
fore they screw the lid on. Blessed be God
for the old people They may not have 80
much strength to so around, but they are
Gods appointed ministers OF comfort to a
broken heart
People who have not had trial themselves
cannot give comfort to others. They may
talk very beautifully, and they may give
you great deal OF poetic sentiment; but
while poetry is perfume that smells sweet,
1t makes very poor salve. LIZ you have q
grave in your pathway, and somebody
comes and covers IL all over wi u ilowers, it
is grave vet Those who have not had
grief themselves know not the mystery of
a broken heart. They know not the mean
,l,1ll l.
to put to bed at night, or the standing in a
room where every book I'd picture aud
door is full of memories-the door-mat
where she sat--the cup out OF which she
drank-the place where she stood at the
door and clapped her hands-the odd tig-
ures that she scribbled-the blocks she built
into house. Alb, no, you must have
trouble yourself before you can comfort
trouble in others. But come all ye who
have been bereft and ye who have been
comforted in your sorrows, and stand
aronnd these afflicted souls, and say to
them, II had that very sorrow myself.
God comforte 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 ex erience,
and good, sound common sense.
But there are three or four considerations
that will bring tins morning to those who
are sorrowful and distressed, aud that we
can always bring to them, knowing that
they will effect cure. Aud the first con
sideration is, that God sends our troubles In
love- / often hear people iu their troubles
say, "Why, l wonder what God has against
mep They seem to think God has some
grudge against them because trouble and
misfortune have come. On, no. Do you not
remember that passage OF Scripture,
"Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth"
A child comes In with very bad splinter in
its hand, and you try to extract it, IL is a
very painful operation. The child draws
back from you, but you persist. You are
going to take that splinter out, SO you take
the child with a g,ntle but firm grasp; for
although there may be pain in it,
the splinter must come out. And it
is love that dictates it, and makes
you persist. My friends, | really
think that nearly all our sorrows in this
world are only the hand Of our Father ex-
tracing some thorn. IL all these sorrows
were sent by enemies, would say, arm
yourselves against them; and as In tropical
climes, when tiger comes down from the
mountains AMI carries of child FROM the
village, the neighbors band together and go
into tho forest and hunt the m Jnster, SO |
would have you, il thought these misfor-
tunes were sent by an enemy, 90 out and
tattle against them. But no; they come
ltOLh u rhIuof htbQ, oo loNiuk, bU RoHblb,
that the prohet, Speaking OF his tenderness
and mercy, drops the idea of a father, and
says: "As one whom his mother comforteth,
so will comfort you"
Again / remark, there Is comfort in the
thought that God, by all this process, is go
ing 10 make you useful. Do you know that
those who acoomplish the most for God and
heaven have all been under the harrowa
Show me man that has done anything for
Christ in this day, in a public or private
place, who has had no trouble and whose
path has been smooth. All, no.
/ once went through an ak factory, and
saw them take the bars Of iron and thrust
them into the terrible furnaces. Then be-
sweated workmen with long tongs stirred
the blaze. Then they brought out "a bar of
iron and put IL into a crushing machine,
and tden they put Il between jaws that bit
it in twain. Then they put 1T on the anvil,
and there were great hammers swung by
machinery--each one half ton Ia weight
that went thumpi thumpl thumpi II that
iron could have spoken, 1t would have said:
"Why all this beatingl Why must | be
pounded any more than any other irouf'
The workmen would have said: ave wnnt
to make axes out Of you, keen. sharp axes
axes with which 10 hew down the forest,
and build the ship, and erect houses, aud
carry on thousand enterprises of civiliza-
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 crushing macaiue, and thon 1t
comes down on the anvil, and upon 10 blow
Al. Ii a ~ a