The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-09

through lou nave struggled under q
heavy mortgage of physical disabilities;
and instead OF the placidity that once char
acterlzed you, 1t is now only with great ef-
fort that you keep away from irritabilty
and sharp retort. Difficulties OF rcspin-
tion, OF digestion, Of locomotion, make up
the great obstacle in your life, and YOU tug
and sweat along the pathway, and wonder
when the exhaustion will end. NV
friends the brightest crowns in heaven
will not bc given to those who, in st,rrups,
dashed TO the cavalry charge, while the
general applaudcd and the sound OF
clashing sabrcs rang through the land; hut
the brightest crowns in heaven, | believe,
will be given TO those who trudgcd ON
amid chronic ailments which unncrvcd
their strenth, yet all the time maintaining
their faith in God. II ia comparatively
easy To fight in regiment OF a thousand
men, charging up the parapcts TO the
sound OF martial music; but il is not 50 easy
10 endure when no one but the nurse and
the doctor are the witnesses of the Chris.
tian fortitudo. Besides that YOU never had
any pains worse than Christ's. The sharp
nesses that stung through his brain,
through his hands, through his feet,
through his heart, were as great NJ yours
certainly. lie was rs sick and as weary.
Not nerve, or muscle, or ligamcnt rs.
capped. All the pangs OF all the nations Of
all the ages compressed into one sour cup.
lie took the vinegar
There is something about the sourncss
OF poverty. Your income does not meet
your outgoings, and that always gives an
honest man anxiety. There is no sign OF
destitution about you-plcasant appear.
ancc, and cheerful home for you, but
God only knows what time YOU have
had 10 manage your private finances, Just
as the bills run up the wages seem 10 run
down. But you are not the only one who
has not been paid for hard work. The
great Wilkic sold his celebrated piece,
'Thc Blind Fiddler" for fifty Cuineas, al
though afterwards II brought its thousands.
The world hangs in admiration over the
sketch Of Gainsborough, vet that very
sketch hung for years in the shop.window
because there was not any purchaser.
Oliver Goldsmith sold his "Nicnr OF Wake.
field" for few pounds, in order 10 keep
the hailil out Of the door; and the vast
majority of men In all occupations and
professions are not fully paid for Their
work. You may say nothing but lie IL
YOU is a hard push; and when YOU sil
down with your vile and talk over the cN'
pcnscs, YOU both rise up discouraged,
You ahridgo here, and you abrdgc there,
aud YOU get things snug for smooth sail.
ing-, and 10, suddenly there Is large doe
tors bill 10 pay, or you have lost youI
pockethoOk, OF some creditor has failed
| and YOU are thrown ahcum end. Well
brother, YOU are m glorious company
Christ owned not the house in which h,
stopped, or the colt ON which lac rode. ol
the boat in which lac sailed. lie lived in j.,
borrowed house. lac was buried IL
borrowed grave. Exposed 10 alI
kinds Of weather, vet lac had only
| one suit oi clothes. lie hfcakiastod IN the
morning aud no one could possibly tell
where he could get anything TO cat bcior,
night lie would have been pronounce,
a financial failure. lie had to perform
miracle to got money 10 pay n tax hill
| Not a dollar did hc own. priyalion q
domcalicity; privation OF nutritious food
privation of all worldly resources. tn,
| kings of the earth had chased chaliccs on
OF which to drink, but Christ had nothing
| but plain cup set before him, and Il wa,
very sharp. andit was very sour. lie tool
the vinegar
There IA also the sourncsl oi bcrcavc
mcnt. There were ycar that passed along
before your family circle was invaded 10y
death; but the moment the charmed circle
was broken, cyerythingsccmcd 10 dissolve
Hardly have you put the black apparel IN
the wardrobe before you have again "a
take IL out. Great aud rapid change.
In your family record. You got the house
aud rejoice IN II, but the charm was gon,
~ soOu M the crnpc hung ON the door
bell. Tho one upon whom YOU most de-
pended was taken away from YOU. A cold
marble slab lies on your heart today
Once, ~ the children rOmpcd through the
house, YOU put your hand over your ach
ing head, aud said. "Oh, II could Onl,
have II still" Oh Il is too still now. You
lost your patience when the tops. the
strings aud the shells were left amid hoDr.
but Oh, you would be- willing Ia have the
tTnkets scattered all over the iloor again,
II they were scattered 10y the same hands.
With what ruthless ploushsharc bcrcayc.
mcnt rips up the heart But Jesus
knows all about that. You cannot tell
him anything new la regard "a
bereavement. llo hal only few
friends, and when he lost one Il
brought tcan 10 his eyes. Lazarus
had often entertained him at his hous".
Now Lazarus h dead and buried aud
CHRIST breaks down with emotion, the
conyulsion Oi gricl shuldcring through all
the ages ui bereavement Christ knows
what Il n to 90 through the house missing
a familiar inmate. Christ knows what Il
Is 10 sec au unoccupicd place nt the table.
Were there not four Oi them Mary aud
Martha, aud Christ aud lazarus -Four
Of them. but where Is lhyarus2 Lonely
and afflicted Christ, his great loving eyes
filed with tcar, which drop from eye 10
cheek, and from cheek to beard, aud from
beard tO robe, and from fobc to floor Oh,
ypH. yes, hc knows all about the lOnpl.
ness aud the hcaribrcak. lie took the
yincgarl
Then there IS the sourncss Of the death
hour Whatever else We may escape,
that acid.spongc will bo pressed 10 our
lips. ] sometimes have a curiosity tD know
how ! will behave when I come 10 die.
Whether ! will be- calm or excited, Whoth.
or | will bo filed with pminisocnco ~
with anticipation. cannot say. lut
come t1 the point, must and yOu must.
In the 600 years that have passed,
only two persons have got into the eternal
world without DEATH aud DO not suppose
that God is going to send n carriage ior us
with horses Of flame, 10 draw ms up the
sleeps Oi heaven, but suppose We will
have a. 90 like the preceding generations
An officer from the future world will knock
NJ the door NJ our heart aud serve on M
the writ ol cjcctmoni and We will have IN
surrender. And We will wake up after
these au,umnal, aud wintry, and ycrnal,
and summcry gorics have vanished from
our vision We will wake up into q realm
which has only one season, and that the
season Of everlasting love. But you say
NI I..ft .,..t A.. lF..L .Vt f..t.