The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-08-30
THE DARK SIDE.
TROUBLE ON EVERY SIDE.
DIR. Taimage Compares the Trials OF
Earth With the Pleasures
OF Heaven.


one side, aud a sharp rock on the othe,
side."-l. Samuel, xiv, 4.
The cruel army of the Philistines must be
taken aud scattered. There Is Just one man.
accompanied by his bodyguard, to do that
thing. Jonathan is the hero OF the scene.
know that David cracked the skull of the
giant with few pebbles well s!ung, and that
three hundred Gideonites scattered ton thou
sand Amalekites by the crash OF broken crock.
cry; but here Is a more wonderful conflict.
1onder are the Philistines on the rocks
Here Is Jonathan with his bodyguard in the
valley. On the one side is n rock called
Bozez; on the other side Is n rock called
Seneh. These two were as famous in olden
times as in modern times are Plymouth Rock
and Gibralter. They were prccipitous nm.
scaleable, and sharp. Between these two
rocks Jonathan must make his ascent. The
DAY comes for the scaling. Of the height.
Jonathan, on his hands and feet, begins the
ascent With strain. and slip, and bruise.
1 suppose, but still on and up, first goes
Jonathan, and then goes his bodyguarJ.
Bozez ON one side, Semen on the other After
sharp tug, and push, and cinging, soc the
head OF Jonathan above the hole In tho
mountain; and there is challenge. and a
light and n supernatural CONSERVATION.
These two men, Jonathan and his bo1y-
guard, drive bacl; and drive down the Philis.
tines over the rocks and open n camp
pagn which demo shes the enemies
hanging and oyershadowing rocks on either
side did not balk or dishoarten Jonathan or
his bodyguard, but only reused aud filed
them with enthusiasm as they went nm.
lhere was a sharp rock on the one side and
a sharp rock on the other side"
My friends, you have been, or ara now
some Of you, In this crisis Of the text III n
man meets one trouble. he can 20 through
with it. He gathers all his energies, con.
centrates them upon one point, and in the
n NNHHNh NJ lN...N 4
determination, goes through it, But the
man who has trouble u the right of him. md
trouble TO the left Of him is To be pitied
Did either trouble come alone, he might
endure 1t, but two troubles, two d snstSrs
two overshadowing mIsfortunes, are Bozez
ami Seneh. God pity him There is n
sharp rock on the one side and n sharp rock
on the other side -
In this crisis Of the text is that man yybose
fortune AMI health fail him nt the same titne.
Nine-tenths OF all our merchants capsize in
business before they come to forty.lye yeors
OF age. There is some collision IN commer.
cial circles, and they stop payment. IL seem,
as II every man must put his name on the
back OF note before he learns what a fool n
man Is who risks all his own property on the
prospect that some m,n will Tell tho truth IL
seeins6s III man must have n large amount
Of unstable goods on his own shelf before
he learns how much easier IL Is to buy than
TO sell IL seems as IL every man must b.,
completely burned out before no learns the
Importance OF always keeping fully insured.
IL seems as II every man must bc wrecked in
hnanrial tempest before he learns u keen
things snug in case Of a sudden curoclydon.
w hen the calamity does come it Is awful.
The man goes home In despair, and he tell,
his family: We'll have to 20 10 the poor
house He takes n doorous view OF every.
thing. IL seems as IL he never could rise
But little time passes, and he says: Why
! am not 50 badly OF after all; have INV
family left"
Before the Lord turned Adam out OF Para.
disc he gave him Eve, 50 that when he lost
Paradise he could stand it, Permit one who
mas never read but a few novels in all his life,
and who has not great deal Of rom lnce in
his composition, to say. that IL, when a mans
fortunes fail, he has a good wife-a good
Christian wife-he ought not to be despond-
ent. "Oh,' you say, that only increases tha
embarrassment, since you have her also to
take care OF. You are an migrate, for the
woman as often supports the man as the man
supports the woman. The man may bring
all the dollars, but the woman generally
brings the courage AMI the faith in God
Well, this man OF whom | am speaking
looks around. and he finds his family IS lett,
ana he rallies, and the light comes 10 his
eyes, ana the smile 70 his face. and tn,
courage TO his heart. In two years he Is
quite over 10. He makes his financial
calamity the first chapter in a new era OF
prosperity. He met that one trouble con-
quered it. He sat down for "A little while
under the grim shadow OF the rock Bo1ez:
yet he soon rose and began. ike Jonathan.
TO climb. But how often u IL that physical
ailment comes with financial embarrassment
When the fortune failel 10 broke the man !,
spirit. His nerves were shattered His brain
was stunned. | can show YOU hundreds OF
men in New York whose fortune and health
failed at the same time. They came pre-
maturey 10 the staH. Their hani trembled
with lncip!ent paralysis. They never saw n
well day since the hour when they called
their creditors together for a compromise.
X such men are inpatient, AMI
peculiar, and irritable, excuse them.
They had two troubles; either one Of which
they could have met successfully II, vixen
tho health went, the fortune had been rs-
tanei, It would not have been so bad The
man could nave bought the very best medical
advice, and he could have had the very best
attendance, and long lines of carriages would
have stoppet at the front door u inquire as
TO his welfare. But poverty on the one side
and sickness on the other, are Bozez and
Seneh, and they interlock their shadows, and
drop them upon the poor mans way. God
help him. There is a sharp rock ON the one
side and a sharp rock on the other side
Now, what Is such man e. doi In the
name of Almighty God | will tell him what
10 do. DoaS Jonathan dId-Climb. climb up
into the sunlight Of q ods favor and consola-
Ipn. CAL 60 tue cuurcue>, anu
show you men who lost fortune and health
at the same time, and yet who sing all day
and dream of heaven all night. IL you have
any Idea that sound digestion. and steady
nerves, and clear eyesight, and good hear
ing. aud plenty Of friends, are necessary 70
make IA man happy you have miscaculated.
suppose that these oyerhanglug rocks only
made Jonathan s'ramb.e harder and the
faster to get up and out INTO the sunlight;
and this comUlned shadow OF inyalidism and
financial embarrassment has often sent u man
up the quicker into the sun lght OF God $
favor and tho MONDAY OF HIS glorious
promises II Is a difficult thing Tor man to
feel his dependence upon God when hs has
ten thousand dollars in the bank, and fifty
thousand dollars in Government securities,
and block of stores and three ships. well, y
the man says To himself, 1t Is silly for me
70 pray: Give me this day my daily
bread, when my pantry Is full, and
the canals from tho West are
crowded with breadstuiis destined Tor my
storehouses." Oh, my friends, il the com
bined misfortunes and disasters of life have
made you climb up into the arms of a sym
pathetic and compassionate God, through all
eternity you will bless HIM that IN this
world there was sharp rock on the one
side, and sharp rock ON the other side"
bat t..s - -