Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-09-15

seem TO think God has some grudge
against them because trouble and misfor-
tune have come. Oh no. DO you not
remember that passage OF scripture,
Whom the Lordloveth He chasteneth?'
A child comes in with a very bad splinter
in its hand, and you try TO extract 1t. 1T
is a very painful operation. h child
draws back from you, but you persist.
You are going to take that splinter out
SO you take the child with a gentle but
firm grasp: for although there may be
pain in it, the splinter must come out.
And it is love that dictates it, n makes
you persist. My friends, | really think
that nearly all u sorrows in this world
are only the hand of
oUR FATHE
extracting some thorn. If all these sor
rows were sent by enemies | would say
arm yourselves against them and in trop
zeal climes, when a tiger III down
from the mountain and carries off IA child
from the village the neighbors band to-
gether and go into the forest and hunt
the monster, SO | would have you, if |
thought these misfortunes were sent by
an enemy, 90 out and battle against them.
But no. they come from a father so kind,
SO loving, SO gentle, that the prophet
speaking of Ills tenderness and mercy,
drops the idea of a father and Gays, AS
one whom his mother comforteth SO
will comfort you
Again! 'emark there is comfort in the
fact that God by al. this processis going 10
make you useful. DO you know that
those who accomplish the most for God
and heaven have all been under the har-
row? Show me a man that has don any
thing for Christ in this day. in a public
or private place, who has had no trouble
and whose path has been smooth. An,
no.
MAKING AXES.
! once went through an AK factory and
! saw them take the bars Of iron and
thrust them into the terrible furnaces.
The besweated worEmen with long tongs
stirred the blaze. Then they brought
out a bar Of iron and put il into a crush
ing machine and then they put il in Jaws
that bit in twain. Then they put il on AZ
anvil and then there were great hammers
swung by machinery-each onea half tor
ia weight-that went thump, thump,
thump. If that iron could have spoken,
IL WOllN UuNt Sult, DN al tH4o DIAt"
ing? Why must | be pounded any more
than any other from" The workmen
would have said. 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 a soul into the furnace Of trial,
and then it is brought out and
run through the crushing machine.
and then it comes down on the anvil. and
upon it blow after blow, blow after blow,
and the soul cries out 80 Lord, what
does all this mean God says, 81 want
to make something very useful out OF
YOU You shall be something TO hew
with and something to build with. 1t is
a 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, well
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
il is. Remember that if God brings any
kind of chastisement upon you, il is only
TO make you useful. Do not sill down
discouraged and say, Il have no more
reason for living. | wish | 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 nigh God. Go out and DO your
whole work for the master.
THE REVELATION OF TROUBLE.
Again, there is comfort in the thought
that all our troubles are a revelation.
Have you ever thought of It in that con
ncction? The man who has never been
through chastisement is ignorant about a
thousand things in HE soul he ought to
know. For instance, here is a man who
prides himself on his cheerfulness Of
character. He has no patience with any
body who is depressed in spirits. Oh, it
is easy for him to be cheerful, with his
fine house, his filed wardrobe, and well
strung instruments of music, and tapes
tried parIor, and plenty of money IN the
bank waiting for some permanent invest
ment. !. is easy for him to be cheerful.
But suppose his fortune goes TO pieces,
and his house goes down under the
sheriff's hammer, and the banks will
will not have anything TO do with his
paper. Suppose those people who were
once elegantly entertained at his table get
so shortsighted that they cannot recog.
nize him upon the street. How then Is
il so easy 10 be cheerful? 1t is easy 10 be
cheerful in the home, after the days work
is done, and the gas is turned on and the
house is full of romping little ones. Bat
suppose the piano is shut because the fin
gers that played on il will no more touch
the keys, and the childish voice that
asked SO many questions will ask no
more. Then is il SC easy? When & man
wakes up and finds that his resources are
all gone, he begins 10 rebel. and he SAYS:
God is harl: God is outrageous. He
had no business 10 do this TO me Ny
friends. those of US who have been
through trouble know what IA sinful and
rebeliious 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.
THE FAMILY REUNION.
There is also a great deal Of comfort in
the fact that there will be a family econ
struction in a better place. From Scot