The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-09-19

q house. All, no; you must have trouble
yourself before you can comfort trouble III
others But come all ye who have been be-
ref5 and ye who have been comforted IN
your sorrows, and stand around these afflicted
souls, and say to them: Il had that very
sorrow myself. God comforted ME, and He
will comfort you," and that will 60 right to
the spot In other words, to comfort Others
we must have faith in God, practical expert
ence and good, sound common sense.
Again, I remark, there is comfort in the
thought that God, by all this process, is going
to make you useful Do you know that those
who ,accomp ish the most for God and HEAVIER
have all been under the harrow! snow me a
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 l
saw them take the bars Of iron and thrust
them into the terrible furnaces. Then
besweated workmen with long tongs stirred
the blaze Then they brought outa bar OF iron
and put it into crushing machine, and then
they put it between jaws that bit it IN twain.
Then they put it on an anvil, and there were
great hammers swung by machinery-each
one half ton in weight-that went thump!
thump! thump! If 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: "We want to make axes out OF
you. keen. sharp axes-axes with which to
hew down the forest, and build the ship, and
prises of civilization. That's the reason we
pound you" Now, God puts q 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: "Oh- Lord, what does all this
meanY' God says: II want to make some.
thing 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 Christ
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 furnaces
and on the hard anvil, and under the heavy
hammer, do not know what it is Remem-
her that if God brings any kind Of chastise-
ment upon you. it is only to make you use
full Do not sit down discouraged 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 or.
deal You have been consecrated a priest Of
the Most High God. Go out and do your
whole work for the Master.
There is also great deal Of comfort in the
fact there will be family reconstruction
in better place. From, Scotland, or Eng
land, or Ireland, child emigrates to this
country. 1t is very hard parting. but he
comes, after while writing home as to what
sister comes, and another, and after a while
the mother comes, and after while the
father comes, and now they are all here, and
they have time of great congratulation and
a very pleasant reunion. Well, it is just so
with our families; they are emigrating to
better land. Now one goes out Oh, how
hard it is to p1rt with him! Another goes.
Oh, how hard it is to part with her! And
another, and another, and we ourselves Will
together Oh, what reunion! Do you be-
lieve that? eyes" you say. You do not!
You do not believe it as you believe other
things. If you did, and with the same
emphasis, why, it would take nine-tenths
OF your trouble or your heart. The fact
is, heaven to many Of us is great fog. 1tl
away Off somewhere, filled with an uncertain
and indefinite population. That is the kind
of heaven that many Of us dream about; but
it is the most tremendous fact in all the
universe-this heaven Of the Gospel. Our
departed friends are not afloat. The resi-
dence in which you live is not so real as the
residence in which they stay. You are af1oat,
you who do not know in the morning what
will happen before night. They are housed
and safe forever. Do not, therefore, pity your
departed friends who have died in Christ.
They do not need any ofyour pity. You might
as we'll send letter Of coincidence to Queen
Victoria on her obscurity, or to the Roths.
childs on their poverty. as to pity those who
L. ks.a lrp IN M COZ
who are departed: "Poor child! "Poor
father" Poor motherl" They are not
poor. You are poor-you whose homes
have been shattered-not they. You do
not dwell much with your families in this
world. Ali day long you are of TO business.
Will it not be pleasant when you can be to-
gether all the whiles If you have had four
children and one is gone, and anybody asks
how many children you have, do not be SO
heayen. Do not think that the grave is un.
friendly. You 60 into your room and dress
for some grand Entertainment, and you come
forth beautifully appareled; and the grave
is only the place where you 60 to dress for
the glorious resurrection, and we will come
out radiant, radiant. mortality having be.
come Immortality. Oh, how much condol-
ence there is in this thought! expect to
see my kindred in heaven: expect to see
L
day. Ay, shall more certainly see them.
Eight or ten will come up from the graveyard
back of Somerviile; and one will come up
from the mountains back Of Annoy, China;
and another will come up from the sea of
Cape HatteraS: and thirty will come up from
Greenwood; and shall know them better
than ever knew them here And your
friends-they may be across the sea, but the
trumpet that sounds here will sound there.
You will come up on just the same day:
Some morning you have oversight yourself,
and YOU open your eyes and see that the sun
is high in the heavens and you say, II have
oversight and must be up and off," So you
will open your eyes on the morning OF the res
direction in the full blaze Of Gods light, and
you will say: 81 must be up and away" Oh
yes, you will come up and there will be re-
union, reconstruction Of your family.
like what Halpurton, think it was-good
old Mr. Halburton-said in his last moments:
81 thank God that I ever lived, and that L
have q father in heaven, and mother In
heaven, and brothers in heaven, and sisters
in heaven, and 1 am now going up to see
them"
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 pres
ence Of Jesus! What transition it was for
Latimer-from the stake to throne! What
a transition it was for Robert Hall-from
insanity to glory! What transition il was
for Richard Baxter-from the dropsy to the
saints everlasting rest" And what q
transition it will be for you-from a world
of sorrow to world Of joyl John Holland,
when he was dying, said: ''What means this
brightness in the room? Have you lighted
the candles?" NO." they replied, 1--WE have
not lighted any candles" Then said he:
"Welcome heaven T. the light already BEAM
ing upon his pillow. o Ye who are .Perse--
cuted in this world your enemies will get
Off the track after a while, and all
will sneak we'll of Won among the thrones