West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-11-07
USES OF TROUBLE.
THE MINISTRY OF SORROW
Visions OF n Brighter World are Seen
Through Tears


before preaching no said that n mistaken
nouon was abroad that tho insurance on his
destroyed church was enough TO rebuild. The
repetition OF disasters left us I'm debt. We
have practically built three churches since /
came TO Brooklyn. First, tho original Tabe--
nhcio. Soon after that we made an enlarge
mont that cost almost as much Us n church.
a few years nfter IL all burned. Then we
put up tho building recently DESTROYED. aud
reared II in a time when tho whole country
was IN its worst fnancial distress.
it was theso repeated disasters that
ieft US In debt. My congregation have
done magnifcently, but any church would be
In debt after 50 many calnmities. Now for
tho first time we are out OF debt. But we
need at least one hundred thousand dollars to
build n church large enough, md wo call
on people of all crecds and all lands to help.
oetore help dedicate a new church we must
nave every dollar OF 1t paid. will never
again DO pastor OF a church I'm debt. IL has
crippled us In all our movemcnts. and /
shall never again wear the shackles. 1 have
tor the last sixteen years preached 70
ABOUT oOOp people sitting and stand
ing, twice n Sabbath, but everybody knows
that wo need a place that will hold 5000 1
shall not DO surprised IL some man OF wealth
shall says Here arc q 800. 900 IL YOU will
put up II memorial structure, and cali It after
t vGe name OF my departed father or child
whose memory l want put before all nations
and for all time" And so It will DO done.
Texts: God shall toipe atcay all tears
from their cyes."-Rov. vii, IL.
Riding across a western prairie will
flowers up To the hub of tho carriage wheel
ana while n long distance from any shelter.
there came a sudden shower, and while the
ram was falling in torrents, tho sun was
SHINING as brightly as l ever saw it shine:
and ! thought what a beautiful spectacle
tns Isl 80 tho tears of the Bible arc
not midnight storm, but rain on pansied
pralrles In Gods sweet and golden sunlight.
You remember that bottle which David
LABELED rs containing tears, and Mary's
tears, and Pauls tears, and Christ's
tears, and the harvest of ioy that ia In
spring from the sowing of tears' God
mikes them. God rounds them. God shows
them where to fall. God exhales them a
census is taken of them, and there is n record
as 70 the moment when they arc born, and
men are not kept. Alexander, in his sorrow
mad the hair clipped from his horses and
muleS and made n great ado about his grief.
pub In all the vases OF heaven there Il NOT one
Vt ~Alexanders tears. Ispeak of the tears of
the good. Alas mel they are falling all the
Time In summer, you sometimes hear the
growing thunder, and you see there IS a
STORM miles away; but you know from the
orlitor the clouds that It win not come nny-
mhere near you So, though it may DO all
Somewher all tho time. Tearsl Tearsl
What is the use of them anvhowS Yhv
not substitute laughtcrp WHY not make this
a Worla where all the people nre we'll and
YVeIhal strangers TO pain and achesP What
- Jhe use or an eastern storm when We mioht
nave q perpetual nor'wester? WHY. when n
FAMILY Is put together, not have them all
stay, or II they must be transplanted to make
0ther homes, then nave them all liver the fam
~ record telling a story Of marriages and
harvests chase each other vyithont
tatiguing toili Why the hard inflow
inc hard crust, the hard STRUGGLES
10 IL easy enough to explain q smile. or n
sucSeSs, or a congratulation: but, come now.
ana bring all your dictionaries and ali vo,r
philosophies and all your religions. and helm
me explain a tear. A chemist will tell voi,
Ohat IL Is made up of salt and lime and other
component parts; but he misses the chief
ingredients-the acid of n soured life tLo
viperine sting Of n bitter memory. the froS'
ments or n broken heart. / will tell Won
what n tear Is: IL Is agony in solution.
hear me, then, while 1 discourse to you of
the uses OF trouble.
t1rst-lt Is the design of trouble To loan
this world from being too attractive Snrna'
Ining must be done TO make us willing To
quit this existence. If it were not for trofbIo
TINS world would be a good enough heaven
tCr me You and L would be willing TO take
aleaSe OF this life for a hundred million vearS
II there were nc trouble. Tho earth cnsb1
loned and upholstered and pillared and cham
deferred with such expense no story of other
worlds could enchant us. We would sav.
Let Wen enough alone. II YOU want
70 die and have your body disinterrnted in
the dust and your soul go out ON a celestial
nuvehIure, Then you can go; but this world
IL good enough for me-" You might no vii
go 10 a man who has Just entered the Touvra
az arlS' and tell him TO hasten off TO tho
plctIre galleries of Venice or F1orenco
why" no would say, what Is the nse ~
my. going there2 There are Rembrandts ond
hubens and Raphaels here that / haven't
looked at yet"
No mar wants to go out of this world. or
out OF any house, until he has "A better house.
10 cure this wish TO stay here. God must
somehow create a disgust for our surround
lngs. How shall He do itp He cannot ofFord
70 deface His horizon, or TO tear Off n 6cr1
panel rom the sunset, or TO subtract an an
ther from the water lily. or 10 banisb tbo
pungent aroma from tho mipnouette or e.
drag the robes OF the morning sn tho ,,;ro
~ cannot expect a Christopher Wren tn
mar ms own st. PauTs cathedral or a Nt;oL
9el angelo 20 dash out his own 'T.ost
Judgment" ora Handel TO discord his "Israoi
- IBypJi and you cannot expect God 4,
bpoli the architecture and m~usfc-of His o,s,,
~ now then are we 20 be made Willing
20 leave, Here Is where trouble comee IL
LhteF a man has had a good deal OF troubIe
ne Saysi wen, j am ready 10 20. II there
j. n mousse somewhere whose roof doosnia -
would like TO live there. n there is an ~
1ohlbWuef bhab does not digfreqe
the lungs, would like TO breathe it. II there
SoSoclety somewhere where therei Is no title
tatlS 1 would Ike 20 I've there 70
mere - a home circle somewhere vyhere
can IND my lost friends I
would like 20 go there" He used 70 read
tne hrst part Of the Bible chiefly. now he
ieads the last part OF the Bible chiefly. WIZ
mas ne changed Genesis for Revelation; All
ne used 20 DO anxious chiefly 10 know how
tuls world was made, and an about its geo
ioslcal construction. Now h is chiefly an
lOus 70 kno" how the next world was made
ana now u looks, and who live There on3
no" they dress. He reads Revelation ter
tules now where he reads Genesis once The
gil sbory, In the beginning, God created the
heavens and the earth,n does NOT tbriu
MIN hair az much ns tho other etorv
saw n new heaven and n new eartb6
inc oia mans hand trcmblos as he turns
over TINS ap~Ccalyptic leaf, and no has 10 take
out his handkerchief 90 wipe his suoof,ri.~
That book Of Revelations isa progr6rtrg -
or tho country into which he rs 10 coon ir1rof
CRATE; the country into which he has lots ~
ready laid out, and avenues opened. and trees
planted and mansions built.
me thought n that blessed place como.
over mo nightly, and I declare that Ia fbig
uDuse were n great ship. and you an were
tsefs on board it, and one hand could
ltuuG9 tnat snip into the glories ~ heaven. I
s42ola % tempted 70 take the resDousL-
pity and launch you ali int gfc-,
with one stroke, holding on 10 Tho eiJo - ~,
boat until ] could got I'm myself. And ~,
mere arc people here 20 whom this world NJ
grlghtcr than heaven. Well. dear eo,ls n
40 not blame Won. IL H. natural 10 49,