Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-28


do not blame you. 1t is natural. But after
while you will be ready to 60. 1t was not
until Job had been worn out with bereave-
ments and carbuncles and pest of a wife
that he wanted to see God. 1t was not until
the prodigal got tired of living among the
hogs that he wanted to 60 to his fathers
house. 1t is the ministry of trouble to make
this world worth less and heaven worth
more.
Again, it is the use of trouble to make us
feel our complete dependence upon God.
King Alphonso said that if he had been
present at the creation be could have made
a better world than this. What a pity he
was not present. 1 do not know what God
will do when some men die. Men think
they can do anything until God shows them
they can do nothing at all. We lay our
great plans and we like to execute them. 1t
looks big. We never feel our dependence
upon God until we get trouble. 1 was rid
ing with my little child along the road, and
she asked if she might drive. / said, Ger
tainly."
WHEN WE REACH THE NARRows.
handed over the reins to her, and had
to admire the glee with which she drove.
But after a while we met a team and we had
to turn out. The road was narrow, and it
was sheer down on both sides. She handed
the reins over TO me, and said: 81 think you
had better take charge of the horse. so
we are all children; and on this road of life
we like to drive. 1t gives one such an ap-
pearance of superiority and power. 1t looks
big. But after while we meet some OBJ
stacle, and we have to turn out, and the
road is narrow, and it is sheer down on both
sides; and then we are willing that God
should take the reins and drive. Ali my
friends, we get upset so often because we do
not hand over the reins soon enough.
Can YOU not tell me when you hear man
pray, whether he has ever had any trouble?
1 can. The cadence, the phraseology indi-
cate it. Why do women pray better than
men? Because they have had more trouble.
Before a man has had any trouble, his pray
ers are poetic, and he begins away up among
the sun, moon and stars, and gives the Lord
a great deal of astronomical information that
must be highly gratifying. He then comes
on down gradually over tablelands to ''for-
ever and ever, amen" But after a man has
had trouble, prayer is with him taking
hold of the arm of God and crying out for
help. l have heard earnest prayers on two
or three occasions that remember.
Once, on the Cincinnati express train,
going at 40 miles the hour, the train
Jumped the track, and we were near chasm
so feet deep; and the men who, few min
utes before, had been swearing and bias
pheming God, began to pull and jerk at the
bell rope, and got up on the backs of the
seats and cried out 20 God, save us!'
A TIME WHEN MEN PRAYED.
There was another time, about 800 miles
out at sea-, on a foundering steamer, after
the last lifeboat had been split finer than
kindling wood. They prayed then. Why
is it you so often hear people, In recltlng
the last experience Of some friend, say: HE
made the most beautiful PRAYER I ever
heard?'' What makes it beautiful? 1t is
the earnestness of it. Oh, tell you man
is in earnest when his stripped and naked
soul wades out in the soundless, shoreless,
bottomless ocean of eternity.
1t is trouble, my friends, that makes us
feel our dependence upon God. We do not
know our own weakness or Gods strength
until the last splank breaks. 1t is con-
temptible in us when there is nothing else to
take hold of, that we catch hold of God
only A man is unfortunate In business.
He has to raise great deal of money, and
raise il quickly. He borrows on word and
note all he can borrow. After while he
puts a mortgage on his house. After a
while he puts second mortgage on his
house. Then he puts lien on his furni-
ture. Then he makes over his life insur-
ance. Then he assigns all his property.
Then he goes to his father-in-law and asks
for help
Well, having failed everywhere, COM
pletely failed, he gets down on his knees
and says: 80 Lord, have tried everybody
and everything; now help me out Of this
financial trouble" He makes God the last
resort instead of the first resort. There are
men who have paid ten cents on a dollar
who could have paid hundred cents on a
dollar if they had gone to God in time,
WHY, YOU do not know who the Lord is.
| He is not an autocrat seated far up in a
palace from which he emerges once year,
preceded by heralds swinging swords to
clear the way. No. But father willing,
at our call, to stand by US in every crisis
and predicament of life.
TO ALL BUT THE BEST FRIEND.
tell you what some of you business men
make me think OF. A young man goes of
| from home to earn his fortune. He goes
with his mothers consent and benediction.
! She has large wealth; but he wants to make
his own fortune. He goes far away, falls
sick, gets out of money. He sends for the
hotel keeper where he is staying, asking for
lenience, and the answer he gets is: IF you
don't pav up Saturday night you'll be re-
moved to the hospital" The young man
sends to comrade in the same building.
No help He writes to banker who was a
friend of his deceased father. No relief.
He writes to an old schoolmate, but gets no
help. Saturday night comes, and he is
moved to the hospital.
Getting there, he is frenzied with grief;
and he borrows sheet of paper and a post
age stamp, and he sits down, and he writes
home, saying; Dear mother, am sick
unto death. Come" 1t is ten minutes oi
10 o'clock when she gets the letter. AT 1C
o'clock the train starts. She is five minutes
from the depot. She gets there in time tc
have five minutes to spare. She wonders
why a train that can 60 80 miles an hour
cannot go 60 miles an hour. She rushes intc
the hospital. She SAYS: "My son, what
does all this mean? Why didn't you send
for me? You sent to everybody but me
You knew 1 could and would help you. L
this the reward get for my kindness to you
alRays?" She bundles him up, takes hin
home and gets him we'll very soon.
Now, some OF you treat God just as tha
Young man treated his mother. Wher
YOU get into a financial perplexity you cal
on the banker, you call on the broker, yol
call on your creditors, you call on you
LAWYER fer legal counsel; you call upoI
everybody, and when you cannot get an,
4 help, then you go to God. You say: 80
Lord, 1 come to thee. Help me now out o
my perplexity."
THE RESPONSE is CERTAIN.
And the Lord comes, though it is tn
eleventh hour. He says: "Why did yol
not send for me before AS one whom hi
mother comforteth, so will comfort you.
1t is to throw us back upon an all-comfort
ing God that we have this ministry of tears
Again, it is the use of trouble to capAci
tate us for the Office of sympathy. Th
priests, under the old dispensation, were Sc
| h,- hnrinn rrafar srnrin kled nn thai