The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-10-31


he reads Genesis once. The old story,
I'm the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth, does not thrill
him half as much as the other story.
Il saw new heaven and q new
earth" The old mans hand trembles
as he turns over this apocalyptic leaf,
and he has to take out his handker-
chief to wipe his spectacles. That
book OF Revelation is a prospectus now
OF the country into which he Is to
soon immigrate; the country in which
he has lots already laid out, and ave-
nues opened, and trees planted, and
mansions built.
The thought of that blessed place
comes over me nightly, and declare
that if this house were q great ship,
and you all were passengers on board
it, and one hand could launch that
ship into the glories Of heaven, ]
should be tempted to take the response
bility and launch you all into glery
with one stroke, holding on to the side
of the boat until I could get in myself.
And yet there are people here to whom
this world Is brighter than heaven.
Well, dear souls, / do not blame you.
II is natural. But after while you
will be ready to go. II was not until
Job had been worn out with bereave-
ments and carbuncles and pest of a
wife that he wanted to see God. It
was not until the prodigal got tired Of
living among the hogs that he wanted
to go to his Fathers house. 1t is the
ministry Of trouble to make this world
worth less and heaven worth more.
OUR DEPENDENCE ON THE LORD.
Again, 1t Is the use Of trouble to
make us feel our complete dependence
upon God. King A1phonso said that
if he had been present at the creation
he could have made a better world
than this. What a pity he was not
PRESENT. I 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. It looks big.
God comes and takes us down. As
Prometheus was assaulted by his ene-
my, when the lance struck him 1t
opened a great swelling that had
threatened his death, and he got well.
So it is the arrow of trouble that lets
out great swellings OF pride. We
never feel our dependence upon God
until we get trouble. I was riding
with my little child along the road,
and she asked II she might drive. I
said, Certainly"
handed over the reins to her, and
had to admire the glee with which
she drove. But after while we met
a team and we had to turn out. The
road was narrow, and 1t was sheer
down on both sides. She handed the
reins over to me, and said: II 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 appearance Of
superiority and power. It looks big.
But after while we meet some OBJ
stacle, and we have to turn out, and the
road is narrow, and 1t is sheer down on
sides and then we are willing that both
God should take the reins and drive.
All my friends, we get upset so often
because we do not hand over the reins
soon enough.
Can you not tell when you hear a
man pray, whether he has ever had
any trouble2 / can. The cadence,
the phraseology indicate 1t. Why do
women pray better than men2 Be
cause they have had more trouble.
Before man has any trouble, his
prayers are poetic, and he begins
away up among the sun, moon and
stars, and gives the Lord great deal
of astronomical information that must
be highly gratifying. He then comes
on down gradually over beautiful
tablelands to ''forever and ever,
amen" But after man has had
trouble, prayer is with him taking
hold of the arm of God and cfYing out
for help. have heard earnest pray
ers on two or three occasions that
remember.
Once, on the Cincinnati express
train, going at forty miles the hour,
and the train jumped the track, and
we were near a chasm eighty feet
deep; and the men who, few minutes
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 usi" There was another time,
about eight hundred miles out at sea,
on foundering steamer, after the last
Iifeboat had been split finer than kin
ding wood. They prayed then. Why
is it you so often hear people, in re-
citing the last experience OF some
friend, say: HE made the most beau
tiful prayer / ever heardf" What
makes it beautifuli It is the earnest
ness of 1t. Oh, / tell you a man is in
earnest when his stripped and naked
soul wades out in the soundless, shore
less, 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 planl
breaks. 1t is contemplate 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 it quickly. He borrows on word
and note all he can borrow. After a
while he puts a mortgage on his house.
After while he puts second mort
gage on his house. Then he puts a
| Zen ON his furniture. Then he makes
over his life insurance. Then he as
signs all his property. Then he goes
to his father-in- law apd asks for helpl
Well, having failed everywhere,
completely failed, he gets down on his
knees and says: 20 lord, have tried
everybody and everything, now help
me out of this financial trouble" BE
makes God the last resort instead OF
the first resort. There are men who
have paid ten cents on q 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 palace, from which he emerges
once year, preceded by heralds swing
ing swords to clear the way. No. But
father willing. at our call, to stand
by us in every crisis and predicameni
of life.
tell you what some of you bust
ness men make me think of. A young
man goes off from home to earn hi
fortune. He goes with his mothers
consent and benediction. She ha.
large wealth; but he wants to max,
his own fortune. He goes far away
falls sick, gets out OF money. III,
sends for the hotel keeper where he il
staying, asking for lenience, and tn,
answer he gets is: If you don't pa,
up Saturday night you'll be removes
to the hospital.r The young mar
sends to comrade in tina same build
ing. No help. He writes to banke
who was a friend of his decease'
father. No relief. He writes to al
old schoolmate, but gets no help
. Saturday night comes, and he
1 ynavad IN fhe hoSnital
Getting there, he Is frcnxied witt
grief; and he borrows a sheet of pa
per and a postage stamp, and he sit