The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-11-07

! tAlH2 l1tal OO1 SHOWS t1cIA Antf EAu 10
nothing at all. We lay our plans and
we like to execute them. II looks big.
God comes and takes us down. AS
ProEetheus was assaulted by his enemy,
when the lance struck him it opened a
great swelling that had threatened his
death. and be got we'll. So IL is the ar
row Of trouble that lets out great swell
ings Of pride. We never feel our der
pendenee upon God until we get trouble.
/ was riding with my little child along
the road, and she asked IL she might
drive. said: Certainly
i handed over the reins 10 her, and I
had to admire the glee with which she
drove. But after awhile we met team,
and we had to turn ont. The road was
narrow, and it was sheer down on both
sides. She handed the reins to me, and
said: Il think you had better take
charge of the horse" So we are all
\ children; and on this road of life we
like 70 drive. Il gives one such an APP
pearance Of superiority and power. 1t
looks big. But after awhile we meet
some obstacle, 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 up
set so often because We do not hand over
the reins soon enough.
Can you not tell when you hear man
pray, whether he has had any trouble?
can. The cadence, the phraseology
indicate it. Why do women pray better
l.
more trouble. Before a man has had
any trouble, his prayers are poetic, and
begging away up among the sun, neon
and stars. and gives the Lord great deal
Of astronomical information that must
be highly gratifying. He then comes
on down gradually over beautiful table
lands to forever, and ever, amen"
But after man has had trouble, prayer
is with him a taking hold of the arm of
God and crying out for help. l have
heard earnest prayers on two or three
occasions that rem ember.
Once, on the Cincinnati express
train, going at forty miles the hour, and
the train jumped the track and we were
near chasm eighty feet deep. and the
men who, a few minutes before, had
been swearing and disappearing God,
began to pull and jerk at the bell-rope
and got up on the back of the seats and
cried out:
80 God. save us,'
There was another time, about eight
hundred miles out at sea, OBJ founder
ing steamer, after the last life-boat had
been split finer than l1indling wood.
They prayed then. Why is it you so
often hear people, in reciting the last
experience Of some friend, say: "He
made the most beautiful prayer / ever
heard?' What makes it beautiful? 1t
is the earnestness of 1t. Oh, tell you a
man is in earnest when his stripped and
naked soul wades out into the sound
| less, bottomless ocean OF eternity.
1t is trouble, my friends, that makes
us feel our dependence upon God We
do not know cur own wea kness or God s
strength until the last plank breaks. 1t
is contemplate in rs, when there is
nothing else to take hold Of, that we
catch hold Of God only. A man is I'm
fortunate in business. He has 10 raise a
great deal of money, and raise it quickly.
He borrows on word and note all he can
borrow. After awhile he puts mort
gage on his house. After awhile he puts
a second mortgage on his house. Then
he puts q lien on his furniture. Then
he makes over his life insurance. 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: 20 Lord. have tried
every body and every thing, 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 q palace. from which He
energies once year, preceded by her
AIDS swinging swords 10 clear the way.
No. But Father willing, at our call,
10 stand by Us in every crisis and pre-
dicament of life.
/ 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 benediction.
/ She has large wealth. but he wants to
make his own fortune. He goes far
away, fails 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 pay up
/ Saturday night you'll be removed to the
/ hospital The young man sends to
eomrade in the same building. No help.
I lie writes TO a banker who was a friend
Of his deceased father. No relief He
/ writes 10 an old schoolmate, but gets no
I help. Saturday night comes, and he is
moved 70 the hospital.
Getting there, he is frenzied with
/ grief; and he borrows sheet of paper
and a postage stamp, and he sits down,
and he writes hoine, saying; Dear
4 mother ] am sick unto death. Come. -
/ II is ten minutes of ten o'clock when
she gets the letter. At ten o'clock the
| train starts. she is five minutes from
the depot. She gets there in time to
have five minutes 70 spare. she wonders
( why a train that can go thirty miles an
hour can not 90 sixty miles an hour.
She PUSHES into the hospital. She says:
My son, what does all this mean?
Why didn't you send for me? You sent
70 every body but me You know could
and would help you. Is this the reward
! get for my kindness 10 You slwsys?"
She bundles him up. takes him home,
and gets him wen very soon.
Now, some Of you treat God just as
I that young man treated his mother
When you set into a financial perplexity
I you cali on the banker, you call on the
broker, You call on your creditors, you
call on your lawyer for legal counsel;