The Brookhaven leader., 1889-11-07

w ko W Ills y hVhHNs ~ -
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 IL he had
been present at the creation he could
have made better world than this.
What pity he was not present! i do
not know what God will do when some
men die. Men think they can do any
thing until God shows them they can do
nothing at all. We lay our plans and
we like to execute them. 1t looks big.
God comes and takes us down. As
| Prometheus was assaulted by his enemy,
when the lance struck him il opened a
great swelling that had threatened his
death, and he got well. So it is the ar
row of trouble that lets out great SWELL
| ings of pride. We never feel our de-
pendence upon God until we get trouble.
was riding with my little child along
the road, and she asked if she might
drive. | said: Certainly"
handed over the reins to her, and !
| had to admire the glee with which she
drove. But after awhile we met team,
and we had to turn out. 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 to drive. 1t gives one such an APP
pearance of superiority and power. 1t
| Looks hiu lut off aubiln moot
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 All! my friends, we get up
set so often because we do not hand over
the rCins 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
than men? Because they have had
more trouble. Before a man has had
any trouble, his prayers are poetic, and
begging away up among the sun, moo"
and stars, and gives the Lord great q al
of astronomical information that In {
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 taking hold of the arm of
God and crying out for help. | 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, 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:
30 God, save u.s.
There was another time. about eight
hundred miles out at sea, on a founder
ing steamer, after the last life-boat had
been split finer than kindling wood.
They prayed then. Why is it you so
often hear people in reciting the last
experience of some friend, say: "Ile
made the most beautiful prayer | ever
heard?" What makes it beautiful? 1t
is the earnestness of it. Oh, tell you a
| Illdll 10 III EARNEST witch IIN NJllHD'u
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 our own weakness or Gods
strength until the last plank 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 I'M
fortunate in business. lie has to raise a
great deal of money, and raise it quickly.
| lie borrowS on word and note all he can
borrow. After awhile ne puts mort
gage on his house. After awhile he puts
a second mortgage on his house. Then
he puts 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
knees and says: 80 Lord, have tried
every body and every thing, now help
me out of this financial trouble" lie
makes God the last resort instead Of the
| first resort. There are men who have
paid ten cents or 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 palace, from which lie
energies once a year. preceded by her
AIDS swinging swords to clear the way.
! No. But Father willing. at our call,
to 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 off 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, 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 pay up
Saturday night you'll be removed to the
hospital" The young man sends to a
comrade in the same building. No help.
He writes to a banker who was a friend
of his deceased father. No relief. lie
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 a sheet of paper
and postage stamp, and he sits down,
and he writes home, saying: Dear
1t is ten minutes of ten o'clock when