Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-11-06


the moment when they are born, and as tt
the place of their grave. Tears of bad mer
: are not kept. Alexander, in his sorrow
had the hair clipped from his horses and
mules, and made a great ado about hi:
grief; but in all the vases Of heaven there
is not one of Alexander's tears. [ speak o
the tears of the good. Alas! mel they are
falling all the time. 10 summer, you some
tunes hear the growing thunder, and you
see there is a storm miles away; but you
know from the drift of the clouds that il
Will not come anywhere near you. So,
though it may be all bright around about
us, there is shower of trouble somewhere
all the time. Tears! Tears
What is the use OF them anyhow? Why
not substitute laughter? Why not make
this world where all the people are well
: and eternal strangers to pains and aches?
What is the use of an eastern storm when
We might have perpetual nor 'wester?
Why, when family is put together, not
have them all stay, or if they must be trans
planted to make other homes, then have
them all live? the family record telling a
story of marriages and births, but of no
; deaths. Why not have the harvests chase
each other without fatiguing toll? Why
the hard pillow, the hard crust, the hard
struggle? 1t is easy enough to explain a
smile, or success, or cengratulatioD; but,
come now, and bring all your dictionaries
aud all your PHILOSOPHERS and all your religi-
ons. and help me explain tear. A chemist
will tell you that it is made up of salt and
lime and other component parts; but he
misses the chief irgredients-the acid of a
soured life, the viperine sting of bitter
memory, the fragments::of broken heart.
will tell you what tear is; it is agony in
solution.
Hear me, then, while discourse to you
of the uses of trouble.
First-Ib is the design of trouble to keep
this world from being too attractive. Some
thing must be done to make us willing to
quit this existence. If it were not for trou-
BILE this world would be good enough
heaven for ne. You and would be willing
to take lease Of this life for hundred
million years if there were no trouble. The
earth cushioned and upholstered and pillar
ed and chandeliered with such expense, no
story Of tho other worlds could enchant us.
We would say: "Let well enough alone.
If you want to die and have your body dis
integrated in the dust, and your soul go out
on celestial adventure, then you can go;
but this world is good enough for me-" You
might as well 60 to a man who has just en-.
tered the Louvre at Paris, and tell him to
hasten eff to the picture galleries of Venice
or Florence. "Why," he would say, "what
is the use of my going there? There are
Rembrandts and Knbens aud Raphaels here
that [ haven't looked at yet"
No man wants to go out of this world. or
cut Of any house, until he has better
house. To cure this wish to stay here, God
must somehow create g disgust for our sur
roundings. How shall he do it? He can.
not afford TO deface his horizon, OF to tear
off fiery panel from the sunset, Or to sub
tract an alther from the water lily, or to
banish the pungant aroma from the mig
n0natte, or to drag the robes Of the morning
in mire. You cannot expect Christopher
| Wren 10 mar bis own St. Paul's Cathedral
OF q Michael Angelo to dash out his own
| fL8st Judgment" o. a Handel to dscord
his 'Israel in Egypt" and you cannot ex-
pec5 God to spoil the architecture and music
of his own world. How then are we to be
made willing to leave? Here is where trou-
BILE comes in. After a man has mad q good
deal Of trouble, he says: "Well, am ready
to go. If there is a house somewhere whose
roof doesn't leak, would Ike to live there
If there is an atmosphere somewhere that
does net distress the lungs I would like TO
breathe it. If there is a society some here
where there is no tittle-ta tattle, l woud like
TO live there. If there is home circle
somewhere where can find my lost friends,
| would like to go there" He used to read
the first part Of the Bible chiefly, now he
reads the last part of the Bible chiefly.
Why has he changed Genesis for Revelation?
All! he used to be anxious chiefly to know
how this world was made, aud all about its
geological construction. Now he is chiefly
anxious to know how the next world was
made, aud how it looks, and who live there,
and how they dress. He reads Revelations
ten times now where he reads Genesis once.
The old story, SIN the beginning God
created the heavens and thu earth," does
not thrill him half as much as the other
story, 81 saw new heaven and a new
earth" The old mans hand trembles as
he turns over this apocalyptic leaf, and he
has to take ont his handkerchief to wipe his
spectacles. The Book of Revelation is
prospectus now of the country into which
he is to soon immigrate; the country in
which be has lots already laid out, and ave-
nues opened, and trees planted, and man.
sions built.
The thought OF that blessed place comes
over me nightly, and declare that if this
house we're great ship, and you all were
passengers on board of it, and one hand
could launch that ship into the glories of
heaven, | should be tempted to take the Te-
sponsibility and launch you all into glory
with one stroke, holding on to the side of
the boat until could get in myself. Aud
yet there are people here to whom this
world is brighter than heaven Well, dear
souls, | do not blame you. It is natural.
But after a while You will be ready to go.
It was not until Job had been worn out
with bereavements and carbuncles aud a
pest Of wife that he wanted to see God.
1t vas 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.
| Again, it is the use of trouble 80 make rs
feel cur complete dependence upon God
King Alphonso said that if be had been
present at the creation he could have made
better world than this. What pity he
was not present! l do not know what
God will do when some men die. Men
think they can do anything until God shows
| them they Car do nothing at all. We lay
onr great 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 great swelling that had threat
ened bis death, and be got well. So it is
the arrow of trouble that let's cut great
swelhugs OF pride. we never feel cur de
pendence upon God until We get trouble
I was riding with my little child alcog the
road, and she asked if she might drive. |
said, Certainly"
handed over the rens 10 her, ard had
to admire the glee wish which she drove -
But after while 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 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 appearance 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; aud then we arc will
ing that God should take the reins and
drive. All! my friends, we get upset 20