Democratic messenger., 1889-05-11

All Il was your first trouble. How did
you get over 1t? God comforted you.
You have been better man ever since.
In the jar Of the closing gate Of the sepul.
chre you heard the changing Of the opening
gate Of Heaven, and you felt an irrcsisti
bic drawing heavenward. You have been
purer of mind ever since that night when
the little one for the last time put It's arms
around your neck aud said: "Good.
night, papa goodnight, mamma. Meet me
In Heaven"
THE LAST SORROW.
But | must come on down to your latest
sorrow. What was Il! Perhaps Il was
your own sickness. The childs tread on
the stair, or the tick OF the watch ON the
stand disturbed you. Through the long
weary days you counted the figures In the
carpet or the flowers In the wall paper
Oh the wcariness, the exhaustion! Oh,
the burning pangs! Would God il were
morning, would God II were night, were
your frequent cry. But you are better, or
perhaps even well. Have you thanked
that God to-day you can come out In the
fresh air; that you are in this place to
hear Gods name. and to sing Gods praise,
and imploIe Gods help, and to ask Gods
forgiveness! Bless the Lord who healeth
all our diseases. and rcdccmcih our lives
from destruction.
Perhaps your last sorrownw was financial
embarrassment. congratulate some of
you on your lucrative profession or occu.
patton, on ornate apparel, on commodi.
Gus residence-evcrything you put your
hands on seems TO turn TO gold But there
are others Of you who are like the ship on
which Paul sailed, where two seas met.
and you are broken by the violence Of the
waves by an unad,ised endorsement, or
by u conjunction Of unforeseen events. or
by fire, or storm or senselcss panic.
you have been flung hea,ilong. and where
you once dispensed great charities now
you have hard work TO make the two ends
meet
Perhaps your las, trouble was u bercave
mcnt. That heart which in childhood
was your refuge, the parental heart. and
which has been source Of the quickest
sympathy ever since. has suddenly bccome
silent forever, and now sometimes when.
ever in sudden annoyance and without
dcliberaiion you say"l will gn and tell
mother" the thought flashes ON you II
have M mother; or the father, with
voice lcss tender. hut rs stanch aud earn.
est and loving rs ever. watchful of all
your ways, exuliant over your success
without saying much, although the old
people do talk It over by themselves, his
trembling hand on that staff which you
now keep rs II family relic, his memory
emhalmed in grateful hearts, is taken
away forever
Or, there was Your companion in life,
sharcr of your joys and SORROWS. taken.
leaving the heart an old ruin, where the
chill winds blow over wide wilderness
Of dcsolation, the sands Of the desert driv.
ing across the place which once bloomcd
like the garden Of God.
But cheer up IN the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ. the Comforter. lie Is not
going to iorsake You. Did the Lord take
that child out of your arms? Why, lie is
going to shelter II better than yon could.
lie Is going To array il in white robe.
and with palm branch II will be already
10 greet you at your coming home. Bless
cl the broken heart that Jesus heals.
Blessed the importunate cry tina, Jesus
compassionaics. Blessed the weeping
eye from which the son hand of Jesus
wipes away the tear
But these "reminiscences reach only to
this morning. There will yet he one
more point of tremendous "reminiscences.
aud that is the last hour of life. when W.
have Ia look over all our pas, existence.
What q moment that will he. ! place
Nnpoleon's dying "reminiscences on 81.
Helena besl'le Mrs. Juison's dying rcmi
nisccncc in the hnrlmr of 81. Helena, the
same islanl, 20 years after. NapolcOn's
dying rcminisccncc was an. al lclirium,
Head of the army" Mrs. Ju,lson's dying
"reminiscences, as. she came home from her
missionary toll and her life of seli.sacrilice
for God. dying in the cabin of the ship in
the harbor ofS ST. Helena. was Il always
did love the Lord Jesus Christ" And
then. the historian says, she fell into
sound sizes for an hour, aud awokc amul
liz. - ..,.r..l.