Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-09-25

arm is too weak and the hammer we
WELD too small; but the most defiant
difficulty will fiatten and disappear when
God with hammer made of summer
thunderbOlts strikes it, saying, "The
crooked shall be made straight"
In your business concerns there are
influences perplexing. Your affairs may
seem all right to outsiders, for business
firms do not advertise their private
troubles; but where one firm has every
thing just as it wants it there are o hun
dred firms at their wits endAyhat to do
with that partner who draws moro than
his share of the profits, or with that
stockholder who comes in just often
enough to upset things, or with that dis
appearance of funds which you cannot
account for, although you have suS-
piciOns you cannot mention; or with that
investment which was made contrary to
your judgment because there was de-
termination TO push it through, or be-
cause you are going behind month by
month, without any prospect of extrica-
tion. The trouble is putting wrinkle
on your forehead that ought not to ap-
pear there for ten years yet, and you
will be forty years old when you ought
to be only thirty, or sixty when ycu
ought to be only fifty, or seventy whom
you ought to be only sixty. Stop worry
ing; either by the dissolution of that firm
or by readjusting matters you will be
brought safely through if you put your
trust in God.
When commercial houses fail the sus-
pension is advertised, but of the tens OF
thousands of men who are every day ex-
tricated no public mention is made. Yes
terday was Saturday, and l warrant that
at the windows of banks, and in count
ing rooms of stores, and on every street
of every city God appeared for the de-
iyerance OF good men as certainly as
when with His right foot He trod Lake
Galilee into placidity, and made Daniel
as safe among the lions as though they
had been house dogs asleep on rug be-
fore winters fire. Throw yourself on
the text, or hundred other texts mean
ing about the same thing.
Inever yet asked God to do anything
but He did it, if it were best, and in all
the cases where my prayer has not been
answered l have found out afterward
that it was best not to have been an
Swered in my way. But none of us has
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force very like some of the forces of ma
ture that were in existence but not EN-.
pioyed. For ages electricity was thought
good for nothing but to burn barns and
kill people with one fell stroke. The
lightning rod on top of houses was the
spear with which the world charged on
the thunderstorm, as much as to say,
''If you dare to come this way / will
hurl you into the ground" But now
electricity lightens homes and churches
and cities and Christendom, and moves
rail cars, and he is rash man who men
tions anything as impossible to this
natural energy.
So the power of prayer was to the
world rather frightful power, if it was
any power at all. But that has been
changed, and men begin to use it in some
things, and the time will come when II
will be used in all things, and there will
be Bible in every counting room and
supplication will ascend from every com.
mercial establishment, and when bust
ness firms are formed the question will
not only be asked as to how much this
one and that one put in of capital, but
the question will be asked: ''Do you
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any natural force yet developed will be
this Gospel electricity flashing heaven
ward for help, flashing earthward with
divine response God in business life
God in agricultural life. God in mechani
cal life. God in artistic life. God in
everv kind of life.
Your religion for the most part is hung
up so high you cannot reach it. 1t is
hung up on the cloudy rafters of the sky
where you expect to snatch it up as you
finally go through for heavenly resi-
dence. Oh, have your religion within
easy reach now! Religion is not fo1
heaven, but for this world. Once in
heaven we will need no prayer, for We
shall have everything we want. We
will need no repentance, for we shall
have forever got rid of our sins. We
shall have no need of comfort, for there
will be no trouble. The Christian re
ligion is not for heaven, where every
thing is all right, but for this world
where so many things are all wrong.
Washington Allston, whose name yor
recognize as that of great American
painter, was reduced to extreme poverty
and one day got on his knees and asked
for loaf of bread for himself and hi.
starving family. While he was bowed il
that prayer there was knock at thu
door, and man came in and said ''HoW
about your painting, the 'Angel Uriel,
that received the prize at the roya
academy? Has it been .sold?' ''No,
said Allston. ''How much do you wan
for it?" Allston replied, 81 am done fix
ing price, for I cannot get it." ''Wil
four hundred pounds be enough?" asked
the stranger. ''Why, that is more thar
/ asked,' said Allston. The four hun
dred pounds 1.-TWO thousand dollars) were
paid, and the purchaser introduced him
self as the Marquis of Stafford, wht
thereafter was one of the most liberia
patrons of the rescued artist. ''Oh, tina
all just happened so!" Did it? Tell tina
to some ignorant man, some benighteC
woman, who has never read the promise
''Call upon me in the day of trouble,
will deliver thee" or that other promise
"The crooked shall be straight"
Il 1t is remarkable how many crooked
things are in the providence of God bein.
made straight. About thirty years agt
our national affairs were as crooked al
depraved American politics and bad mel
and Satan could make them. From tn,
top of Maine to the foot of Florida th'
nation was red with wrath. 1t wa
wrangle and fight all the way through
and one of the mildest things that thu
North and South promised each othe
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