The Russellville Democrat., 1890-01-02


 endure, but joy cometh in the morning
 l remark further. Jesus does not shad- ow the joys of others with His own griefs. He might have sat down in that wedding and said T have so much trouble, so much poverty, so much per isecution, and the cross is coming; I shall not rejoice, and the gloom of m Y face and of my sorrows shall be cast over all this group" ,so said not Jesus. He said to Himself Here are two per sons starting out in married life. Let 1t be a joyful occasion. I will hide my own griefs. l will kindle their 1 joy There are many not so wise as that. Iknow household where there are many little children, where for two | years the musical instrument has been kept shut beeanse there has been trouble in the house, Alas for the fol- 1 lyl Parents saying: We will have no ! Christmas tree this coming holiday be- cause there has been trouble in the house. Hush that laughing up-stairsl How can there be joy when there has been so much trouble?" And so they make every thing consistently doleful, and send their sons and daughters to ruin with the gloom they throw around l them.
 Oh, my dear friends, do you not know those children will have trouble enough of their own after awhile? Be glad they can not appreciate all yours. Keep back the cup of bitterness from your daughters lips. When your head is down in the grass of the tomb, poverty may come to her, betrayal to her, be- reavement to her. Keep back the sor- rows as long as you can. Do you not know that son may, after awhile, have his heart broken? Stand between him and all harm. You may not fight his battles long; fight them while you may. Throw not the chill of your own de- spondeney over his soul; rather be like Jesus, who came to the wedding hiding His own grief and kindling the joys of others. So have seen the sun, on dark day, struggling amidst clouds, black, ragged and portentious. but after l awhile the sun. with golden pry, 1 hoayed back the blackness; and the sun ! laughed to the lake, and the lake ] laughed to the sun, and from horizon to 1 horizon, under the saffron sky, the water was all turned into wine.
 learn from this miracle that Christ i is not impatient with the luxuries of life. It was not necessary that they should have this wine. Hundreds of 1 people have been married without any 1 wine. We do not read that any of the other provisions fell short When God made the wine it was not necessity, but positive luxury. do not believe l that He wants us to eat hard bread and sleep on hard mattresses unless we like them the best. l think, if circum- l stances will allow, we have right to l the luxuries of dress, the luxuries of diet and the luxuries of residence There is no more religion in an old coat than in new one. We can serve God drawn by contemplated harness as cer- tainly as when we go afoot. Jesus Christ will dwell with us under a | matched roof; and when you can get wine made out of water, bring as much of 1t as you can.
 What is the difference between a 1 Chinese mud hovel and an American home? What is the difference between the rough bear skins of the Russian boor and the outfit of an American gen. | tleman? No difference, except that which the Gospel of Christ, directly or indirectly, has caused When Christ l shall have yanquished all the world I suppose every house will be mansion, and every garment a robe, and every horse an arch-necl1ed courser, and every carriage glittering vehicle, and every man King, and every woman Queen, | and the whole earth a paradise; the glories of the natural world harmoniz- | ing with the glories of the material world, until the very bells of the horses shall jingle the praises of the Lord. l learn further from this miracle, l that Christ has no impatience with festal joy, otherwise He would not have accepted the invitation to that wedding. 1 He certainly would not have done that which increased the hilarity, There may have been many in that room who were happy, but there was not one of them that did so much for the joy of the wedding party as Christ Himself. He was the chief of the banqueters. When the wine gave out, He supplied it; and so, l take it, He will not deny us the joys that are positively festal.
 think the children of God have more right to laugh than any other people, and to clap their hands as loudly. There is not single joy denied them that is given to any other people. Chris | tianity does not clip the wings of the soul. Religion does not frost the flow CTS. What is Christianity? l take it to be simply proclamation from the Throne of God of emancipation for all the enslaved; and if man accepts the | terms of that proclamation and becomes free, has he not right to be merry? i Suppose father has an elegant man. sion and large grounds. To whom will he give the first privilege of these grounds? Will he say: My children, you must not walk through these paths, or sit down under these trees, or pluck this fruit These are for outsiders. They may walk in them" No father would say any thing like that He would say: ''The first privileges in all the grounds, and all of my house, shall be for my own children" And yet men try to make us believe that Gods children are on the limits, and the chief refreshments and enjoyments of life are for outsiders, and not for His own children. It is stark atheism. There is no innocent bever- age too rich for Gods child to drink; there is no robe too costly for him to wear; there is no hilarity too great for him to indulge in, and no house too splendid for Him to live in. He has a right to the joys of earth; he shall have right to the joys of Heaven. Though tribulation, and trial, and hardship may come unto him, let him rejoice. "Re- jOiee in the Lord, ye righteous, and again l say, rejoice"