The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-05-28
NlOral ann Beli9iuus.
Sorrows Turned Into Joys.

We often make sad mistakes as to
what is best for us. We often hide our
richest blessings under pail, and deco
rate with garlands our temptations, or
the sources of our spiritual sorrows and
shame. The poor old patriarch Jacob
was shrouded in gloom, when he walled
out, Gail these things are against me.n
Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and
they have carried away also Ben iamin,
who bore in his boyish face the photo
graph of the beautiful Rachel. He
calls his lot sad one. But the return
ing caravan is almost in sight which
brings to him the full sacks from Egypt's
granaries, and the )yful invitation to
go and see his long-lost Joseph as pre-
mier of Pharaoh's kingdom. His dark
hour is just before the day-dawn. What
he baptised as sorrow has grown
into the greatest mercy of his life. We
have striking illustration of the mis-
takes that short-sighted people often
make by turning to a verse in the
fourth chapter of the first Book of
Chronicles. There we read that II" Jabez
was more honorable than his brethren;
and his mother called his name Jabez,
say luSs DtCuUSt 4 OOFC nun UtW SOF-
rOW.'" For some reason or other she
puts the mark of her grief on the brow
of her child, and she calls him " sorrow
full" Yet the very child who was born
in tears and christened with sad name
grew up to be the ornament and glory
of her household. God honored him with
so many blessings, and his career was
so bright and beneficent, that people
must have wondered how he ever came
to have so doleful name. His history
was like the April shower that begins
with weeping clouds, but ends in brill
liant sun-bursts and in rainbows painted
on the sky. We are often as blind as
that Hebrew mother, and make the
same egregiOus mistakes. We persist
in naming things SOrrOCS which turn
out TO be rich blessings in disguise
Who ever congratuates man on the
loss of his fortune or the failure of his
ambitious schemes? Yet while his
purse is being emptied his soul may be
filling full with Gods grace. More
than one man has been bankrupted
into spiritual wealth. Be careful how
you tell sick friend that his sickness
is great affl ction-when it may be
SGnI vi pOu W SOlltll us lltdIl. W
him to reflection and repentance. Let
us also be careful how we condole with
every weeping mother whose darling
child has found its angel-wings and
flown away to the arms of Jesus. If we
wish to sympathize with any parent, let
it rather be with her whose living chill
dren are fooling away life in frivolity, OF
are hardening into the sins that may yet
break the heart of her who bore them.
A thousand times over have | pitied
more the mother of a living sorrow
than | have pitied the mother of de-
parted joy. Parents, spare your tears
from those who have gone up to the
sinless "high school" of Christ in
glory; spend them on those children
who are yet alive, but are still un
touched by repentance or unconverted
to God. Don't stop with weeping over
their impenitence. Strive to tcin then
by kind counsels and prayers, and by &
holy example, to the Savior; then your
sorrow may be turned into ioy.-Rer
T. L. Cuyler.