The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1891-03-12
CHURCH LOCALS
AND RELIGIOUS NOTES OF GENER.
AL INTEREST.

/ The Sabbath that was buried three
days ago was day of rain, and with
no moment of sunshine. 1t seemed
to weep all through each of its
hours. Did it answer to the tears
of the Son of Man, over Jerusalem?
to Gods tears, for the sins of earth?
So it seemed to some of US, as shut
In our own homes and out of Gods
home, call the day long" "Bless
the Lord, 0 my SOUL" for the
thought of an eternal Sabbath of
eternal sunshine, where no clouds
can ever come. This world answers
to and meets all the demands of the
mortal and immortal joined in one
part sunshine and part clouds. That
answers to all the demands of the
purely spiritual-no mixture of
clouds but perennial light.
WE heard only one church bell
last Sabbath. In a mourntul sad
way, this lone bell ruug out the
hour for Sunday school, as though
it was pleading for the purest and
the best innocent children to come
to the house of the Lord, and wor-
shin before him,
WE have sometimes thought that
such rainy Sabbath day, had its
own peculiar ministry-drew it's own
lines-puts up in its own scales for
weighing. "Thou art weighed in the
balances and art found wanting
or full measure? Did it not try the
pastor? Was he glad for such a
day? Was he sorry for an estimat-
ed loss to himself and those ap-
pointed to hear him? Was he impa-
tient at the restraint put upon him ?
Was he as prayertul, careful watch
full as he would have been, if the
day had been bright and called
for the usual service? Was his vans
ity and self-consciousness checked,
or enlarged by the rain? Did he
mourn the loss Of an opportunity to
do good? Did he look up to God
with glad and contented spirit,
ready to work or not to work, as
God willed?
BUT what of the average church
goer' How was the rainy Sabbath
to him? There ought to have been
an inc1e ease of the spirit of prayer
to meet any loss arriving from alb
sence from church. There ought
to have been a class meeting be-
tween husband and wife, and be-
tween parents and children. So it
ought be every Sabbath, but spec
tally so on a rainy Sabbath. What
was the rainy Sunday to you broth
ers and sisters of the households :?
We ask ourselves the same question
what was it to us? O Lord thou
knowest. What of our reading, as
we'll as of our thoughts and CONVEX
sation?
ANANIAs was a christian living in
Damascus. Saul, of Tarsus, was on
his way to arrest and imprison such
as Ananias. Saul was himself ar
rested on the way. He was carried
on to Damascus with scales on his
eyes, fasting and praying tor three
full days. Instead of his hunting
down Ananias as public enemy,
Ananias was sent to Saul as broth
er beloved. The message to Ana
MAS was "Behold he prayeth."
There is no hatred, or danger, or
hurt, to another in one that pray
eth. Saul was on his way to greet
Aranias as an enemy. He reached
Damascus to be greeted by Ananias
as brother. His hand is on Saul.
His kindly greeting vas "brcther
Saul" What a change in SAUL!
What surprise to Ananias These
things are in reach OF US all to-day.
In all these wonderful things be-
falling Saul, of Tarsus, God said, 81
will show him how great things he
must suffer for ray name sake" 1t
vas not the great things he would
do for me; not the wonderful things
he would accomplish for that and
for all future generations, but chow
great things he must suffer- This
is the key note of all true living and
1