The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-12-02

bOls."
"Mr. Williams, you should not think
or speak tNus; you know better, and l
don't believe you mean what you say.
Bat mark my words. if you keep on
thus tremble for you. The Lord will
place his hand on you as chosen ves-
sci, aud will rut you through the fires
that will take the dross away, and you
will know sorrow and suffering"
81 don't see how be could make it
any hotter"
81 do, for you have had no suffering
at all, only some anxiety"
81 think l have suffered, and look
here, Mr.. Stewart, the Lord knows /
tried to serve him fsi,hfully, and not
from fear, but from love, so far as l
know myself, and think il very wrong
in him TO treat me thus"
"Mr. Williams, if you had something
10 bear like our neie Mr.. Tuner,
you might complain"
"Mr Turner's case just makes me
boil. Then there is Mrs. CASTOR, a
pure, innocent woman, and she has
been deserte by brutal husband and
left with little babe, aud no means of
support | tell you it is not right"
Mr.. Turner was a poor, pious, emil
grant Scotchman. A few days after
arriving his wife died, leaving six chill
drcp, the cd st fourteen. Then he
and one boy were sick for long time
with typhoid fever, and while the
church and charitable organization
were nursing them, little Slllie died of
di phtheria, and the baby and two
youngest children had to be put in a
Home.
Well, when | went Saturday to tell
Mr.. Turner that Sallie had been dead
three weeks, though il well-nigh broke
his heart, he said the Lord made no
mistakes. Ii your lot were his you
might complain. But you must re-
member the day of cl airing up all these
things will come, and We will know, as
Christ said, hereafter"
Well, as wife sometimes says, can't
but feel it would be more satisfying to
me to know little more here"
Why, Mr.. Williams, it was only this
morning you were rejoicing that you
had gotten over your sleeplessness and
could rest so well now, were in so much
better health, your neuralgia so much
better Then you expressed the wish
that you could only outgrow your 'mul-
ishness in ever doing as you had done
since you came out here. Now, you
are putting all the blame for affairs on
the Lord. You want to take the credit
for all the good things that came to you
through your provision, and throw the
anne of all the evil things on the Lord"
Not so; but have been reconsider
ing all these things, and have changed
my views entirely"
81 am surprised that YOU should Gu
loose from m )oriugs so quickly, because
of a single adverse wind, forgetting the
forty Yeas of good, and not be able to
stand one year of east wind. You will
be sorry for this want of faith. Form
erly you have taken delight in holding
people to the only anchorage in time of
adversely. You fo' get how you prais d
your good friend, Sam Ii ,lding, when
all his fortune went in a fly and hi,
friends seemed to be leaving him, Tor
his standing faithfully to bis filth il
God; and you said you believed that
was AL that saved him Now, stick to
the principles you laid down as true and
right in the day when you chose the
things of the kingdom"
81 can't do it, they won't hold. |
have rvconsidered the whole thing,
and"
II beg leave to differ. l have gone
through such periods, where trust and
adherence to the foundations once lai /
alone saved me. 1t has not been clear
sailing always; every life has storms,
and though do not know the why, |
do know God has and yet will override
for our good and his glory"
In few minutes Mr.. Williams had
gone to meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce, and Mr.. Stewart 10 his
study.
Mr.. Williams was proud man. He
once said he III ought the most humi Ii IT.
ing thing he had to undergo was seeing
his wife and sister doing their own
work. But they were sensible farmers
daughters aud were glad to be occupied.
When Mr.. Stewart entered his study
he could but think what deceitlul
thing the heart of man ia, and ChrisL's
words, " A mans life colsisteih no. in
the abundance of the thirgs which be
p ,ssesseth, flashed into his mind, and
"covetousness which is ld)la'ry."
Mr.. Williams, that is the trouble
GU wanted TO make your S50,O00 be-
come 100000. Gods dealings bear
their fruit afterward. To-day is the
tribulation, the threshing, tomorrow
the winnowing, and possibly the third
day the separate grain may be found.
Then what of that grain? The kernels
must be placed in the ground and die TO
bear more fruit; and the afllicion VIII oh
brings out the gold in character, must
take that character of god and place it,
in its uualloyed preciousness, where by
use it can help purcha sc blessings for
others. God may strip you of your
earthly delights to tura the intensity of
soul to him. But there is many Mr..
Williams who wants to choose for him
SELF and if he can't dictate the terms OF
his own peace he will not be beholden
to any peace policy.
We shall never fully know while here
the bearing of the separate events of
life on the life Of the individuals as a
whole. We make things infnit, ly