The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-07-22


and Christian usefulness and put 1t on
your fathers brow, or on the vacant
chair, or on the memory Of the one de-
parted? Speak outl old armchair. With
reference to your father the words Of
my text have been fulfilled "Thou
shalt be missed because thy seat will be
empty"
go little further on in your house,
and find the mothers chair. 1t is very
spt to be rocking chair. She had SO
many cares and troubles to soothe that
| It must have rockers. / remember it
we'll 1t was an old chair, and the
rockers were almost worn out, for was
The youngest, and the chair had rocked
the whole family. 1t made crealsing
noise as II moved; but there was music
In the sound. 1t was just high enough
10 allow us children to put our heads
into her lap. That was the bank where
we deposited all our hurts and worries.
Ah what chair that was 1t was diff
ferent from the fathers chair; 1t was
entirely different You ask me how? i
can not tell; but we all felt ii was diff
ferent Perhaps there was about this
chair more gentleness, more tender
ness, more grief when we had done
wrong. When we were wayward, fa-
ther scolded, but mother cried. 1t was
very wakeful chair. In the sick days
of children, other chairs could not keep
awake; that chair always kept awake
kept easily awake. That chair knew
all the old lullabys and all those word
less songs which mothers sing to their
sick children-songs in which all pity,
and compassion, and sympathetic inau-
ences are combined. That old chair has
stopped rocking for good many years.
II may be set up in the loft or the gar
ret but it holds queenly power yet.
When at midnight you went into that
grog-shop TO get the intoxicating
draught, did you not hear voice that
said: my son, why go in there?" And
louder than the boisterous encore Of the
place of sinful amusement, voice say
ing: "My son, what do you do here?"
And when you went into the house of
abandonment voice saying: What
would your mother do II she knew you
were here?" And you were provoked
with yourself, and you charged your
self with superstition and fanaticism
and your head got hot with your own
thoughts, and you went home and you
went to bed, and no sooner had you
touched the bed than voice said: "What!
q prayerless pillow? Mani what is the
matter?" This: You are too near your
mothers rocking chair.
20, pshawI" yousay. ''There's moth
ing in that; I'm five hundred miles off
from where was born; Pm three thou
sand miles off from the church whose
bell was the first music ever heard. +"
can not help that; You are too near
your mothers rocking chair. 90" you
say, ''there can't be anything in that;
that chair has been vacant a great
while" can not help that; II Is all
the mightier for that, it is omnipotent,
that vacant mothers chair. Itwhispers;
II speaks; II, weeps; 1t carols; it mourns;
It prays; It warns; it thunders Ayoung
man went off and broke his mothers
heart, and while he was away from
home his mother died, and the telegraph
brought the son, and he came into the
room where she lay and looked upon
her face, and he cried out; 20, motherl
motherl what your life could not do
your death shall effect This moment
/ give my heart TO God" And he kept
his promise. Another victory for the
vacant chair. With reference to your
mother, the words of my text were full
filed: "Thou shalt be missed, because
thy scat will be empty"
go on little further, and come 10
the invalid's chair. What How long
have you been sick? 20, have been
sick ten, twenty, thirty years" Is II
possible? What story Of endurance,
There are in many of the families OF
my congregation these invalidS chairs
The occupants of them think they are
: doing no good in the world, but that in
valid's chair is the mighty pulpit from
which they have been preaching, al
these years, trust. in Cod The first
time preached here at Lakeside, O..
amid the throngs present there was
nothing that so much impressed me AZ
the spectacle of just one face-the face
of an invalid who was wheeled in OF
her chair. / said to her afterwards
MADAM, how long have you been pros
trateds" for she was lying fat in tn,
chair. 10" she replied, ~ have beer
this way fifteen years" said: "Dt
you suffer very much?" 80, yes" sh'
said, ~ suffer very much; suffer at al
times. part Of the time was blind.
always suffer" "Well" / said, 4'can yol
keep your courage up?" 20, yes" sh,
J said, II am happy, very happy indeed.
! Her face showed IL. She looked tn,
happiest OF anyone on the ground.
! o. what means Of grace TO th,
world, these invalid chairs. On tina
field OF human suffering the grace o
God gets It's victory. Edward Payson
! the invalid, and Richard Baxter
, the invalid, and Robert Hall, the in
valid, and ten thousand OF whom tn
world has never heard, but OF whom
all Heaven As cognizant. The most con
spicuous thing on earth for Gods ey,
/ and the eye of angels TO rest on is not
throne Of earthly power, but IT is th'
! invalid's chair Obi these men and wo
? men who arc always suffering but neve
, complaining victims Of spina
4 disease, and neuralgia torture, ant
I rheumatic excruciation will answer :,
: the roll call Of the martyrs, and rise :,
I the martyrs throne, and will wave th,
; mnrtvr,s palm. But when one of thesl