Connecticut western news., 1891-12-24

are hard, and the chastisements some- times are very grievous; but do not complain. The hotter the fire the better the refining. There are men before the throne of God this day in triumph who on earth were cheated out of everything but their coffin. They were sued, they were imprisoned for debt, they were throttled by constables with whole pack of writs. they were sold out by tlIe sheriffs, they had no compromise with their creditors they had to make assignments. Their dying hours were annoyed by the sharp ringing of the doorbell by some impetuous creditor who thought it was outrageous and in- pudent that man should dare to die before he paid the last three shillings and sixpence.
 had friend who had many mis- fortunes. Everything went against him. He had good business quality and was of the best of morals. but he was one of those men. such as you have sometimes seen, for whom everything seems to go wrong. His life became to him plague. When heard he was dead, said, Good, got rid of the sheriffs!" Who are those lustrous souls before the throne2 When the question is asked. Who are theya" the angels standing on the sea of glass respond, ''These are they who came out of great business trouble and had their robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb"
 A man arose in Fulton street prayer meeting. and said: Il wish publicly to acknowledge the goodness of God. l
 was ill business trouble. had money
 to pay, and had no means to pay it, and l was in utter despair of all human
 help, and l laid this matter before the
 Lord, and this morning went down among some old business friends l had
 not seen ill many years, just to make a call, and one said to me, Why, am so glad to see you. walk in. We have some money on our books due you good while. but we didn't know where
 you were. and therefore not having
 your address we could not send it. We
 are very glad you have come.'" And
 the man standing in Fulton street
 prayer meeting said, "The amount
 they paid me was six times what
 owed" You say it only happened so2
 You are an infidel. God answered that
 mans prayer. Oh, you want business l. grace.
 Commercial ethics, business honors,
 laws of trade, are all very good in their place. but there are times when you want something more than this world will give you. You want God. For the lack of him some that you have known have consented to forge, and to maltreat their friends, and to curse their enemies, and their names have
 been bulletined among scoundrels, and they have been ground to powder,
 while other men you have known have gone through the very same stress of circumstances triumphant. There are
 men here today who fought the battle | and gained the victory. People come out of that mans store, and they say,
 Well, if there ever was Christian trader that is one." Integrity kept the l books and waited on the customers : l Light from the eternal world flashed through the show windows. Love to l God and love to man presided in that | storehouse.
 Some day people going through the | street notice that the shutters of the window are not down. The bar of that store door has not been removed. | People say, What is the matterr' You go up a little closer, and you see writ ten on the card of that window, ''Closed on account of the death of one
 of the firm" That day all through the circles of business there is talk about
 how good man has gone. Boards of
 trade pass resolutions of sympathy, and churches of Christ pray, Help, Lord, l for the godly man ceaseth. l He has made his last bargain. he has | suffered his last loss. he has ached with the last fatigue. His children will get the result of his industry, or if through | misfortune there be no dollars left, they will have an estate of prayer and | Christian example which will be ever, l lasting Heavenly rewards for earthly
 discipline. There "the wicked cease | from troubling and the weary are at
 rest