Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-08-27
REV. Or. TAlMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE's SUM-
DAY SERMON.
SUBJECT: "THE SIN OF BORROWING
TROUBLE"

TKxT: "Su6icient " unto the day is th
erfl thereof oE"-Matthew vi, "a.
The life of every man, woman and child is
as closely under the divine care as though
such person were the only man, woman or
child. There are no accidents. As there is
q law OF storms in the natural world so
there is a law Of trouble, n law Of disaster,
a law OF misfortune; but the ma jority of the
troubles Of life are imaginary, and the most
OF those anticipated never come. At any
rate, there is no cause Of complaint against
God. See how much He hath done to make
thee happy; His sunshine filling the earth
with glory, making ra,noow for the storm
and halo for the mountain, greenness for the
moss saffron for the cloud aud crystal for
the hillow, and procession OF hammered flame
through the opening gates OF the morning,
chafilnches to sing, rivers to glitter, seas to
chant and springs to blossom, and over
powering all other sounds with its song, and
overarching all other splendor with its tr-
umph, covering up all other beauty with It's
garlands, and outflashng all other thrones
with its dominion-deliveranc for lost
world through the Great Redeemer.
discourse OF the SIN Of borrowing trouble.
First such habit of mind and heart is
wrong, because it puts one into despon-
dency that i'll fits him for duty. / planted
two rose bushes in my garden. The one
thrived beautifully, the other perished |
found the dead one on the shady side OF the
house Our dispositions, like our plants, need
sunshine. Expectancy OF repulse is the cause
of many secular and religious failures. Fear
OF bankruptcy has uptorH many fine bus-
ness and sent the man dodgipg among the
note shavers. Fear Of sander aud abuse has
often invited ali the long beaked vLltures of
scorn and backbitng. Many OF the misIor-
tunes OF life, like hyenaS flee II you courage
ously meet them.
How poorly prepared for religious duty is
a man who sits down un Ter the gloom Of ex-
pected misfortuneI II he pray, he says II
| do not think | shall be answered" II he
give, he says II expect they will steal the
money Helen Chalmers told me that her
father, Thomas Chalmers in the darkest
hour OF the history Of the Free Church OF
| Scotland, and when the Woes OF tho land
seemed to weigh upon his heart, said to tho
children. Come, let us go out and play ball
or fly kite, and the only difficulty in the
play was that the children could not keep up
with their father. The McCheyneS AMI tho
| Summerfelds OF the church who did tho
most good, cultivated sunlight. Away with
the horrorsl they distill poison, they dig
| graves, and IL they could climb 50 high, they
would drown the rejoicings Of heaven with
| sobs and wailing.
You will have nothing but misfortune in
| the future II you sedulously watch for IL.
How shall a man catch the right kind OF fish
IL he arranges his line aud hook and bait TO
catch lizards and water serpentsl Hunt for
\ bats and hawks and bats and hawks you will
find Hunt for robin redbreasts and you will
find robin redbreaSts One night an eagle
and an owl got into fierce battle; the eagle
| unused to the night was no matcd for au
owl, which is most at home in the darkness,
and the king OF the air fell helpless; but the
morning rose, and with it rose the eagle; and
the owls and the night hawks and the hats
came a second time to the combat; now, tho
eagle, in the sunlight, with stroke of his
talons aud great cry, cleared the air, and
his enemies, with torn feathers anl splaShed
with blood, tumbled into the thickets. Ne arc
the children OF light. Iu the night Of de.
spondency you will have no chlnc5 against
your enemies that flock up from beneath,
but, trusting in Col and stan ing in the sun
shine OF the promises, you shall renew your
youth like the eagle"
Again, the habit OF borrowing trouble is
wrong because it has tendency to MAKE us
overlook present blessing. To slake mans
thirst, the rock is cleft, and cool waters leap
into his brimming cup. To feed his hun ger
the fields bow down with bending wheat,
and the cattle come down with full lderS
from the clover pastures TO give him milk
and the orchards yellow and ripen, caStin
their juicy fruits into his lap. AiaSl that
amid such eXuberance of blessing man
should growl as though he were soldier on
half rations, or sailor on short allowance;
that a man should stand neck deep in har-
vests looking forward to famine; that ont
should feel the strong pulses OF health march
ing with regular tread through ull the ave
nues of life and yet trcmble at the expected
assault OF sickness; that a man should sit IN
his pleasant home, fearful that ruthless wan
will some day rattle the broken window sast
with tempest and sweep the Goals from
the hearth. and pour hunger int
the bread tray that u man fed by
Him who cwns all the harveSts should OK
pect to starve that one whom God love
and surrounds with benediction, an attend
with angelic escort and hovers over will
more than motherly fondneSS, should b
looking for heritage of telrsl
Has God been hard with thee that thol
shouldst be foreboiing2 Has He stiQtel tn,
boardy Has He covered thee with rats? Ha
He spread traps for thy feet, and CALLED tn!
cup, and rasped thy soul, and wrecked the
with storm, and thunderet upon thee with
life full OF calamity IL your father o
brother come into your bank where gold an
silver are lying about you do not watc
them, for you know they are honest; but
an entire stranger come by the safe yo'
keep your eye on him, for you do not kno'
his designs. SO some men treat God; not Al
Father but n stranger, and act suspic
iously toward Him, as though they were
afraid He would steal something
II is high time you began TO thank Co
for your present blessing. Thank Him fol
your children, happy, buoyant and bound
Ing. Praise Him for your home, with it
fountain OF song and laughter. Adore Hin
for morning light and evening shadow
Praise Him for fresh, cool water bubblin;
from the rock, leaping in the cascade, soar
ing in the mist, falling in the shower dash
ing against the rock and clapping its hani'
in the tempest Love Him for the gras
that cushions the earth, and the clouds tina
curtain the sky, and the foliage that wave
in the forest. Thank Him for "A Bible L
read, and cross to gaze upon, and a Saviour
to deliver.
Many Christians think it bal sign 10 b1
iubilant aud their work OF self-examnator
Is a hewing down Of their brighter expert
ences. Like a boy with n new jackknife
hacking everything he comes across so theil
determination is n religious cutting q
pieces OF the greenest things they can LAY
/ their hands on They imagine they ara 10
ing Gods service when they are going abou
borrowing trouble. and borrowing it a
thirty per cent, which is always a sure pre-
cursor of bankruptcy.
Again, the habit Of borrowing trouble
wrong because the present is sufficient
taxed with trial. God sees that we all nee
!, a certain amount Of trouble, and SO Hc ar
portions it for all the days and years of on
life. Alas for the policy of gathering it "A
up for one day or yearl Cruel thing to pu
, upon the back OF one camel all the car 20 In
tended for the entire caravan never loo
; at my memorandum book to see what en-
, gagements and duties ara far ahead. L.
/ every week bear its own burdens.
The shadows Of to-day arc thick enou I'd
why implore the presence Of other shadows
The cup is already distasteTul why halloo t
disasters far distant to come and wiring on
/ more gall into bitterness Are w5 sue
champions that having won the belt i
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