The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-06-29
IN TIME OF TROUBLE.
Bear the Heavy Burdens of Life That W
May Gain Eternity.


May Gain Eternity.
To be patient when there is nothing
to annoy us is no difficult matter, but
when everything is contrary to our
wishes, patience having her perfect
work means much.
Over the smooth sea the giant ship
glides as it would on the waters of a
lake; there is no strain upon keel nor
rudder, and in almost motionless gran
deur the vessel rides as safely as when at
anchor. But the wind changes, the
huge waves are dashed into foam, and
as she rises upon them and then over
the crest, and she seems to be going to
the bottom, there is no longer quiet
sailing. Coal is piled into the fire, sails
are close hauled, every eye is fixed upon
the compass, and the captains sleepless
care is necessary to insure the safety of
passengers and crew.
1t is very familiar illustration, and
one that is well-nigh worn threadbare,
that life is sea, now smooth, now
calm, as winds blow or quiet reigns.
Perhaps there can be no better sugges-
ton to convey to our minds the idea
that we mean to convey. On an angry
sea OF trouble our bark may drift, but
in all our Christian life there never
ought to be any doubt about our Helms
man; our anchor ought never to slip,
for the hand of Father is at the
wheel.
Sometimes things seem to be going
hard, everything is astray and nothing
works just as we would wish. We say
to ourselves that we know that there is
Creator, for all things were at one
time or another created. There is a
God, aye personal God, for we feel it
to be so; but it seems to be very strange
that if the fact is true that God loves
us, that lie should leave us to suffer so
much. We like ease. lie has formed
us so that it is necessary to us to
have comfort, and yet we can
never get it. We are like the
sluggard who desires ''yet little sleep,
n little slumber, little folding of the
hands to sleep" and <yet our lives are
such that almost before the new day
has been born we must commence the
labor thereof. Or we love to wander
like the bee from flower to flower to sip
the honey from their hearts, or to in
hale their perfume as we feast our eyes
upon their beauties: and still, in contra
distinction to our wishes, every rose
that we pluck has such sharp thorns
hnt in,
wounds.
So we decide that God Is not kind;
that His eyes are not sleepless; that H
ears are heavy; that if we could have
had the formation of our lives that they
would have been full of pleasures and
free of pains. That is our human view
of it, but it is as shortsighted as it is
wicked. The Christian ought to
keep in mind one fact that is as
firm as the Rock of Ages-a fact that
will hold for us through all
time, and until time is swallowed in
eternity, the sure blessed truth that our
| God nerer makes any mistakes. Each one
of our lives is planned in infinite love;
each burden is weighed in the Fathers
hand before it is laid upon us, and then
it is rested upon our weary shoulders,
because it is the very best thing for us
to bear; and God wants us to remember
| that while there are such trying bur-
dens there is also Cross, and upon the
Cross there hung our Jesus.
Yes, life is a problem. One is born; a
| hrt, hn 10 A TOD
hood; only a very little further on the
man takes the child by the hand and
helps him on to old age, and just then
life ends-then what? Between the
cradle and the grave there lie hours
and weeks and years of Gods work, the
mosaic that brings out into view a
blending of the beauties that He has
planned for us.
What are we enduring tribulations to
gain? One word will tell it all-eterni-
ty! We have to keep in mind the fact
already noted, viz. that our God nerer
makes mistakes in order to help us to
bear these trials that hurt so much, and
TO make us patient with them, enduring
them as good soldiers. Trials will not
last forever; they endure only during
this little life, which is in comparison
with eternity only as one tiny flower in
natures great landscape. If we be-
lieve this, what will these few tears
matter by and by? What will we care
that the ease, the slumber came short
for us, or that what we thought would
be lovely flowers, were only night
shades?
Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy cometh in the morning" That
morning is not like those which dawn
after a sleep that is as fitful as unre.
freshing; it will be the morning in
which will be gathered those whom
Jesus loves, for whom He died, who ART
dearer to Him than the angels who
never sinned, and who therefore had nc
need of Redeemer. But when thu
grand welcome is given to those who
are in white array because their robe:
have been washed in the blood Of tn,