The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-12-09
| ing ana cheerful and view Of tbs last

the trees Frost in the air. Frost on
the hands of the huskers. You remem-
Der we used to hide between the corn
stacks so as to keep off the wind, but
you remember how shivering was the
body and how painful was the cheek,
and how benumbed were the hands.
But after awhile the sun was high up
and the frosts went ont of the air, and
hilarities awakened. the echoes, and
Joy from one corn shock went up.
AHA, ahal" and was answered by Joy
from another corn shock, AHA, aha!'
So we all realize that the death of our
friend is the nipping of many expecta-
tons. the freezing, the chilling, the
frosting of many of our hopes.
1t is far from being a south
wind. 1t comes out of the frigid north,
and when they go away from us we
stand benumbed in body and benumbed
in mind and benumed in soul. We
stand among our dead neighbors, our
dead families, and we say: "Will we
ever get over it?" Yes, we will get
over it amid the shoutings of Heavenly
reunion, and we will look back to all
these distresses of bereavement only as
time. Weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning"
Light, and but for moment" said
the apostle as he clasped his hands,
Eight, and but for a moment" The
chill of the frosts followed by the glad
ness that cometh in like shock of
corn cometh in in his season."
OF course, the husking time made
rough work with the ear of corn. The
busl'ing peg had to be thrust in, and
the hard thumb of the husl1er had to
come down with the. swathing of the
ear, and then there was a pull and
there was ruthless tearing, and then
a complete swapping off before the corn
was free, and if the husk could have
spoken it would have said: 'Why do
You lacerate me? Why do you wrench
me?" All, my friends, that is the way
God has arranged that the ear and the
husk shall part, and that is the way He
has arranged that the body and soul
shall separate. You can afford to have
your physical distresses when you
know that they are only forwarding
the soul to liberation. Every rheu-
matte pain is only plunge OF the huslk-
ing peg. Every neuralgia twinge is
only twist by the husker. There is
gold in you that must como out. Some
way the shackle must be broken. Some
way the ship must be launched for
heavenly voyage. You must let the
heavenly Husbandman husk off the
mortality from the Immortality. There
ought to be great consolation in this
for all who have chronic ailments, since
the Lord is gradually and more mildly
taking away from you that which him
ders your souls liberation, doing grad
ually for you what for many of us in
robust health perhaps He will do in
one fell blow at the last. At the close
of every illness, at the close of every
paroxysm, you ought to say; THANK
God, that is all past now; thank God,
will never have to suffer that again.
Thank God, l am so much nearer the
hour of liberation. \ on will never
suffer the same pain twice. You may
have new pain IN an old
place, but never the same pain
twice. The pain does it's work
and then it dies. Just so many
plunges of the crowbar to free the
many strokes of the chisel to complete
the statue. Just SO many pangs to sep
arate the soul from the body. You who
have chronic ailments and disorders are
only paying installments that which
some of rs will have to pay in one pay
ment when we pay the debt of nature.
Thank God, therefore, We who have
chronic disorders that you have so
much less suffering at the last. Thank
God that you will have so much less
to feel in the way of pain at the
hands of the heavenly Husbandman
when the "shock of corn cometh in his
season."
Perhaps now this may be an answer
to question which / asked one Sab
bath morning, but did not answer:
Why is it that so many really good
people have so dreadfully to suffer?
You often find good man with enough
pains and aches and distresses, you
would think, to discipline whole col
ony, while you will find man who is
perfectly useless going about with
easy digestion and steady nerves and
shining health, and his exit from the
world is comparatively painless. How
do you explain that? Well, I noticed
in the huslsing time that the husking-
peg was thrust into the corn, and then
there must be stout pull before the
swathing was taken off the ear and the
full, round, healthy, luxurient corn
was developed, while on the other hand,
there was corn that hardly seemed
worth huslxing. We threw that into a
oil "a
''nubbins." Some of it was widowed.
and some of it was mice-nibbled, and
some of it was great promise and no
fulfillment. All cobs and no corn
Nubbins! After the good corn had
been driven up to the barn we came
around with the corn-basket and we,
picked up these nubbins. They were
worth saving, but not worth much. So
all around us there are people who
amount to comparatively nothing
They develop into no kind of useful
ness. They are nibbled on one side by
the world, and nibbled on the other
side by the devil, and widowed all
over. Great promise and no fulfill
ment. All cobs and no corn. Nub-
bins, They are worth saving.
suppose many of them will
get to Heaven, but they are not
worthy to be mentioned in the same
day with those who went through great
tribulations into the kingdom of our
God. Who would not rather have the
pains of this life, the misfortunes of
this life-who would not rather be torn,
and wounded, and lacerated, and
wrenched. and husked, and at last go