The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1892-02-11

plague pausos. As soon as the lsrnelitee have
been sufficiently disciplined by their wander
ings they find their way into Canaan. But
to some the limit is not set in this life. Their
whole pilgrimage is through the wilderness
and the world Is to them valley OF tears.
But perhaps God has a special throne IN
heaven that no ordinary saint can occupy,
and by extraordinary trials He has prepared
that Christian soul for extraordinary glory.
God Will not keep you In the furnace one
moment too long. Just as soon as Paul had
met with enough Imprisonment and scourg-
ings he reached up and pluckod his eternal
the hammer and on the stocks than Is neces-
sary toft us for entrance into the haven of
eternal rest. Glory he 10 the divine grace
that, as soon as our Affections have accom-
plished their mission, they nre arrested.
The defeats and sorrows OF life have some
times been the greatest advantage. IL was
because Dante failed rs n statesman that he
gave up politics and wrote his immortal
"Divinia Commedia." 10 was violent
thunderstorm that first set Martin Luther
seriously thinking, and the thunder OF this
worlds disaster has started n reformation.
James Y. Simpson went from surgeons
operating table TO experiment and SEQ IL he
could not find something that would alleviate
human pain, and he kept on until he had dis
covered chloroform as an anmsthetic, and
the story OF distress has almost always been
followed by the story of rescue.
For many years after Shakespeare's death
his work was 80 little appreciated that IN
TOO tnero was only one erItion OF his WORKS.
and that OF only three hundred copies, in
| existence, and that edition was nearly all
burned in thegreat London fire. But forty
eight copies had been sold out of the city,
and those forty-eight copies saved Shakes
| peare Tor all nations and all time. Your
suppression on smaller scale may last a
good while. but for all you are worth you
Will yet shine out on earth or in heaven.
i rIl my gtfh tact hnf
nected with the most distressing judgments
| OF God there are displays of divine mercy.
God might justly have left Nebuchadnezzar
| in the Held, but infinite compassion brought
| him back 10 the palace. No sooner was Eden
| blasted than blessing followed on the heels
of the curse promising the coming Of One
who would destroy sin aud make the whole
world paradise. The delugo descends but
not until Noah had invited the people into
the ark. The destroying angel comes upon
Egypt FOR the smiting OF the first born, but
left unmolested every house whose door was
sprinklod with the blood of sacrifice.
Fiory temposts bear down upon Sodom,
but not until two augels havo warned Lot
and bis family TO flee from the destruction.
Jerusalem was utterly destroyed. but not
until Jeremiah had sounded alarm,
bidding them turn from their abominatious.
On the darkest cloud OF wrath their is u
rainbow OF mercy. Zechariah in h,s pro.
phetic vision beheld four chariots, symbol
lcal OF Gods government
| The first chariot was drawn by red horses.
They indicated the wars that were coming.
The second chariot was drawn by black
horses. They indicated the coming OF "a
famine and pestilence. The thirl chariot
was drawn by white horses. They indicated
the spotleSs purity of His conquests But
mark well that the fourth chariot was
drawn by horses ''grisled and bay" denoting
that mercy was mixed with all the desc
lating judgments OF God. Sinai cannot
thunder 50 ioud as to drown the invitations Of
Calvary The Lord utters the ndmonition,
"The wages OF sin is death, but exhaustless
mercy responds, Deliver him from going
down TO tho pit for have found ransom
Iide Thee quick in the rock, Christ Jesus.
Let not this Insignificant Now absorb
Thee more than the great hereafter The
path leading TO this side OF the grave is only
a few furlongs, but the path which com.
| mences at the other side CT tits without end
The powers OF darkness gather about your
soul, aud the temptations OF an evil heart
and the allurements of tho world know aro
trying TO drown the voice OF the preacher
1u,t..st .ho'|un' 1i.e .Si'ys- trnfgnat NJ the
Gospel which made Felix tremble, aud nc
the Pentecost brought threo thousand souls
out OF their sepulcher, would blow one
long, loud blast, crying, "Whosoever will,
| let him come"
Take this goodly religion which has done
20 much for me that can commend IL TO all
w
! downward career. Stolid aud phlegmatic
natures going astray do not go 80 far, but
natures like mine, sanguine intense, emo
tional, optimistic, social 10 the last degree
aud echoing 10 all the heights and depths OF
mirth, IL they get of the track thoy go with
one wild leap TO hell. AS To the restraining
power OF this religion upon a mercurial tenn
| perament testify. This Is not abstraction
or something gotten from books. ispeak OF
what know. Go out aud ask all who have
tried this religion and ask them how 1t
works
Three young men in factory came out
on the Lords side, but two OF them, over
come by the jeers of their comrades, went
| back and Joined the scoffers. The one held
on TO his Christian hope, and one day when
they pressed him hard and were telling how
much infldelity had done for the world, ana
| that Christianity had done nothing, the per-
secuted Christian turned upon them, and
pointing to Henry and George, who had Tor
little while followed Christ and then turned
back. he said:
you have tried your principles on them
| and know what they have done for them
When they tried 10 serve Christ they were
civil, goJd tempered, kind husbands and
aud ready 10 oblige What have you made
themf Look aud see. They are cast down
and cross: their mouths are full OF cursing
and filthiness; they are drunk every week;
their children half clothed, their len, WIVES wives
broken hearted, their homes wret;neu: ihag
is what your principles have done. Now
have tried Christ and His religion and what
has IL done for mey You know well what
used 70 be. There was none OF you
that could drink so much. swear 80
desperately and fight so mastery.
had no money and nobody would trust me
NV wife was ill used, 1 was Ill humored,
hateful and hating. What has religion dono
for mey Thank God, am not afraid TO put
IL TO you. Am not a happier man than
wasy Am l not a better workman ana
kinder companion2 Would once have put
up with what l now bear from your
could beat any of you as easily now as ever;
Why don't II oyou ever hear foul word
nuhlic houseP Has anybody n score against
mep Go and ask my neighbors II am not
altered for the better. 90 and ask my wiie.
Let my house bear witness Sod ue
praisei. here is what Christianity has done
Tor me, there is what Inndelty mas zone ror
Henry and George"