Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-12-09
or of death unto death.

en-. By the breath of God frost is given.
By the breath of God the gospel is given.
AS the frost purifes, SO the grace of God
purifies. As the frost bestars the earth,
SO grace bejewels the soul. As the frost
prepares for food many things that 9TH
erwise would be inedible, so the frost of
trial ripens and prepares food for the
soul. In the tight grip of the frost the
hard shells of walnut and chestnut and
hickory open, and the luxuries Of the
woods come into our laps or upon our
tables; so the frost of trial takes many a
hard and prickly shell and brushes it I'M
til that which stung the soul now
feeds it.
| There are passages of Scripture that
once We're enigmas, puzzles, riddles and
impossible for you to understand, but
the frosts of trouble after awhile exposed
the full meaning to Your soul You said,
Il do not see why David keeps rolling
over in his Psalms the story of how he
was pursued and prosecuted" He de-
scribes himself as surrounded by bees.
He says, "They comprised me about
like bees; yea, they comprised me about
like bees" You think what an exag-
gerating thing fer him to exclaim. "Out
of the depths CT hell have cried unto
thee, 0 Lordr'
And there is SO much of that style of
lamentation in his writings you think
he overdoes it, but after awhile frost
comes upon you in the shape of persecu-
ton, and you are stuck with this CEN
sure, and stuck with that defamation,
and stuck with some falsehood. and lies
in swarms are buzzing, buzzing about
your ears. and at last you understand
what David meant when he said,
"They comprised me about like bees;
yea, they comprised me about like bees"
and you go down under nervous prostra-
ton and feel that you are as far down
as David when he cried, "Out of the
depths Of hellr
What opened all those chapters that
hitherto had no appropriateness Frostsl
For a long while the Bible seemed lop-
sided and Il disproportionate amount Of
it given up to the consolatory. Why
page after page and chapter after chapter
and book after book in the Bible taken
up with alleviations, with pacifcations,
with condolences? The book seems like
an apothecary store with one-half of the
shelves occupied with balsams. Why
such a superiority of balsams? But after
awhile the membranous Group carries off
your child, or your health gives way I'M
der the grip, or your property is swept
off by Il bad Investment or perhaps all
three troubles come at once-bankruptc
sickness and bereavement. Now the con-
solatory parts of the Bible do not seem
to be disproportionate. Yeu want some
thing off almost all the shelves of that
sacred dispensary. What has uncovered
and exposed to you the usefulness of so
much of the Bible that was before hid
den? The frosts have been fulfilling their
mission.
Put down all the promises of the Bible
on table for study, and put on one side
the table man who has never had any
trouble, or very little of it, bus pile upon
the table beside linn al encyclopedias,
and all dictionaries, and all archaologies,
and all commentaries, and on the other
side of the table put man who has had
trial upon trial, disaster upon disaster,
and let him begin the study of the
promises, without lexicon, without COM
mentary, without any book to explain
or help, and this latter man will under
stand far more of the height and depth
and length and breadth Of those prom
Uses than the learned exegete opposite,
almost submerged in sacred literature.
The one has the advantage over the
other because he has felt the mission of
the frosts. o. take the consolation of
this theme, We to whom life is a strug-
gle, and a disappointment, and Il gantlet,
and pang. That is beautiful proverb
among the Hebrews which says, when
the tale of bricks is doubled, then Moses
comes"
Mild doses of medicine will do for
mild sickness, bat violent pains need
strong doses, and SO | stand over you
and count out some drops that will allie
viate your worst troubles if you will
only take the medicine, and here it is:
SIN the world we shall have tribulation.
but be of good cheer. | have overcome
the world" Weeping may endure for
night, but joy cometh in the morn
ing" Thank God for frosts! What
helped make Milton the greatest of poets:
The frost of blindness. What helped
make Washington the greatest of gen.
erals? The frosts of Valley Forge. What
made it appropriate for one passing John
Bunyan's grave to exclaim, 'Sleep on,
thou prince of dreamers:" The frosts of
imprisonment.
The greatest college from which we
can graduate is the college of frosts. Es-
pecial trial fits for especial work. Just
now watch, and you will see that trou-
bic is preparatiye and educational. That
is the grindstone on which battle axes
are sharpened. | have always noticed
in my own case that when the Lord had
some especial work for me to do it was
preceded by especial attack upon me.
This is so proverbial in my own house
that If for something l say or do | get
poured upon me a volley of censure and
anathema, my wife always asks: II won
der what new opportunity of usefulness
is about to openF Something good and
grand is surely coming!''
What is true in my case is true on a
larger or smaller scale in the history of
every man and woman who wants to
serve the Lord. Without complaint
take tho hard knocks. You will see
after awhile, though you may not APP
preciate it now, that by the breath of
good and loving Cod frost is given.
Let the corners Of your mouth. so long
drawn down in complaint, be drawn up
in smiles of content.
For many years poets and essayists
have celebrated the grace and swiftness
of the Arabian horses. The most won
derful exhibition of horsemauship that |
ever witnessed was justoutside of the city
of Jerusalem-an Arabian steed mounted
by an Arab. Do you know where these
Arabian horses got their 1eetness and
poetry of motion? Long centuries ago
Mohammed, with 10000 cavalry ON the
march, could find for them not a drop Of
water for three days. Coming to the
top Of hill river was in sight. With
wild dash the $1,000 horses started for
the stream. A minute after an armed
host was seen advancing, and at Moha1n-
med's command 100 bugles blew for the
horses to fall in lire, but all the 10000
continued the wild gallop to the river,
except five, and they. almost dead with
thirst, wheeled into line Of battle.
Nothing in human bravery and self
sacrifice excels that bravery and self sac
rifce Of those five Arabian warehouses;.
Those FIVE splendid steeds Mohammed
chose for his own use, and from those
five came that race of Arabian horses for