The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-29

or freeZlnY III winter coiu 60 bo,yan's
casket. They are pledges for divine Sym
nothy They are tears for Goa Dottle'
Again. the Lord reserves. the rcmen,-
brance of all paternai anXletles. nun
a man from the most infamous SUI "a
ings step out into the kingdom OF Uou.
He has heard no sermon ne nus
ceiyed no startling prOvldentlal Warh!n73
What brought him to TINS ne" ny 10
This is the secret: God looked over NE hi'.
bottle in which he gathered the tears " 1 n,t
neOple and he saw Il parental tear III INV
bottle which has been for forty years uii-
answered. He said, eco to HOW ana iel
me answer that tear.' and 1orinWlth IiG
wanderer is brought home to Cog. vi:
this work of training children Tor '1oui 4.
is Il tremendous work. Some people 'hiiih
it easy. They have never trlcn II. -
child is placed in the arms or me yoUHS
parent. 1t is Il beautiful playlhlhS. lou
look into the laughing eyes Ao'h eA;'ll'iilt
the dimples i'll the feet. on W9huti a.
its exquisite organism Beautiful playtnlns
But on some nightfall you sit rocking
that little one q voice seems to fall straight
from the throne of God saying, mar
child is immortal! The stars shall die,
but that is an immortal. Suns shall grow
old with age and perish, but that IS ah
immortal!'
Now know with many of you this is the
chief anxiety. Iou earnestly wish Your
children to grow up rightly, but You ind
it hard work to make them do as yon WISH.
You check their temper. You correct lneif
waywarline>S in the midnight your plloW
is wet with weeping. You have wrcstled
with God in agony for the salvation OF your
children. You ask me if al that anxiety
has been Intellectual. | answer: No. God
understands your heart. He understands
how hard you have tried 10 make that
daughter do right, though she is so very
petulant and reckless; and what pains You
have bestowed in teaching that~>on to walk
in the path of uprightnes though he has
such strong proclivities for dissipation. |
speak 2 cheering word. God heard every
counse! you ever offered him. God mas
known all the seepless night, yon have
ever passed. God has seen every 'sinkins
| of your distressed spirit. God remembers
your prayers. He keeps eternal record of
your anXieties, and in his lachrylnatory.
not such stood in ancient tomb. but in
one that CLOVIS and glittcrS beside the throne
of God he holds all those exhaustng tears.
The grass may be ranll upon your graves and
! the letters upon your tombstone defaccd
| with the elements before the divine
! sporD, will come; but he who hath declar-
cd. II will be a God to thee, and to thy
! seed after thee will not forget and some
! day. in heaven. while you are ranging the
| fields of light, the gates of pearl will swing
| back. and garlanded with glory. that long
! maynard one will rush into your out
! stretched arms Of welcome and triumph.
| The hills may depart and the earth may
burn. and the stars fall and time perish,
! but God will break his oath and trample
upon his promises-neyer never.
Again. God keeps perpetual rem"m-
! brance of all bereuycmentS. These are the
trials that cleave the soul. ana throw the
! red hearts OF men t. be- crushed III the
| wine-pre>s Troubles ut the store you may
| leave nj the store. misrepresentation and
abuse of the world YOU ny leave on tn"
| street where You foHnd them. The law
IL. t,,,I,
| cunuIatious may be left in the courtroom.
| But bereavemcnts are home troubles and
there is no escape from them. You will
see thai vacant chair. Your eye VIII eaten
at the suggestive picture. 1ou cannot ny
| the presence of such ills. You go 10
Switzerland to get clear of them. bur more
sure-footed than the mule that takes you
IN the Alps, your trEbles climb to the tip
| tom and sill shvering on the glaciers. on
may cross the seas, but they can outSal the
| swfteSt steamer. You may take caravan
and nut out across the Arabian desert, put
! they follow you Ike simeon. armed With
m6in 14iyc, utK rnc%! ndn- 9i0v gta,ot,1tes
from the roof OF the great cavern They
stand behind with skeleton fingers to push
you ahead They stand before you to
throw YOU back They charge upon You
with cleaning spear They seem to come
hap-hazard. scattering shots from the gun
of Il careless sportsman. But not so: 1t
is good aim that sends them just right;
for God is the archer. This summer many
of you will especially feel your grief as
| Won 20 to places whore once you We're ac-
| COMMANDED by those who are gone now. Y our
troubles will follow you to to seashorc,
and will keep up with the lightning rN-
press in which you speed away. Or,
tarrying at home, they will sit beside
YOU by day. and whisper over your pill
low night after night want 70 n 9ss fnnf
* hoard heaven. You
win wander among the hills and say,
"I'p this hill last year, our boy climbed
with great glec and waved ms cap from
the top" or. THIS is the place where
our little girl put flowers in her hair, and
looked up in her mothers face. until
every drop of blood in your heart ungled
with gludness and you thanked God
with thrill of rapture; and You look
around as much as to say; WHO dashed
out that light? Vino filled this cup with
gall? What blast froze up these foun-
| tans of the heart:'' Some of You have
| lost your parents within the last twelve
months Their prayers for you are end
| ed. You take up that picture. and try
| TO call back the kindness that once look
| ed out from those old. wrinkled faces,
and spoke in such tremulous voice;
and YOU say it is good picture, but all
the while you feel that, after ALL 1t does
not do justice; and !ou would give al
most Anything-you would cross the sea.
YOU would walk the earth oyer-to hear
Just one word from those lips That few
months ago used TO call you by your
first name. though so long you yourself
have been parent. Now, YOU have
done your best to hide your grief You
smile when You do not feel like it. But
though You may not deceive the world, God
knows. He looks down upon the empty
cradle upon the deSolated nursery, upon
the stricken home. and upon the broken
heart. and says: This is the way l thrcsh
the wheat; this is the way l scour my
jewels. Cast thy burden on my arm and
/ will sustain YOU All those tears / have
gathered into my bottlc!
But what is the of having so many
tears in Gods lachrymatory? In that
great casket or vase, why does God pre-
serve all your troubles? Through AL the
ages of eternity what use Of a great
collection of tears? l do not know
that they will be kept there forever. l do
not know but that in some distant age of
heaven au angel Of God may look into
the bottle and find it empty of tears
rs the lachrymals of earthenware dug
up from the ancient city. Where have
the tears gone 10? What sprite of hell