The Red Cloud chief., 1893-08-18

WV N''N 'iN' -
But one day there arose from tho
heavens a chill blast that SVEN, over
the bed room, and instantly all the
light went out, and there was darkness
thick, murky. impcnctrablc. shuddcr.
ing But God did not leave
you there. Mercy spoke. As YOU were
about To put the cup to your lips, God
SAID. Let IL pass" and forthwith, as
10y the hand of angels. another Gun was
put into your hands: il was the cur of
Gods consolation. And il YOU have
sometimes lifted the head of n wounded
soldier and poured wine into his lips,
so God puts His left arm under vour
head, II with His right hand He
pours into your lips the wine of His
comfort and His consolation. and you
looked at the empty cradle and looked
ut your broken heart, and you looked
at the Lords chastiscmcnt, and Won
said, Even 81. Father, for So il seem.
good in Thy sight"
All, it il your first trouble. How did
you get over IL? God comfortcd you.
los have been Il better man ever since.
% have been Il better woman ever
since. In the jar of the closing gate of
the scpulchcr you heard the changing
Of the opening gate of Heaven, and
you felt an irresistible dra wing heaven.
ward. You have been purer and holier
of heart ever since that night when the
little one for the last time put its arms
around your neck and said: Good
night, papa: good night. mamm Meet
me in Heaven"
But | must come on down To your
later sorrow. What was il? Perhaps
it was sickness. The child's tread on
the stair or the tick of the watch on
the stand disturb you. Through the
long weary days you counted the figures
in the carpet or the flowers in the wall
paper. But You are better, perhaps
even well. Have YOU thanked God that
to-day You can come out in the fresh
air; that YOU are in this place to hear
Gods name and to sing Gods praise,
and to implorc Gods help, and To ask
God forgiveness?
Perhaps your last sorrow was a iinan-
cial embarrassment. by an unadrised
Endorsement, or 10y a conjunction of un-
foresccn events. or by fire or storm. or
a scnscless panic, YOU have been flung
~hcadlong, and where YOU once dis
F Nn>ed great charities now you have
hard work To make both ends meet.
Have You forgotten to thank God for
your days of prosperity, and hat
through your trials some of you made
investments which will continue after
the last bank of this world has ex-
ploded and the silver and gold are
molten in fires of u burning world?
Have you, amid all your losses and en-
couragemcnts, forgot that there was
bread on Your table this morning and
that there shall he Il shelter for your
head from the storm, and there is air
for your lungs, and blood for your
heart, and light for your eye. and u
| glad and glorious and triumphant re-
| 1igion for your soul?
Perhaps your last trouble was II be-
reavcmcnt. That heart which in child
hood vas your refuge, the parental
heart, and which has been "A source OF
the quickest sympathy ever since, has
suddenly become silent forever. And
now sometimes, whenever in sudden an
noyance and without deliberation YOU
say, II will go and tell mother" the
thought flashes on YOU: II have no
mother Or the father. with voice
less tender, but at heart as earnest and
loving-watchful of all our ways, ex-
ultant over your successes without say
ing much, although the old people do
talk il over by themsclves-is taken
away forever.
or there was your companion in life,
sharer of your joys and SORROWS, taken,
leaving the heart an old ruin. where
the i'll winds blow over n wide wilder
ness of desolation, the sands of the
desert driving across the place which
once bloomcd like the garden Of God.
And Abraham mourns for Sarah at the
cave of Machpelah. Going along your
path in life, suddenly, there was an
open grave.
But cheer up in the nainc Of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Comforter. lie is not
going to forsakc you. Did the Lord
take that child out of your arms? Why
he Is going to shelter it better than you
conld. lie is going to array it in IA
white robe, and give IL Il palm branch
and ave it all ready To greet you ut
your coming home. blessed the broken
heart that Jesus heals. Blessed the
importunate cry, that Jesus compassion
ates. Blessed the weeping eye from
which the soft hand of Jesus wipes
away the tear.
But these "reminiscences reach only to
this morning. There is one more point
of tremendous reminiscence, and that
is the last hour of life, when we have to
look over all our past existence. What
II momcn that will be. ! place Napo-
Icons dying Renaissance on st. Helena
beside Mrs Judson's dying reminiscence
in the harbOr of st. Helena. the same
island, twenty years after. Napoleon's
dying reIniniscence was one of delirium
-as he exclaimed: Head of the army.'
Mrs. Judson's dying reminiscence as
she came nome from her missionary
toll and her life of ~self-sacrifce for God,
dying in the cabin of the ship in the
harbor of st, Helena, was: ~ always
did love the Lord Jesus Christ And
then, the historian says, she fell into a
sound sleep for an hour, and woke amid
the songs of angels.
! place the dying "reminiscences of
Augustus Cesar against the dying rem.
iniscence of the Apostle Paul. The