Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-06-12
snrashing you may always conclude the

Next my text teaches US that God
hrcI1 ions OK trials Co what we can
bear. the stsif Coz the ftches. the rod for
the cTlInrin, Tie iron wheel for the corn.
Eosnetiines people IL greet trouble say,
"Oa. c,,r't i.e@c it!'' Tat you did bear
it. Coz. Won not have se.it 1t upon you
e he dill nc know t.,as you could bear
<. Y Oh ,-.e,..3led, and you swooned, but
.ou got through. God VIII not take
tom your eyes one tear too many, nor
from your lungs one sigh too deep, nor
from Your temples one throb too sharp.
The perplexities of your earthly business
have not in them one tanglc too intricate.
You sometimes feel as if our world
were full oe bludgeons flying haphazard.
Oh no; they are thrashing instruments
that God just suits to your case. There
is not dollar of bad debts on your ledg-
er, or a disappointment about goods
that you expected to go up, but that
have gone down, or a swindle of your
business partner, or trick on the part
of those who are in the same kind of
business that you are, but God intended
to overrule for your immortal help. "Oh,"
you say, ''there is no need talking that
way to me. I don't like to be cheated
and outraged" Neither does the corn
/ like the corn thrasher, but after it has
! been thrashed and winnowed it has a
/ great deal better opinion of winnowing
mills and corn thrashers.
''Well," you say, ''if I could choose
my troubles I would be willing to be
! troubled" All, my brother, then it would
not be trouble. You would choose some
thing that would not hurt, and unless it
hurts it does not get sanctified. Your
! trial perhaps may be childlessness. You
are fond of children. You say, "Why
does God send children to that other
! household where they are unwelcome
and are beaten and banged about, when
I would have taken them in the arms of
my affections?" You say, "Any other
trial but this" Your trial perhaps may
be a disfgured cOuntenance or a face
that is easily caricatured, and you say,
''Oh, I could endure anything if only I
was good looking" And your trial per-
haps is a violent temper, and you have
to drive it like six unbroken horses amid
the gunpowder explosions of great ho1-
! iday, and ever and anon it runs away
with you. Your trial is the asthma.
You say, "Oh. if it were rheumatism or
neuralgia or erysipelas, but it is this
asthma, and it is such an exhausting
thing to breathe" Your trouble is
husband short, sharp, snappy and cross
about the house and raising small r.
because button is off! How could you
know the button is off?
Your trial is q wife ever in contest
with the servants, and she is sloven.
Though she was very careful about her
! on
she is careless, because she said her for
tune is made! Your trial is a hard school
lesson you cannot learn, and you have
bitten your finger nails until they are
sight to behold. Everybody has some
vexation OF annoyance or trial, and he
OF she thinks it is the one least adapted.
Anything but this" all say. 'sAny-
thing but this
Oh, my hearer, are you not ashamed
to be complaining all this time against
God? Who manages the affairs Of this
world anyhow? Is it an infinite Modoc,
or Sitting Bull savage, or an omnipo-
tent Mana Sahib? No, it is the most
merciful and glorious and wise Being in
all the universe. You cannot teach ON
impotence anything. You have fretted
and worried almost enough. Do you
not think SO? Some of you are making
yourselves ridiculous in the sight of the
angels.
Here is naval architect, and he draws
out the plan of a ship of many thousand
tons. Many workmen are engaged on it
for long while. The ship is done, and
some day, with the flags up and the air
gorgeous with bunting, that vessel is
launched for Southampton. At that time
! lad years of age comes running down
the dock with a toy boat which he has
made with his own jackknife, and he
says: Here, my boat is better than
yours. Just look at this jibboom and
these weather cross jack braces, and he
drops his little boat beside the great ship,
and there is roar of laughter on the
docks
All. my friends, that great ship is your
life as God planned it-vast, million
tonned. ocean destined, eternity bound
That little boat is your life as you are
trying to hew it out and fashion it and
launch it. All, do not try to be rival
of the great Jehovah. God is always
right, and in nine cases out Of ten you
are wrong. He sends just the hardships,
just the bankruptcies, just the cross that
it is best for you to have. He knows
what kind Of grain you are, and he sends
the right kind Of thrashing machine. It
eill be rod or staff or iron wheel just
according as you are ftches or cummin
or corn.
THE WHEAT AND THE CHAFF.
Again, my subject teaches us that
God keeps trial on us until we let go.
The farmer shouts 'whoar' to his
horses as soon as the grain has dropped
from the stalk The farmer comes with
his fork and losses up the straw, and he
IL. Il, l. 1la4