The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-09-01

nights. He regards the acuteness OF the
pain. He estimates the hardness Of the
breathing. While you pour out the
medicine from the bottle and count the
drops, God counts all your falling tears.
As you look at the walls filled with nau-
seous drafts and at the bottles of dis
tasteful tonic that stand ON the shelf, re-
member that there is larger bottle than
these, which is filled with no mixture by
earthly apothecaries, but 1t is Gods bot
tie, in which he hath gathered all our
tears.
THE SORROWS OF POVERTY.
Again, God remembers all the sorrows
of poverty. There is much want that
never comes to inspection. The deacons
of the church never see it. The comp
trollers of almshouses never report it. It
comes not to church, for it has no apprs-
pirate apparel. 1t makes no appeal for
help, but chooses rather to suffer than
expose Its bitterness. Fathers who fail
to gain livelihood, so that they and
their children submit to constant priva-
ton; sewing women, who cannot ply
the needle quick enough to earn them
shelter and bread.
But whether reported or uncomplain-
ing, whether in seemingly comfortable
parlor, or in damp cellar, or in hot gar
ret, Gods angels of mercy are on tho
watch This moment those griefs are
being collected. Down on the back
streets, In all the alleys, amid shanties
and log cabins, the work goes on. Tears
Of want-seething in summers heat or
freezing in winters cold-they fall not
UNDECIDED, They are jewels for heavens
casket. They are pledges Of divine sym
pathy. They are tears for Gods bottle.
Again, the Lord preserves the remem-
brance of all paternal anxieties, You
see a man from the most infamous sur
roundings step out into the kingdom CT
God. He has heard no sermon. He has
received no startling providential warn
ing. What brought him to this new
mind? This is the secret-God looked
over the bottle in which he gathers The
tears of his people, and he saw paren.
tai tear in that bottle which has been
for 40 years unanswered. He said, "Go
to, now, and let me answer that tear"
and forthwith the wanderer is brought
home to God.
Oh, this work of training children for
God! 1t is a tremendous work. Some
people think it easy. They have never
tried it. A child is placed in the arms
of the young parent. 1t is beautiful
plaything. You look into the laughing
eyes. You examine the dimples in the
feet. You wonder at its exquisite or
ganism. Beautiful plaything! But o.,
some nightfall as you sit rocking that
little one a voice seems to fall straight
from the throne of God, saying: ~ bat
child is immortal! The stars shall die.
grow old with age and perish, but tia!
is an immortalf'
GOD UNDERSTANDS YOUR HEART.
Now, know with many Of you this:s
the chief anxiety. You earnestly Wis.,
your children to grow up rightly, hui
you find it hard work to make them It.,
as you wish. You check their tempct
You correct their waywardness; in tie
midnight your, pillow is wet with weep
ing. You have wrestled with Cos in
agony for the salvation Of your children.
You ask me if all that anxiety has bce'
Intellectual. / answer, No. God i'm
derstands your heart. He understands
how hard you have tried to make tia,
daughter do right, though she is SO v,ly
petulant and reckless, and what pair4
you have bestowed in teaching that sci,
to walk in the path of uprightneas
though he has such strong proclivit.as
for dissipation.
| speak cheering word. God heard
every counsel you ever offered him God
has known all the sleepless nights you
have passed. God has seen every sink.
ing of your depressed spirit. God re-
members your prayers. He keeps eter-
nal record of your anxieties, and in his
achrymatory-not such as stood i'll an
Gent tomb, but in one that glows and
glitters beside the throne Of God-he
holds all those exhausting tears.
The. grass may be rank upon your
graves and the letters upon your tomb
stones defaced with the elements before
the divine response will come, but he
who hath declared, II will be 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 gar
landed with glory that long hayward
one will rush into your outstretched
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-never! never!
Again, God keeps perpetual remem-
brance of all bereavements. These are
the trials that cleave the soul and throw
the red hearts of men to be crushed in
the wine press. Troubles at the store
you may leave at the store. Misrepre-
sentation and abuse Of the world you
may leave on the street where you found
them. The lawsuit that would swallow
your honest accumulations may be left
in the courtroom. But bereavements
are home troubles, and there is no escape
from them. You will see that vacant
chair. Your eye will catch at the sug-
gestive picture.
You cannot fly the presence of such
ills. You go to Switzerland to get cleal
of them; but, more sure footed than the
mule that takes you up the Alps, YOU
troubles climb to the tiptop and sit shiv
ering on the glaciers. You may crost
the SEAS but they can outsail the swift
est steamer. You may take caravan ani
put out across the Arabian desert, but
they follow you like a simeon, armed
with suffocation. You plunge into TIT
Mammoth cave, but they hang like sta
lactites from the roof of the great cav