The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-20

merged In sacred literature. The one has
the advantage over the other because he has
felt the mission of the frosts. Oh, take the
consolation OF this theme, ye to whom life fs
O struggle and @ disappointment, and 3
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, but violent pains need strong doses,
and 80 stand over you and count out some
drops that will alleviate your worst troubles
II you will only take the medicine, and here
It is: "ln the world ye shall have tribula-
ton, but be OF good cheer I have overcome
the world" "Weeping may endu-e for q
night. but Joy cometh in the morning"
Thank God for frosts! What helped make
M ss gTsas Wsa hsR q R0sssS Vhs 0 81
the greatest Of generals2 The frosts OF VAL
ley Forge What made it appropriate for one
passing John Bunyan's grave to exclalm,
asleep on, thou prince OF dreamers? The
frosts Of imprisonment. ..-..
The greatest college from which we can
graduate is the college OF frosts. Especial
trial fits for especial work. just now watch
and you will see that trouble Is preparattve
and educational. That is the grindstone on
which battle axes are sharpened. have
always noticed in my own case that whenthe
Lord had some special work for me to do 1t
was preceded by especial attack upon me.
This Is so proverbial in my own house tnat II
for something I say or do get poured upon
me volley Of censure and anathena, my
wife always asks: 81 wonder what new op.
portunity OF usefulness is about to open3
Something good and grand is' surely COM
Ing"
What is true in my case Is true on larger
- s,, n lior ooo1a ir hicforv nq aNerv man
and woman who wants to serve the Lord.
Without complaint take the hard knocks.
You will see after awhile, though you may
not appreciate it now, that by the breath OF
q good and loving God frost Is given. Let
the corners of your mouth, 30 long drawn
down in complaint, be drawn up In smiles OF
content. 81.
For many years posts and esssyists have
celebrated the grace and swiftness OF tne
| Arabian horses. The most wonderful exht-
bition of horsemanship that ever Witnessed
was Just outside the city OF Jerusalem-an
Arabian steed mounted BY an Arab. Do you
know where these Arabian horses got their
aeetness and poetry Of motion2 Long CEN
turies ago Mohammed, with 0,000 cavalry
On the march, could find for them not drop
Of water for three days. Coming to the top
of a hill, river was in sight. With wild
| dash the $4,000 horses started for the stream,
A minute after an armed host was seen ad.
yancing, and at Mohammed's command 100
! bueles blew for the horses to fall In line, but
| all the SO, 1000 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 sacri-
| fee excels that bravery and self sacrifice OF
| those five Arabian war horses. Those hVe
| splendid steeds Mohammed chose for his OWL
use, and from those FIVE came that race OF
| Arabian horses for ages the glory OF the
equestrian world. And let me say that IN
| this great war Of truth against error. OF hoh-
ness against sin and heaven against hell, the
best war horses are descended from those
| who, under pang and self denial and trouble,
answered the gospel trumpet and wheeled
| into line. Out of great tribulation, out OF
| great fires, out of great frosts, they came.
And let me say It will not take long Tor
| God to make up to you in the next world for
all YOU have suffered in this. As you enter
| heaven de may say "Giye this man one OF
those lowered and colonnaded palaces on
! that ridge of gold overlooking the sea OF
| glass. Give this woman 8 home among
those amaranthins blooms and between those
fountains tossing in the everlasting sunlight.
| Give her couch canopled with rainboWS 70
| pay her for all the fatigues OF wifehood and
motherhood and housekeeping, from which
| she had no rest for forty years.
| "Cupbearers Of heaven, give these newly
| arrived souls from earth the costhest beyer-
ages. and roll to their door the graEdest
c6ariots, and hang on their walls the sweet
| est harps that ever thrummed to- fingers
seraphic. Give to them rapture on rapture,
| celebration on celebration, jubilee On jubt-
lee, heaven on heaven. They had hard
time on earth earning a. livelihood. or nurs-
Ing six children or waiting on querulous
old age, or battling ialseho DDS that were told
about them, or were compelled to work after
they got shortbreathed and rheumatic and
dimsighted.
HChamberlains Of heaven! Keepers of the
kings robes Banqueters OF eternal royalty
Make up to them hundredfold, q thousand
fold, millionfold for all they suffered from
swaddling clothes to shroud, and let all
those who, whether on the hills, or in the
temples, or onthe thrones, or on jasper wall,
were helped and sanctifed and prepared for
this heavenly realm by the mission OF the
frosts stand up and wave their sceptersP'
And looked and, behold !nine-tenths Of the
ransomed rose to their feet, and nine-tenths
Of the scepters swayed to and fro in the light
Of the sun that never sets, and then under
stood far better than ever did before that
trouble comes for brnefcent purposes, and
that on the coolest nights the aurora Is
brightest in the northern heavens, and that
t'by the breath OF God frost is 81 ZEN"