Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-12-07

mighty. AS the frost descends from
heaven, the gospel descends from heaven.
BY the breath OF God frost is given. By
the breath Of Col the gospel is given. As
the frost purifles, so the grace Of God
purifies. As the frost bestars the earth, 80
grace bejewels the soul AS the frost pre-
pares for food many things that otherwise
would be inedible, so the frost Of trial
ripens and prepares food for the soul. In
the tight grip of the frost the hard shells
of walnut and chestnut and hickory open,
and the luxuries of the woods come into
our laps or upon our tables; so the frost Of
trial takes many hard and prickly shell
and erushes it until that which stung the
soul now feeds it.
PURIFIED By SUFFERING.
There are passages Of Scripture that
once were enigmas, puzzles, riddles and
impossibilities for you to understand, but
the frosts Of trouble after awhile exposed
the full meaning to your SOUL You said,
II do not see why David keeps rolling over
in his psalm the story Of how he was pur- |
sued and persecuted." He describes him
self as surrounded by bees. He says, "They
compassed me about like bees; yea, they
compassed me about like bees" You think
what an exaggerating thing for him to ex-
claim, "Out of the depths Of bell have
cried unto thee, o LordW
And there is so much Of that style Of lam
entation in his writings you think he
overdoes it, but after awhile the frost comes
upon you in the shape of persecution, and
| you are stuck with this censure, and stuck
| with that defamation, and stuck with some
| falsehood, and lies in swarms are buzzing,
| buzzing about your ears, and at last you
understand what David meant when ho
said, "They compressed me about like bees;
yea, they compasscd me about like bees,
| and you go down under nervous prostra-
tion and feel that you are as far down as
! David when he cried, "Out of the depths OF
hellv'
| What opened all thosechapters that hith-
erto had no appropriateness? Frostsl For
a long while the Bible seemed l0psided and
a disproportionate amount of it given up to
the consolatory. Why page after pageand
chapter after chapter and book after book
in the Bible taken up with alleviations,
with pacifications, with condolencesS The
book seems like an apothecary store with
one-half of the shelves occupied with bal
sans Why such superluity OF balsams?
But after awhile the, membranous Group
|
way under the grip, or your property is
swept off by a bad Investment, or perhaps
all three troubles come at once-bankrupt-
cy, sickness and bereavement. Now the
consolatory parts of the Bible do not seem
to be disproportionate. You want some
thing off almost all the shelves of that sa.
cred dispensary. What has uncovered and
exposed to you the usefulness of so much
of the Bible that was before hidden? The
frosts have been fulfilling their mission.
Put down all the promises of the Bible on
table for study, and put on one side the
table man who has never had any trouble,
or very little of it, but pile upon the table
beside him all encyclopedias, and all die.
tionaries, and all archeologies, and all com
mentaries, and on the other side of the ta-
BILE put man who has had trial upon trial,
disaster upon disaster, and let HIM begin
the study of the promises without lexicon,
without commentary, without any book to
explain or help, and this latter man will un-
derstand far more of the height and depth
and length and breadth of those promises
than the learned exegete opposite, almost
submerged in sacred literature. The one has
the advantage over the other because he has
felt the mission of the frosts. o take the
consolation of this theme, ye to whom life
is struggle, and disappointment, and q
gantlet, and q pang. That is a beautiful
. proverb among the Hebrews which says
"When the tale of bricks is doubled, then
Moses comes"
THE BLASTS OF ADVERSELY.
Mild doses of medicine will do for mild
sickness, but violent pains need strong
doses, and SO stand over you and count
out some drops that will alleviate your
worst troubles if you will only take the
medicine, and here it is: "In the world yt
, shall have tribulat:oA Sbut be of good cheer
| have overcome the world" "Weepine
may endure for night, but joy cometh in
? the morning." Thank God for frosts
, What helped make Milton the greatest o.
, poets? The frost of blindness. What helped
make Washington the greatest Of generals
The frosts of Valley Forge What made il
: appropriate for one passing John Bunyan':
grave to exclaim Sleep on, thou prince o.
dreamers?" The frosts of imprisonment.
The greatest college from which we car
graduate is the college of frosts. Especia
t1ial fits for especial work. Just now watcl
and you will sec that trouble is preDarativt
, and educational That is the grlndstont
on which battle axes are sharpened. Ihav'
always noticed in my own case that wheI
the Lord had some special work for me tt
do it was preceded by especial attack upol
, me- This is SO proverbial in my own hous
! that if for something say or do get pour
, ed upon me volley of censure and anatn
ema, my wife always asks: 81 wonde
a what new opportunity of usefulness i
about to open! Something good and granC
is surely comingp'
+ What is true in my case is true on
. larger or smaller scale in the history O
a every man and woman who wants to serv
a the Lord. Without complaint take tn
hard knocks You will see after awhile
!. though you may not appreciate it now
;. that by the breath of good and lovin!
E God frost is given. Let the corners of you
! mouth, SO long drawn down in complaint
q be drawn up in smiles of content.
For many years poets and essayists hav
celebrated the grace and swiftness of tn
y Arabian horses. The most wonderful eX
n hibition of horsemanship that | ever wit
h messed was just outside of the city of Jeru
4 salem-an Arabian steed mounted by al
f Arab. Doyou know where these Arabian
i horses got their feetness and poetry of mo
r. tion? Long centuries ago Mohammed
z with 80 600 cavalry on the march, could fin(
y for them not drop of water for three days
/ Coming to the top of hill, a river was il
:. sight With wild dash the 10000 horse
Q started for the stream. A minute after al
q armed host was seen advancing, and at Mo
u hammed's command 100 bugles blew for tn
II horses to fall in line, but all the 30,00O con
Y tinued the wild gallop to the river excep
= five, and they, almost dead with thirst
u wheeled into line of battle.
= Nothing in human bravery and self sac
l rifce excels that bravery and self sacrific
. of those five Arabian war horses. Thos
. five splendid steeds Mohammed chose 70
his own use, and from those five came tina
e race of Arabian horses for ages the glor
of tho equestrian world. And let me sa
q that in this rrcat war of truth agains