The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-06-14

clude the value of the grain.
Next, my text teaches us that God
proportions our trials to what we can
bear. The staff for the ftches The
rod for the cummin. The iron wheel
for the corn. Sometimes people in
great trouble say: 80, l can't bear it!''
But you did bear it. God would not
have sent it upon you If He did not
know that you could bear it. You
trembled and you swooned, but you
got through. God will not take from
your eyes one tear too many, nor from
your lungs one sigh too deep, nor from
you temples one throb too sharp. The
perplexities of your earthly business
have not in them one tangle too intri-
cate.
You sometimes feel as if our world
were full of bludgeons flying haphaz-
ard. o, no; they are threshing instru-
ments that God just suits to your case.
There is not dollar of bad debts on
your ledger, or 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 in
tended to overrule for your immortal
help. "0," you say, there isno need
talking that way to mel don't like to
be cheated and outraged" Neither
does the corn like the corn thresher,
but after it has been threshed and win
moved it has great deal better opin-
ion of winnowing-mills and corn thresh-
ers.
"Well," you say, "if could choose
my troubles l would be willing TO be
troubled" All, my brother, then it
would not be trouble. You would
choose something that would not hurt,
and unless it hurts it does not get sane
titled. 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 would have taken them
in the arms of my affectionsP" 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: 80, could
endure anything if only / was good
looking" And your trial, perhaps, is
a violent temper, and you have to drive
IL like six unbroken horses amid the
gunpowder explosions of a great holi-
day, and ever and anon 1t runs away
with you. Your trial Is the asthma.
You say, 80, If 1t were rheumatism,
or neuralgia, or erysipelas, butt is this
asthma, and it is such an exhausting
thing to breathe" Your trouble is q
husband, short, sharp, snappy and
cross about the house, and raising Q
small riot because button is OFF, How
could you know the button is Off You
trial is wife ever in contest with the
servants, and she is sloven. Though
she was very careful about her persona
appearance in your presence once, nov
she is careless, because she said he
| fortune is madel Your trial is har'
/ school lesson you cannot learn, and yoV
have bitten your finger nails until the.
r are sight to behold. Everybody ha
, some vexation or annoyance, or trial
and he or she thinks II is the one leas
adapted. Anything but this," all say
{ Anything but this"
o, my hearer, are you aot ashamed t
I be complaining all this time agains
: God? Who manages the affairs of tn
I world, anyhow? Is IL an infant Modoc
a or a Sitting Bull savageP or an ON
Q nipotent Mana Sahib2 No; 1t is tn
e most merciful and glorious and wis
Being in all the universe. You canno
( teach omnipotence anything. Yo
. have fretted and worried almos
n enough. Do you not think SOP Som
e OF you are making yourselves ridiculou
Y in the sight of the angels. Here is
i naval architect, and he draws out tn
e plan of a ship of many thousand toni
!, Many workmen are engaged on II for
d long while. The ship is done; an
S some day, with the flags up and al
d gorgeous with bunting, that vessel
c launched for Southampton. At tina
il time lad six years Of age comes rur
c ming down the dock with toy boa
e which he has made with his own jacl
knife, and he says: "Here, my boat
IS better than yours Just look at tn
@ jib-boom and these weather cross jacl
10 braces" and he drops his little bo;
1t beside the great ship, and there is
L. roar of laughter on the docks. All, m
r, friends, that great ship is your life |
y God planned it-vast, million-tonne
Is ocean-destined, eternity-bound. Thi
le little boat is your life as you are tr
ID ing TO hew II out, and fashion II an
u launch it. All, do not try TO be riv
! of the great Jehovah. God is alwa.
80 right, and in nine cases out Of ten "
~ are wrong. He sends just the har
ct ships, Just the bankruptcies, just u
ie crosses that 1t is best for you TO hav
ir He knows what kind Of grain you ar
nt and he sends the right kind Of thres
in ing machine. II will be rod, or sta
re or iron wheel, just according as "
ne are fitches, or cummin or corn.
be Again: My subject teaches us tn
lie God keeps trial on us until we let g
lie The farmer shouts whoa" to b
e- horses as soon as the grain drops fro
". the stalk. The farmer comes with b
fork and tosses up the straw, and
Is sees that the straw has let go Il
II grain, and the grain is thorough
in threshed So God. Shifting rod al
TO turning wheel, both cease as soon
ch we let go. We hold on to this wor
Sc with It's pleasures, and riches Al
d. emoluments, and our knuclsles are