Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-08-18

His mercy fall upon your soul II your kind
ness mas been i'll requited God have mercy
on the parent on the wrinkles Of whose fare
is written the story OF child's sin God
have mercy on the mother who in addition to
her own pangs has the pang of child : in
iJui.y' Oh. there are many. many sad
sounds in this sad world, hu; the saidest
sound that is ever heard i the breaking oI a
mothers heart Are there any here VINO r>-
member that In that home they were untatth-
!ul? Arr there those who wandered OF from
that early home and left the mother to die
with a broken heart! Oh, | stir that rem
lElSrrnca to-day
ind another point in your life history.
You found one day you were In the wrong
road you could not sleep at night. There
was Just one word that seemed 10 sob through
your banking house, or through your office,
or your shop or Your bedroom, and that
word was eternity" You said 81 an not
ready for H. God. have mercy The
Lord heard. Peace came 10 your heart. You
remember how your hand trembled as you
took the cup Of the holy communion. You
remember the old minister who consecrated
it. and you remember the church on ,ials
who carried il through the aisle. You re-
member the old people who a: the close Of
the service took your hand in theirs IN con-
graduating sympathy. "a much as TO say,
Welcome home, you lost prodiSal." and
though those hands have all witherei away
that communion sabbath Is resurrected to-
day. II is resurrected with all its prayers
and sonRs and tears and sermons and trans
hguration- Have you kept those vows?
Have you been backslider? God help yoa
This day kneel at the foot OF merry and start
again for heaven. Start to-day as YOU
started then. rouse your soul by that
reminiscence.
But I must not spend any more OF my tine
IN going over the advantages OF your life. l
just put them all in one great sheaf, and l
bind them up In your memory with one loud
harvest song. such as reapers sing. Praise
the Lord, We blood bought morsls on earth
Praise the Lord, We crowned spirits Of heay-
en-,
But some Of you have not always had a
smooth life. Some OF you are now in the
shadow Others had their troubles years ago
YOU are a mere wreck OF what you once were.
| must gather up the sorrovs OF your past
lie. but how shall do 1t? You say that "a
Impossible. as you have had 50 manytroubles
and adyerstties. Then l will JUS: take txo,
the first trouble and the last trouble.
And when You are walking along the street
and there has been music in the distance
YOU ua"onsciously find yourselves Keeping
step to the music so wnen you started life
your very life was q musical tiuebeat. The
air was full OF Joy and hila-ity. With the
fright, clear oar you made the boat SKIP.
You went on. and life grew brighter. until
after awhile suddenly voice from heaven
ssi4, Halt" :" And YOU halted. You grew
pale. You confronted your hrst sorrow.
You had no idea that the flush on your
chiId's cheek was an unhealthy flush. IOu
said 1t cannot he anything serious Death
in slipperei ieAt walked round about the
cradle. You did not hear the treAl. but
after awh!le the truth flashed on you. You
walked the door. Oh. II you could, with
your strong. stout hand, have Yrenelei the
child from the destroyer!
You went 10 your room, ami you said
God. save my child God, save my child ~
The world seemed going out in darkness,
NOtI said, ,ssI.'Ot t-as-s IL, S4IAEuN D-air
it - You felt Us II you could not put the
lashes over the bright ey-s never 10 sea them
again sparkle. Oh, If you could have taken
that little one in your arms and with II
leaped into the grave. how gladly you would
have done ii Oh, II you could let your
property go. your houss-. ypur laAt aai
your storehouse 20, hOv gladly yuI would
have allowed them - depart # you 'Duli
only have Aept that One tralsGre
But one day there aroS. from tie h-ay LIS
a chill b.ast that swept over the J-Lrpou.
and Instantly all the light wat out, AMI
there was darkness thick. uarkr, t'upcnc-
trahle. shudderinc dArknes& Ba; God did
not leave you there. Mercy spoke As you
were about TO put that cup 10 your lips G1d
said, Let it pass" and forthwith as by the
hand OF angels, another cup was put into
your hands. 1t Was the cup OF Gods consJ-
latiop- And as you have sometimes lifted
the head OF & wounded soldier AMI poured
wine into his lips. 80 God puts His lett arm
under your head. and with His right hanG
He pours into your lips the vine o' HIS COM
fort and His consolation. and you looSed at
the empty cradle and looked at your broken
heart, and You l5OSei at the Lords rha--
tlsem mt, and you said, Even -. Father,
for SO it seeneth good In Thy sight.
All, it IS your first trouble. How did YOU
get over it? God comioUel You. You have
been better man ever since. Iou have been
a better woman ever since. In the jar ottha
closing gate Of the sepulcher you heard IN"
changing OF the opening gate OF heaven aud
you felt an irresistible drawing heayenwari.
You have been purer and hoher OF heart ever
since that night when the little one for the
last time put its arms around your neck and
said: GOOD night, papa Good night,
mamma Meet me in heaven.
But must come on down 10 your la;er
sorrow. What was Il? Perhaps II was sick
ness The child's tread on the stair or the
tick ofthe watch On the stand distCros You.
Through the long, weary days you counted
the figures on the carpet or the flowers in
the wall paper. oh. the WEAKNESS and tx
hsustion oh. the burning pancs Would
God II were morning. would God it were
night, were your frequent cry. But You are
better-perhsps even well. Have you thanked
God that to-day you can come out in the fresh
air that you are in this place to hear God
name, and to sing Gods praise. and 10 i'm
plore Gods help. and to ask Gods forgive
ness? Bless the Lord who healeth ali our
diseases and redeemeth our lives from de-
struction.
Perhaps your last sorrow was a financial
embarrassment. | congratulate some of you
on your lucrative profession or occupation.
on ornate apparel, on a commodious resi-
dence-eyerythins you put your hand TO
seems to turn 10 gold. But there are Others
OF you who are like the ship on which Paul
sailed where two seas met, and you are
broken by the violence OF the waves. By an
unadvised Endorsement. or by u conjunction
OF unforeseen events, or by fire or storm. or a
senseless panic, you have been flung head
long, and where you once dispensed great
charities now you have hard work to make
the two ends mee.-
Have you forgotten 10 thank God for your
days OF prosperity and that through your
trials some ot you have made investments
which will c0ntiGue amer the last bank OF
this world has exploded and the silver and
gold are molten In fires OF burning worl'?
Have you, amid all your losses and discour-
agements, forgot that there was bread on
your table this morning and that there shall
be a shelter for your head from the storm,
and there is air for your lungs and blood for
| your heart and light for your eye and glad
| and glorious and triumphant religion for
| your soul?
Perhaps your last trouble was a bereave-
| ment. That heart which In childhood was
your refuge. the parental heart, and which
has been a source OF the quickest sympathy
ever SINCE has suddenly become silent for
ever. And now sometimes whenever in sud-
! den annoyance aad without deliberation you
say, 81 will go and tell mother. the thought
flashes on you. 81 have no mother" Or the
father, with voice less lender, but at heart As
earnest and loving-watchful O. all your
WAYS, exultant over your success without
saying much. although the cd people do
talk it over by thenselyes-is taken away