The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-12-06
lena The trosts have been fulallins

denf 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 maa who has never
had any trouble, or very little OF it, but
pile upon the table beside him all the
encyclopedias and all dictionaries and
all arch@ologies and all commentaries,
and on the other side OF the table put
man who has had trial upon trial,
disaster upon disaster, and let him
begin the study of the promises with
out lexicon, without commentary,
without any book to explain or help,
and this latter man will understand far
more OF the height and depth and
length and breadth of those promises
than the learned exegete opposite al
most 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 q
struggle and a disappointment and a
gauntlet and pang. That Is beau
tiful 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 so stand over you
and count out some drops that will
alleviate your worst troubles il you
will only take the medicine, and here
1t Is: I'm the world ye shall have
tribulation, but be of good cheer; i
have overcome the world" Weeping
may endure for night, but JOY cometh
in the morning Thank God for frosts.
What helped make Milton the greatest
of poets? The frost of blindness. What
helped make Washington the greatest
Of generals? The frosts of Valley
Forge. What made it appropriate for
one passing John Bunyan's grave to
exclaim, "Sleep on. thou prince Of
dreamers?" The frosts of imprison-
ment 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 preparative and
educational. That Is the grindstone
on which battle-axes are sharpened. /
have always noticed in my own case
that when the Lord had some especial
work for me to do, 1t was preceded by
especial attack upon me. This is so
proverbial in my own house that If for
something l say or do l get poured
upon me a volley of ccnsure and
anathema, my wife always asks, II
wonder what new opportunity of use
fulness is about to open? Something
good and grand is surely coming"
What is true in my case is true on
larger or smaller scale in the history
Of every man and woman who wants to
serve the Lord. without complaint
take the hard knocks. You will see
after awhile, though you may not ap-
preciate it now, that by the breath Of
good and loving God frost is given.
Let the corners Of your mouth, so long
drawn down in complaint, be drawn
up In smiles Of content
For many years, poets and essayists
have celebrated the grace and swift
ness Of the Arabian horses. The most
wonderful exhibition of horsemanship
that ever witnessed was Just outside
OF the city of Jerusalem-an Arab steed
mounted by an Arab. Do you know
where these Arab horses got their feet
ness and poetry Of motionp Long
centuries ago Mohammed, with thirty
thousand cavalry on the march, could
find for them not drop Of water for
three days. Coming TO the top Of .
hill @ river was In sight With
wild dash the thirty thousand
horses started for the stream. A
minute after an armed host was seen
advancing, and at 'Mohammed's com
mand one hundred bugles blew for the
horses TO fall in line, but all the thirty
thousand 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-sacrifca excels that bravery
and self-sacrifce of those five Ara
bian war horses. Those five splendid
steeds Mohammed chose for his own
use, and from those five came that race
OF Arabian horses for ages t he glory Of
the equestrian world. And let me say
that, In this great war Of truth against
error, Of holiness against sin, and
heaven against hell, the best war
horses are descended from those who,
under pang and self-denial aud trouble,
answered the gospel trumpet and
wheeled into line. Out Of great tribu-
lation, out of great fires, out of great
frosts, they came. And let me say 1t
will not take long for God TO make up
TO you in the next world for all
you have suffered in this. AS you
enter Heaven He may say: "Give
this man one of those lowered and
colonnaded palaces on that ridge Of gold
overlooking the sea OF glass. Give this
woman home among those amaran-
thine blooms and between those foun-
talns tossing in the everlasting sun
light. Give her q couch canopied with
ralnbows TO pay her for all the IA
tigues of wifehood, and motherhood,
and housekeeping, for which she had
no rest for forty years. Cup-bearers Of
Heaven, give those newly-arrived souls
from earth the costliest beverages and
roll TO their door the grandest char.
lots, and hang on their walls the sweet
est harps that ever thrummed 10 fin-
gers seraphic. Give TO them rapture on
rapture, celebration on celebration.
Jubilee on jubilee. heaven on heaven.
They had hard time on earth earning
their livelihood, or nursing sick chill
dren, or waiting on querulous old ago,
or battling falsehoods that were told