National Baptist world., 1894-09-28
EDUCATOR AND REDEEMER.
1t Is a Necessary Means to Salvation from
IniuCity.

EOOSA On AlNC E-''' ~'''
1t Is a Necessary Means to Salvation from
Iniqcity.
This world is not playground, but a
schoolroom; the object of life is not |
human happiness, but human develop
ment. God is evolving, we know not
what-for we know not what we snail
be-out of lower animal order. Ana
in this evolution trouble is an essential
educator. Courage can be developed
only by the presence of danger; patience
only by the bearing of burdens; hope
only by unsatisfed desire; love, IN Its
highest manifestation, only by self
sacrifice Even Christ, we are told by
the author of the Epistle to the He
brews, was "made perfect through sui
ferings."
Even if this evolution were steady
progress upward, trouble would be es'
sential; but it is not a steady progress
upward Man is free to cooperate
with God to work against Him; and he
often works against Him. He sets His
will against the devine will, his law
lessness against the eternal laws.
These are the laws of mans own true
nature; his happiness, his well-belng,
depend upon his obedience to them
But he is disobedient. The lesson he
has to learn is that he must obey; that
his will must be obedient to One who
is greater than the greatest. And there
is only one way in which he can learn
this lesson-namely, by suffering
trouble when he disobeys Thus
trouble is teacher Of the
fundamental lesson of life-obe-
dience Man brings it upon him
self by his ignorance of law, and by his
willful disobedience of law; but God
sends it upon him by making the con-
stitution of life such that ignorance
and disobedience bring trouble.
Trouble is mans educator: trouble is
mans redeemer Man brings it upon
himself God sends it upon him.
Therefore it is that trouble is not
something to be avoided-rather some
thing to be coveted: Count it all joy
when we enter into temptation"-that
is trials. ''We glory in tribulations
also, knowing that tribulation worketh
patience, and patience experience, and
experience hope, and hope maketh not
ashamed" Therefore Paul desires the
fellowship of Christ's sufferings, and
longs to be made comfortable unto His
death, in order that he may have the
: power of Christ's resurrection-that is,
the divine, immortal nature which
death can not destroy. Therefore the
troubles which wicked men have caused
! are recognized by the prophetic souls
Of the Bible as divinely sent. Envy and
( creed in Joseph's brethren sell Joseph
2 into Egypt; but when, in after years
} Joseph meets his brethren, he treasures
/ them with the words: "Be not grieveo
/ nor angry with yourselves that We SOLD
9 me hither; for God did send me before
j, vou to preserve life" And in Geth
e semane, though the treachery of Judas
: and the malignity of Caiaphas and the
Q cowardice of PLATE have mingled the
Q cup which is pressed to Christ's lips, H'
|: saws to Peter: THE cup which my Fa
/ ther giveth me, shall not drink it?''
d Our answer, then, to our correspond
0 ent's inquiry-an inquiry asked b1
9 MANY a soul in anguish, through all th
d ages-is this: Trouble is not to be re
n oarded as visitation of divine wrath
n as a special infiction sent by God. Bu
|. it is wrought into the fabric of human
g life by Gods infinite and strong love
r for gracious and beneficent ends 1t /
d a necessary means to redemption from
t sin and to development in character
e Even when it comes from our ignc
il rance and sin. or from the crimes o
g other men, still it is Gods graciou
IS teacher, and comes to deliver us fror
l. Ignorance and lawlessness, and t
d make us strong and wise.-Outlook.