Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-05-04

were the writings and distortions of
fearful struggle. But the old giant
began TO waver; and at last, in the
midnight alone, with none but God to
witness. by the brook Jabbok, tho
! giant fell; and the triumphant wrestler
broke the darkness with the cry,
Thanks be unto God, who giveth us
the victory, through our Lord Jesus
Christ" There is n widows heart, that
first was desolated by bereavement, and
since, by the anxieties and trials that
came in the support of n family. 1t is
a sad thing to see a man contending
| for livelihood under disadvantages;
but to see delicate woman, with help
less little ones at her back, fighting the
giants of poverty and sorrow, is moro
affecting. 1t was humble home, and
passers-by knew not that within those
four walls were displays of courage
more admirable than that of Han
nibal crossing the Alps, or the Pass of
| Thermopyle, or Balaklave, where,
Unto the jaws of death, rode the six
hundred" These heroes had the
whole world to cheer them on; but
there were none to applaud the strug-
gle in the humble home. She fought
for bread, for clothing, for fire, for
shelter, with aching head and weak
side, and exhausted strength, through
the long night by the brook Jabbok.
Could it be that none would give her
help? Had God forgotten to be
gracious? No! contending soul The
midnight air is full of wings, coming
to the rescue She hears it now, in
the sough of the night wind, in the
ripple of the brook Jabbok-the prom
Use made so long ago, ringing down
the sky: Thy fatherless children
will preserve them alive; and let thy
widows trust in mer' Some one said
to very poor woman, How is it
that in such distress you keep cheer
ful?" She said, 81 do it by what l call
cross prayers When had my rent to
pay, and nothing TO pay it with, and
bread to buy and nothing to buy it
with, i used to sit down and cry But
now do not get discouraged If go
along the street when / come to a
corner of the street, say, The Lord
help mel then go on until come to
another crossing of the street and
again say, THE Lord help me! And
SO l utter a prayer at every crossing;
and since have got into the habit of
saying these cross prayers, l have
been able to keep up my courage"
Learn again from this subject that
people sometimes are surprised to find
out that what they have been strug-
Cling with in the darkness is really an
"angel of blessing" Jacob found in
the morning that this strange person
age was not an enemy, but God-de-
spatched messenger to promise pros
perity for him and for his children.
And so many man, at the close of his
trial, has found out that he has been
trying TO throw down his own bless
ing. If you are Christian man, Twill
go back in your history and find that
the grandest things that have ever
happened to you, have been your trials
Nothing short of scourging, imprison.
ment, and shipwreck, could have made
Paul what he was. When David was
fleeing. through the,wilderness, pursued
by his own son, he was being prepared
to become the sweet singer of Israel
The pit and the dungeon were the best
schools at which Joseph ever gradual
ed The hurricane that upset the tent,
and killed Jobs children, prepared the
man of Uz to write the magnificent
poem that has astounded the ages.
There is no way to get the wheat out
of the straw but TO thresh it. There
| ic 70 81, he b,,A
burn it. Look at the people who have
always mad it their own way. They
are proud, disconnected, useless and
unhappy. If you want TO find cheer
full folks, go among those who have
been purified by the fire. After
Rossini had rendered civilian Tell
the five hundredth time company of
musicians came under lis window in
Paris and serenaded him. They put
upon his brow a golden crown of
laurel leaves! But amid all the APP
plause and enthusiasm Rossini turned
to a friend and said, II would
give all this brilliant scene for a few
days of youth and love" Contrast the
melancholy feeling of Rossini, who
had everything that this world could
give him, to the joyful experience OF
Isaac Watts, whose misfortunes were
innumerable, when he says:
The Hill OF Zion yields
thousand Iacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.
Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry,
Weare marching through Immanueps
ground,
To fairer worlds on high.
1t is prosperity that kills, and trouble
that saves While the Israelites were
on the march amid great pfivations and
hardships they behaved we'll After
awhile they prayed for meat; and the
sky darkened with great flock oil
quails; and these quails fell in large
multitudes ali about them; and The
lsraelites ate aud ate. and stuffed
themselves until they died. Oh. my
friends, it is not hardship. or trial, on
starvation that Injuries the soul. but
abundant supply. 1t is not the vulturc
of trouble that eats mp the Christians