The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-27
CALL rPON CON

1t is the ministry of tears to capaci-
tate us for the Office of sympathy. The
priests under the old dispensatiOn were
set apart by having water sprinkied IN
their hands, feet and head; and by the
sprinkling of tears people are now set
apart to the office of sympathy When
we are in prosperity, we like TO have
a great many young people around US,
and we laugh when they laugh, and we
romp when they romp, and we sing
when they sing; but when we have
trouble we like plenty of old folks
around. Why? They know how to
talk Take an aged mother 20 years of
age and she is almost omnipotent in
comfort Why? She has been through
il all. At Il o'clock in the morning, she
goes over to comfort one who has just
lost her babe. Grandmother knows all
about her trouble. Fifty years agO she
felt it. At l. o'clock Of that day she
goes over to comfort a widowed soul
She knows all about that. She has
been walking in that dark valley for
twenty wears. She knows all about
fevers and pleurisies and broken bones,
too She has been doctoring all her
life. spreading plasters and pouring out
bitter drops, and shaking up hot pill
lows. and contriving things to tempt a
poor appetite. Drs. Abernethy and
Rush and Flint were great doctors; but
the greatest doctor the world ever saw
is an old Christian woman. Was there
anv one who could ever so touch a
sore without hurting it? And when
she lifted her spectacles against her
wrinkled forehead, so she could look
closer at the wound, it was three
fourths healed.
When 1 began to preach, I used to
white out all my sermons, and I some
times have great curiosity to look at
the sermons 1 used to preach on
trouble They were nearly all poetic,
and in semi-blank verse; but God
knocked the blank verse out of me long
ago: and 1 have found out that I can
not comfort people except as 1 myself
have been troubled l would rather be
The means of soothing one perturbed
spirit today than 20 play tune that
would set al the sons of mirth Keeling
in the dance.
And what is a man in trouble? He
borrows on word and note all he can
borrow After a while, he puts a mort
gage on his house. Then he puts a lien
on his furniture. Then he makes over
his life insurance. Then he assigns all
his property. Then he goes to his
father. in-law and asks for help. Well.
having failed everywhere, completely
failed, he gets down on his knees and
says: 30, Lord. / have tried every
body and everything; now help me out
tf this troubler' He makes God the
last resort instead of the first resort.
There are men who have paid 10 cents
on a dollar who could have hundred
cents on a dollar if they had gone to
God in time. Do you not know who the
Lord IS? He is not an autocrat seated
far up in a palace, from which he
emerges once q. year, preceded by her
aids swinging swords to clear the way.
No. But a father, willing, at our call,
TO stand by US in every crisis and pre-
dicament of life.
Some business men make me think of
the young man who went from home to
earn his fortune. He went with his
mothers consent and benediction She
had large wealth; but he wanted to
make
HIS OWN FORTUNE.
l1e went far away, fell sick and got out
of funds. He sent to the hotel-keeper
where he STAYED and asked for lenienca.
But the answer he got was: IF you
don't nay up by Saturday night you'll
be sent to the hospital" The young
man sent TO a comrade in the same
building. No help. He wrote to a
banker who was a friend of his de-
ceased father. No relief. He wrote
to an old schoolnaate, but again got no
help. Saturday nigh5 came, and the
young man was sent to the hospital.
When he got there he became frenzied
with grief, borrowed sheet of paper
ard a postage stamp, and wrote home,
saving: Dear mother, I am sick unto
death. Comet It was ten minutes of
10 O'Clock when the mother got the let
ter AT 10 o'clock the train started.
She was at the depot five minutes
ahead Of time She wondered that a
train that can go thirty miles an hour
cannot go sixty miles an hour. She
rushed into the hospital and asked:
MY son. what does all this mean ?
Why did you not send for me before?
You sent to everybody but me. You