Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-03-02

20 all up town business men say: II you
have on hand goods that you cannot sell
and debtors who will not or cannot pay,
and you arc also suffering from uncer-
tainty rs TO what the imbecilc American
congress will do about the tariff, you have
three troubles. and enough to bring You
within the range Of the consolation of
my text, where you find the triumph Of
Benaiah over lion, and a pit, and y
snowy day II you have only one trou-
Bile. | cannot spend any time with you
today Yon must have at least three,
and then remember how many have tri.
umphcd over such triad OF misfortune.
Paul had three troubles: Sanhedrin de-
nouncing him-that was one great trou-
BILE: physical infirmity. which he called
"a thorn in the flesh, and although we
know not what the thorn was, we do
know from the figure he used that il must
have been something that stuck him
that was the second trouble; approaching
martyrdom-that made the three trou-
blcs Yet hear what ho says, IF had
only one misfortune. | could stand that,
but three are two too many" No. |
misinterpret. He says: "Sorrowful, yet
always rejoicing. Poor, yet making
many rich Having nothing. yet possess
ing all things " Thanks BIO unto God.
who givcth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ p"
David had three troubles, bad boy,
a temptation TO dissoluteness and de-
thronement What does he say? "God
is our refuge and strength. q very pres
ont help in time of trouble. Therefore
will not we fear, though the earth DO
removed. and though tho mountains be
cast into the midst Of tho sea. -
John Wesley had three troubles-def-
amation by mohS. domestic infelicity,
| fatigue from more sermons preached
and moro miles travelled than almost
any man Of his time. What does he
say? THE best Of all is. God is with
us - And when his poet brother,
Charles Wesley. said TO him, Brother
John. If tho Lord were to give mo wings.
I'd fy." Johns reply was. Brother
Charles. If tho Lord told me to fly. I'd
do it and leave him TO find the wings. I"
Depression OF n Snow bay.
George Whitefeld had three troubles
rejection from the pulpits of England
because hc was too dramatic-that was
one trouble; strabismuS, or the crossing
of his ewes. that subjected him TO the car
feature Of all the small wits Of the day;
verinin and dead animals thrown ut him
while he preached on the commons
/ that made three troubles. Nevertheless
his sermons were so buoyant that lit.
Ito child. dying soon after hearing him
preach. said in the intervals Of pain.
LET me go 20 Mr.. Whitefield's God.
oh. am so glad that Benaiah Of my
text was not the only one who triumph
ed over lion in pit on a snowy day!
Notice in my text victory over bad
weather IL was q snowy day, when
ones vitality is nc low ebb and the
spirits are naturally depressed and one
does not feel like undertaking u great
enterprise, when Benaiah rubs his hands
| together to warm them by extra friction,
or thrashes his arms around him to re.
vive circulation Of the blood. and then
goes nc the lion. which was all the more
fierce and ravenous because Of the sharp
weather Inspiration here admits at
mosphoric hindrance The snowy day
at Valley Forge well nigh put an end to
The struggle for American Independence.
rhe snowy day demolished Napoleon's
army ON the way from Moscow.
The inclemency of January and Feb.
ruary weather has some years bankrupt.
cd thousands of merchants. Long sue
ceSsion of stormy Sabbaths has crippled
innumerablo churches Lighthouses
yelled by the snow on many u coast
have failed TO warn of from the rocks
the doomed frigate. Tens of thousands
of Christians of nervous temperament
by the depression of snowy day almost
despair of reaching heaven. Yet in that
style of weather Benaiah Of the text
achieved his most celebrated victory.
and let us by the grace of God become
victor over Influences atmospheric. five
are happy only when the wind blows
| from the clear northwest. and the Their
moincter is above freezing point. and
/ the sky is an inverted blue cup of sun
shine poured all over us, II is n reli sion
/ % per cent OFF. Thank God there are
Christians who. though their whole
life through sickness has been snowy
day. have killed every lion of despond-
cncy that dared 20 put its cruuel paw
against tkeir suffering pillow. 1t was
n snowy day when the Pilgrim Fathers
set foot not on n bank of flowers, but
on the cold New England rock, and
from n ship that might have been more
appropriately called after December
hurricane than after "Mayfiower"
they took possession of this great conti-
ncnt. And amid more chilly worldly cir
cumstances many good man or good
woman has taken possession of whole
continent of spiritual satisfaction, val
! leys of peace and rivers of gladness and
mountains Of joy. Christ landed in our
world not in the month of May, but in
tho stormy month Of December, 10 show
Us that we might have Christ I'm win
ter weather and on n snowy day.
A Fearful Blast.
Notice everything down in the pit
that snowy day depended upon Benaiah's
weapon. There was as much strength in
one muscle of that lion rs i'll all the
muscles Of both arms Of Benaiah. IL is
/ tho strongest Of beasts and has been
[ known To carry OFF an OK. Its tongue is
so rough that il acts as a rasp tearing
off the flesh in licks. The two great
I CANNES at each side of the mouth make
escape impossible for anything IL has
once seized. Yet Benaiah puts his heel
ON tho neck OF this king of beasts. !"
\ Was it dagger: Was it a javelin:
| Was il knife. cannot tell, but every
thing depended on it. But for that
Benaiah's body under ono crunch of the
monster would have been left limp and
/ tumbled in the snow. And when you
and 70 into the fight with temptation,
/ if we have not the right kind of weap-
on. instead Of our staying the lion the
I lion will slay Us. Tho sword of the
/ Spirit. Nothing in earth or hell can
stand before that Victory with that.
or no victory at all. by that | mean
prayer 10 God. confidence in his rescuing
power. saving grace almighty deliver
unce. do not care what you call il.
call it sword Of the Spirit" And il
the lions of all the junglos Of perdition
should at once spring upon your soul
/ 10y that weapon Of heavenly metal you
can thrust them back. and cut them
down. and stab them through. and leave
them powcrloss at your feet. Your good
resolution welded against tho powers