The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-18
BROKEN HEARTS.
MANY SORROWS HERE.
God Heals Them.
Y. Y. Herald.

". L.. IItJutu
The Lord is nigh unto them that are
of a broken heart.-Psalms, xxxlv., is.
Certainly no one needs the help OF
the Lord more than these, and it Is
great privilege to know that there IS
an Everlasting arm" upon
which they can certainly rely in time
of trouble.
The most discouraging fact in life is
that when we call loudest for friends
they are not often within hearing dis
lance. If we are not In want OF them
they are more numerous than we can
count, but when we are sinking beneath
the waters and stretch out imploring
hands there is no one near to render
assistance.
The great sorrows OF life must be
borne alone, for no one who has not
himself trOdden the wine press OF like
experjence can say the word we need
to have said or do the kindly deed we
need to nave done. This is q mystic
riOus element in Gods Providence
which it Is hard to understand. You
NAV not have company in your Geth-
semane, unless it be the companion
ship of the angels and of Him who
sends them.
Broken hearts7 Are there any?
Perhaps not many if the words are used
In literal sense. We may we'll thank
Heaven that it is so. There is a GER
tain buovancv. a certain lifting power
in human nature which makes utter
hopeIessness impossible except in rare
instances. A kind of optimism creeps
into the soul Just as child creeps into
its weeping mothers arms, and AZ the
child forces smile from the mother,
SO this dim prophecy that ''eventlme
it shall be light" sends its ray of hope
into the darkness that environs us.
We find it very diflibult to wholly de-
r. ri nf
good cheer in them when the shadows
are deepest.
But it is strangely true that there
is very seriou. significance IN the
words "broken hearts" Life is sprink-
led with dlsappointments from you'll
to age. The dreams of earlier times
have not come true, and hardly one o.
us is to-day either what or where hi
has changed into an echo, and its glat
vibrations scarcely reach our ears
The riches we longed for have no
come, and our ships are still at sea
The plans we made have somehow
gone sstray, and the children for whom
we would have made any sacrifice hav,
been called to heaven. Changes hav,
come like pitlless tornadoes and tor
up by the root. many of our mos
cherished desires Sickness, struggle
bereavement, poverty, like malignan
fairies, have waved their wands owe
us and we scarcely recognize ourselve
These are stern facts, and they car
not be gainsaid. Look back throug
the corridor of time and see yourself {
you were at twenty. What exporter
ces you have passed through The
have lett their mark on your face,
your gait and in your conversation
You have been ploughed, and the fu
rows tell how deep the plough struc
What shall we say, then? That the
is no God? Nay, rather that ther
must be God or matters would n,
turn out az they have done Is life $
full of bitterness that it is not wort
hving2 Nay. rather life is paint,
means to joyful end. A hard lesso
has been set us, and it must be Learned
There was never yet a sorrow which W
not stepping stone to higher thing
and never yet fell tear which did nc
bring heaven nearer. 1t Is the eyldel
intention of God that they shall ser,
these purposes, and the mission of +
ligion is to keep us constantly mindf
of that fact.
The sorrOwing ones of earth a
near to the Father, and the struggli1
souls are objects of His special sc
lcitude. It is hard for us to see II
face at such times, for our tears a