The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-02-28

troubles. Yet hear what he says, III had
only one misfortune, could stand that but
three are two too many2" No. mislnterpret.
He says: "SoTrowful, yet ALWAYS rejoicing.
Poor, yet making many rich. Having moth
ing, yet possessing ell things" Thanks be
unto God. who giyeth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ"
David had three troubles, a bad boy,
temptation to dissoluteuess and dethrone-
ment What does he say? "God IN our re-
fuge and strength, a very present help In
time OF trouble Therefore will not we fear.
though the earth be removed, and though
the mountains be cast into the midst OF tho
sea-"
John Wesley had three troubles-defa-
nation by mobs, domestic infcllcity, fatigue
from more sermons preached and moro miles
travelled than almost any man of his time.
What does he say? 'The best Of all IL, God
is with us" And when his poet brother,
Charles Wesley, said TO him, "Brother John,
| n the Lord were TO give me wings. I'd fy."
Johns reply was. "Brother Charles. II the
Lord told me TO ny, I'd do 1t and leave Him
to find the wings"
George whiteaeld had three troubles-re-
| lection from tho pupits OF England because
he was too dramatic-that was one trouble;
strabismus, or tho crossing of his ewes, that
| subjected him to the caricature OF all the
| small wits of the day; vermin and dead ani-
mails thrown at him while he preached on the
commons-that made three troubles Never
theless. his sermons were 50 buoyant that n
| little child. dying soon after hearing him
preach, said In the intervals OF pain, "Let
me go to Mr.. Whiteneld's God" oh, am
so clad that Denaiah OF my text was not the
only one who triumphed over lion In a pit
on n snowy day.
Notice in my text victory over bad
| weather. IL was snowy day, when ones
vitality is at a low ebb and the spirits are
naturally depressed and one does not feel
| like undertaking great enterprise. when
| Bcnaiah rubs his hands together to warm
them by extra friction. or trashes his arms
around him to revive circulation OF the
| blood, and then goes at the lion, which was
| all the more fierce and ravenous. because OF
the sharp weather. Inspiration here admits
| atmospheric hlndrance. The snowy day at
Valley Forge well nigh put an end 20 the
struggle for American independence. The
snowy day demolished Napoleon's army on
the way from Moscow.
Tho inclemency Of January and February
weather has some years bankruptod thou
| sands OF merchants. Long succession OF
stormy Sabbnths has crippled innumcrablo
churches. Lighthouses yelled by the snow
| on many coast have failed TO warn OF from
the rocks the doomed frigate. Tens OF thou
sands Of Christians OF nervous temperament
| by the depression OF n snowy day almost
despair OF reaching heaven. Yet In that
style OF weather Denaiah of the text
achieved his most celebrated victory,
| ulu lct us ny tne grace OF bOu DecOinc
victor over influences atmospheric. II we
| are happy only when the wind blows from
tho clear northwest, and the thermometer II
above freezing point, and the sky Ia an in
vcrtcd blue cup of sunshine poured all over
us, IL Is religion 95 per cent. OF. Thank
| God there are Christians who, though their
whole life through sickness has been snowy
day. have killed every lion OF dependency
that dared to put its cruel paw against their
suffering pillow. II was snowy day when
the Pilgrim Fathers set foot not on n bank OF
flowers, but on the cold New England rock and
from ship that might have been more ap-
propriately called after n December hurri-
cane than after n "Maynower" they took
possession of this great continent. And
amid more chilly worldly circumstances
many good man or u good woman has
taken possession OF whole continent OF
spiritual satisfaction, valleys Of peace and
rivers of Gladncss and mountains Of Joy
Christ landed in our world not in the month
OF May, but In the stormy month of Decem-
ber, to show that we might have Christ In
winter weather and on n snowy day.
Notice everything down In the pit that
7nowy day depended upon Benaiah's weapon.
There was rs much strength In one muscle Of
that lion as in all the muscles Of both arms o.
BeDaish. II is the strongest OF beasts, Gno
has been known 70 carry off an OK. It,
tongue is so rough that II acts as a rasT
tearing of the hesh In licks. The two grea,
cape impossible for anything It has once
the mock of this "iing OF beasts.
Was 1t dagger? wast a javelln2 Was It q
knife? / cannot tell, but everything de
pended on it. But for that Benaiah's body
I under one crunch OF the monster would have
boen left limp and tumbled In the snow
And when you and go into the fight witt
temptation, II we have not the right kind o
weapon. instead OF our staying the lion tn,
lion will slay us. The sword of the Spirit
, Nothing in earth or hell can stand before that
, Victory with that, or no victory nj all. By
that mean prayer TO God, confidence in Hi
rescuing power, saving grace, almighty de
hverance. i do not care what you call Ii.
call it "sword Of tho Spirit" And II u,
lions Of all the iungles of perdition should n
once spring upon your soul by that weapoI
OF heavenly metal you can thrust them back
! and cut them down, and stab them through
and leave them powerless at your feet. You
, good resolution welded against the power
| which assault you Is a toy pistol against al
| Armstrong gun Is penknife held out agains
tho brandished sabers OF Heintzelman'
cavalry charge. Go into the fight agalns
| sin on your own strength and the result viii
D be the hot breath ofthe lion In your blancheC
/ face, and his front paws one on each lung
Alas! for tho man not fully armed down II
the pit on snowy day, and before him
, lion!
4
fight Of some sort on hand, but the blgSes
| and the wrathiest lion which YOU have I
( fight IL what the Bible calls 1.-The roarini
I lion who walketh about, seeking whom h
{ may devour." Now. you have never seel
a real lion unless you have seel
him in India or Africa, Just after capture
. Long caSlnS breaks his spirit, and the con
| stant presence OF human beings tames him
9 Bat you ought to see him spring against tn
4 iron bars in tho geological gardens o
' Calcutta and hear him roar for the prey.
r makes ones blood curdle, and you shrinl
/ bacl, although yea know theso is no peril
! Plenty OF lions in olden time. Six h.ndre,
Of them were slaughtered on one occasion Il
Q the presence of Pompoy in the Roman
' amphitheater. Lions came out and de
4 stroyed the camels which carried the baS
D gage OF Xeryes' army. In Bibl" times ther
} were 50 many lions that tley are frc
= Quenty alluded TO in the Scriptures
I Joel. the prophet describes ths "cheel
,, teeth" ofa great lion. an1 Isaiah mentions
4 among the attractions OF heaven that an
. lion shall be- there" aud Amos SPEAKS OF