The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-08-31

created the heavens and the earth,
does not thrill him half as much a
the other story: IT saw q new Heaven
and q new earth" The old mans hand
trembles ms he turns over this apoca-
lyptic leaf. and he has to take out his
handkerchief to wipe his spectacles
That book of Revelation Is prospect
us now of the country into which he
is soon to emigrate; the country In
which he has lots already laid out,
and avenues opened. and mansions
| built.
Yet there are people here to whom
this world is brighter than Heaven.
Well, dear souls, do not blame you.
1t is natural. But after awhile you
will be ready to go. 1t was not until
Job had been worn out with bereave-
ments that he wanted to see God. 1t
was not until the prodigal got tired OF
living among the hogs that he wanted
to go to his fathers house. 1t is the
ministry of trouble to make this world
worth less and Heaven worth more.
Again, it is the use of trouble to
make us feel our dependence upon
God. Men think that they can do
anything until God shows them they
can do nothing at all. We lay our
great plans. and we like to execute
them. 1t looks big. God comes and
takes us down. As Prometheus was
assaulted by his enemy. when the
lance struck him it opened great
swelling that had threatened his
death, and he got well. So 1t Is the
arrow of trouble that lets out great
swellings of pride. We never feel our
dependence upon God until we get
trouble. 1 was riding with my little
child along the road, and she asked il
she might drive. said: Certainly"
/ handed over tho reins to her, and l
had to admire the glee with which she
drove. But after awhile we met
team and had to turn out. The road
was narrow, and it was sheer down on
both sides. She handed the reins over
to me and said: ~ think you had bet
ter take charge of the horse" So we
are all children; and on this road of
life we like to drive. 1t gives one
such an appearance of superiority
and power. 1t looks big. But after
awhile we meet some obstacle, and we
have to turn out, and the road is mar
row, and it is sheer down on both sides;
and then we are willing that God
should take the reins and drive. ALL
my friends, we get upset so often be-
cause we do not hand over the reins
soon enough.
After a man has had trouble, prayer
is with him taking hold Of the arm
of God and crying out for help. 1
have heard earnest prayers on two or
three occasions that 1 remember.
Once, on the Cincinnati express train,
going at forty miles the hour, the
train jumped the track, and we were
near a chasm eighty feet deep; and
the men who, few minutes before,
had been swearing and disappearing
God, began to pull and jerk at the bell
rope, and got up on the backs of the
seats and cried out: "Oh, God. save
usr' There was another time, about
eight hundred miles out Mt sea, on n
laundering steamship, after the last
lifeboat had been split finer than
kndling wood. They prayed then.
Why is it you so often hear people, in
reciting the last experience of some
friend, say: "He made the most beau
tiful prayer I ever heard?" What
makes it beautiful? 1t is the earnest
ness Of it. Oil tell you, a man is in
earnest when his stripped and naked
soul wades out in the soundless, shore
less, bottomless ocean of eternity.
1t is trouble. my friends. that makes
IL IL, GAI
do not know our own weakness or
Gods strength until the plank breaks.
1t is contemplate in us when there is
nothing else to take hold of, that we
catch hold of God only. Why. you do
not know who the Lord is. He Is not
an autocrat seated far up in palace,
from which He energies once a year,
preceded by heralds swinging swords
to clear the way. No, but father
every crisis and predicament Of life.
tell you what some of you business
men make me think of. A young
man goes Off from home to earn
his fortune. He goes with his mothers
consent and benediction. She has
large wealth, but he wants to make
his own fortune. He goes far away,
falls sick, gets out of money. He
sends for the hotel keeper where he is
staying, asking for lenience. and the
answer he gets is: IF you don't pay
up Saturday night you'll be removed
to the hospital"
{ Again, it is the use of trouble to ca
pacitate us for the Office of sympathy.
The priests, under the old dispcnsa-
ton, were set apart by having water
sprinlsled upon 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 pros
perity we like to have 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. Whyp
They know how to talk. Take an
aged mother, seventy years of age,
and she is almost omnipotent in COM
fort. Why? She has been through it
all. At seven o'clock in the morning
she goes over to comfort young
mother who has just lost her babe
Grandmother knows all about that