The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-01-31

with the oil Of gladness above his fel-
lows. God has not given the earth up to
the devil as his portion. This earth Of
ours rejoioes in heavenly visitants with
their transfguring and celestial sun
light, but across its fairest flowers and
its greenest swards shadows often fall
and sometimes linger. As the landscape
is beautiful by the alterations of noun
tain and valley, of hill and meadow, Of
river and island, so is life by its appar-
ent contradictions, by its lights and
shadows. The day will dawn when
earth's vision will glow in a sunlight
without an earthly cloud, when the inn
ages of the Apocalypse shall become glo.
rious realities, and when in light of
golden glory the mists of earth shall
vanish, and only blessed glimpses Of the
celestial land shall be ours.
And will you notice briefly in the last
place that there is help for us in tho
meantime, until the day break and the
shadows flee away will get me to the
mountain of myrrh and to the hill of
frankincense. 1t is supposed that by
the mountain of my1rh we are to under.
stand condition of penitonce, and by
the hill of frankinoense the Offering Of
prayer. We know the Importance which
the orientals attached to aromatic
shrubs, and SO use these words as illus
trative of the development of these and
other Christian graCos. Tho reference To-
myrrh certainly sets forth the develop
ment of the grace of penitence. Our
hearts need often to he humbed and our
wills broken, 50 that our lives may be
fully dedicated to God. The words set
forth the blcssOdness of prayer Never
do we know how to pray as when We
have been driven to the Father bosom
by the rod in the Fathers hand. be
lieve that when the rod Of chastisement
is in the hands of our heavenly Father,
and it is laid upon us, the true child
goes to God and says, 81 shall cling to
thee, and l shall love thee as never be.
fore. " Oh, blessed mountain of myrrhl
Oh, heavenly hill of franSincenso, from
whose tops we can see the glory of
heaven, and standing on which we can
hear the music of angels
Value of Patient Trust.
think in the meantime, too, we
ought to cultivate the grace of patience.
Patience should have her perfect work
Charles Haddon Spurgeon would never
have been the world greatest preacher,
Notwithstanding all his other gifts, but
for some Of the physical infirmities and
racking pains, temptations, trials and
even prosecutions which he endured in
his early ministry. They cultivated in
him the grace of patience. He said once
to me that if ever for moment he was
uplifted in any way he had only to look
over the books of the horrible carica-
lures Of himself which he had preserved,
representing him as unworthy tho re-
spect Of an intelligent community, and
he was thoroughly humbled and yet to.
day all the English speaking world, ir-
respective of religious creeds, rejoioes in
his noble character great work, honored
name and immortal fame.
Oh, beloved, this morning, / beseech
you, walk on the mountain of myrrh,
leap on the hilltops of frankincense
trust God with all the heart and wait
patiently for him, and the eternal day
will dawn, and the earthly shadows
will flee away, and the Sun of Righteous
ness will rise with healing in his wings
for bruised bodies, blighted lives and
bereaved hearts.