The Yale expositor., 1895-08-23

the beginning God created the heavens
and the EARTH" does not thrill him
half as much as the other story, IL
saw a new heaven and new earth"
The cid mans hand trembles as he
turns over this apocalyptic leaf. and he
has to take out his handkerchief to
wipe his spectacles. That book OF
Revelation is a prospectus now OF the
country into which he is soon TO immi-
CRATE; 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, l do not blame you.
1t Is natural. But after awhile you will
be ready to 90. 1t was not until Jol
had been worn out with bereavements
that he wanted to see God. 1t was not
until the prodigal son got tired liv-
ing 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, II is the use of trouble to make
us feel our dependence upon God. Men
think they can do anything until Goo
shows them they can do nothing at all
We lay out great plans. and we like tr
execute them. 1t looks big. God comes
and takes us down. AS PrometheuF
was assaulted by his enemy. when the
lance struck him It opened a grea'
swelling that had threatened his death
and he got well. So 1t is the arrow o.
trouble that let's out great swelling o.
pride. We never feel our dependence
upon God until we get trouble. I wa
riding with my little child along the
road, and she asked me il she might
drive. / said, Certainly" 1 handed
over the reins to her, and l had &c
admire the glee with which she drove
But after awhile we met team and
we had to turn out. The road was
narrow, and 1t was sheer down or
both sideS. She handed the reins over
to me: and said, 81 think you had better
take charge of the horse" So we are
all children; and on this road OF life
we like to drive. 1t gives one the ap-
pearance of superiority and power. II
looks big. But after awhile we meet
some obstacle and We have to turn out
and the road Is narrow, and ii 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 because we do not hand
over the reins soon enough.
1t Is trouble. my friends, that makes
us feel our dependence upon God. We
do not know our own weakness or
Gods strength until the last plank
breaks. 1t is contemplate In us when
there Is nothing else to catch 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 a
palace, from which he energies once
year, preceded by heralds swinging
swords to clear the way. No. But a
Father willing, at our call, to stand
by US In every crisis and predicament
in life. tell you what some of you
business men make me think OF. A
young man goes of 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
hotelkeeper where he is staying, ask
ing for lenience, and the answer he
gets ie. IF you don't pay up Saturday
night you'll be removed to the hospi-
tal.P
The young man sends TO a comrade
in the same building. No help. He
writes to a banker who was a friend
of his deceased father. No relief. He
writes to an cad schoolmate, but gets
no help. Saturday night comes, and he
is moved TO the hospital.
Getting there, he is frenz!ed with
grief; and he borrows n sheet OF paper
and postage-stamp and he sits down,
and he writes home, saying: Dear
mother, l am sick unto death. Come :"
It Is ten minutes of 10 o'clock when
she gets the letter. At 10 o'clock the
train starts. She is five minutes from
the depot. She gets there in time to
have five minutes to spare. She won
ders why n train that can 90 thirty
miles an hour cannot go sixty miles
an hour. She rushes into the hospital
She says: my son, what does all this
mean? Why didn't you send for me /?
You sent to everybody but me. You
knew could and would help you. Is
this the reward / get for my kindness
to you always?" She bundles him up,
takes him home, and gets him we'll very
soon. Now. some OF you treat God just
as that young man treated his mother.
When you get into financial perplex-
ity, you call on the banker, you call
on the broker, you call On your credi-
tors, you call on your lawyers for legal
counsel; you call upon everybody, and
when you cannot get any help, then
you go to God. You say: 20 Lord,
come to thee. Help me now out of my
perplexity." And the Lord comes.
though 1t Is in the eleventh hour. He
says: why did you not send for me
before? AS one whom his mother COM
forteth, so will comfort YOU" 1t is