The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-08-23


until God shows them they can donoth-
ing at all We lay our great plans, and
we like to execute them. 1t looks big
God comes and takes us down, AS Pro
metheus was assaulted by his enemy,
when the lance struck him it opened d
great swelling that had threatened his
death, and he got well, So it is the ar
row of trouble that let's ont great swell
ings of pride. Weneyer feel our depend
ence upon God until we get trouble. ]
was riding with my little child along
the road, and she asked if she might
drive. | said, Certainly" i handed
over the reins to her, and had to ad-
mire the glee with which she drove.
But after awhilewe met team and we
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, II think you had better take
charge of the horse. So we are al
children, and on this road of life we like
TO drive. 1t gives one such an appear
ance Of superiority and power 1t looks
big. But after awhile we meet some
obstacle and we have to turn out, and
the road is narrow, and it is sheer down
on both sides; and then we are willing
that God should take the reins ant
drive. All, my friends, we get upset Sc
often because we do not hand over thu
reins soon enough.
After man has had trouble, prayer
/ is with kim a taking hold of the arm o.
God and crying out for help. l have
heard earnest prayers ON two or three
occasions that remember. Once, OF
the Cincinnati express train, going a
40 miles the hour, the train jumped thu
track, and we We're near a chasm 80 fee
deep, and the men who, a few minutes
before, had been swearing and bias
pheming God, began to pull and jerk a
the bell rope and got up ON the backs o
the seats, and cried out, go God, say,
usl"
There was another time, about S0(
miles out at sea, on laundering steam
er, after the last lifeboat had been spill
finer than kindling wood. They prayet
then. Why is it you so often hear PEG
pie, in reciting the last experience O
some friend, say, "He made the mos
beautiful prayer / ever heard?" Wha
makes it beautiful? tits the earnestnes
bf IL. Oil l tell you, man is in ear
nest when his stripped and naked sou
wades out in the soundless, shoreless
bottom less ocean Of etprnity
A Helpful Father.
1t is trouble, my friends, that make
us feel our dependence upon God. VI
do not know our own weakness or God
strength until the last plank breaks.
is contemplate in us when there is moth
ing else to take hold of that we catcl
hold of God only. Why, you do no
know who the Lord is He is not an au
tocrat seated far up in palace, iron
which he emerges once year, preceded
by heralds swinging swords to clear tn
way. No But Father willing, at on
call. to stand by us in every crisis an
predicament of life I tell you wha
some of you business men make m
think of. A young man goes off fror
home to earn his fortune. He goes wit,
his mothers consent and benediction
She has large wealth, but he wants t
make his own fortune He goes ia
away, falls sick, gets out of money, FL
sends for the hotel keeper where he j
staying, asking for lenience, and tn
answer he gets is, eff you don't pay u
Saturday night, you'll be removed t
the hospital "
The young man sends to comrade i
the same building. No help. He write
to banker who was friend of his dc
ceased father. No relief. He writes t
an old schoolmate, but gets no helI
Saturday night comes, and he is move
,, to the hospital
Getting there, he is frenzied wit
grief, and he borrow.s sheet of pape
; and a postage stamp, and he sits down
and he writes home, saying: "Dea
mother, am sick unto death. Come.
1t is ten minutes of 10 O'Clock when 81
gets the letter. At 10 O'Clock the trai
starts. She is five minutes from the q
pot. She gets there in time to have fix
minutes to spare. She wonders why
train that can go 80 miles an hour cal
not go 60 miles an hour She rushes il
l to the hospital She says: My Sol
what does all this mean? Why didn
9 you send for me? You sent to ever.
4 body but me. You knew I could ar
would help you. Is this the reward
get for my kindness to you always!
She bundles him up, takes him hon
$ and gets him well very soon. Nov
some of you treat God just as tn
7 young man treated his mother Whe
you get into a financial perplexity, yc
call on TIE banker, you call on the br
I ller, you call on your creditors, you ca
: ~ your lawyer for legal counsel; "
. call upon everybody, and when you ca
I not get any help, then you go to Go
9 You say; 80, Lord, I come to the
u Help me now ont of my pefploxity.
9 And the Lord comes, though it is Il
u eleventh hour. He says: "Why did "
0 rot send for me before? AS one who
a his mother comforteth, so will comic
J. you 1t is to throw us back upon 6
u that we have this ministry Of tears.
= The Office OF Sympathy.
:, Again, it is the use Of trouble to
o pacitate us for the Office of sympatl
The pr ests, under the old dispensati
If were set apart by having water spr
) kled upon their hands, feet and he
e and by the sprinkling Of tears PEG
,e. are now set apart to the Office of sym
20 shy. When we are in prosperity we
lie to have great many young PEG
around us, and we laugh when Il
re laugh, and we romp when they rol
to and we sing when they sing; but vi
lie we have trouble we like plenty of
st folks around. Why? They know h
lie 10 talk.
10 ralya IN orod mother 70 ynors of :,