The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-08-30

1
lost friends, would like to go there
He used to read the first part OF tn
Q Bible chiefly, now he reads the las
part OF the Bible chiefly. Why ha
he changed Genesis for Revelation
. Ali! he used to be anxious chief,
to know how this world wa
made, and all about the geo
logical construction. Now he Il
chiefly anxious to know how the mex
world was made, and how it looks, and
. who live there and how they dress
He reads Revelation ten times now
where he reads Genesis once. The
old story: 'In the beginning God
. created the heavens and the earth. =
does not thrill him half as much as
the other story: Il saw new Heaven
and a new earth. The old mans hand
trembles as 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
rs now of tho country into which he
is soon to emigratc; 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 60 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
any thing 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 WE'LL So it is the
arrow of trouble that let's out great
swellings of pride. We never feel our
dependence upon God until we get
trouble. l was riding with my little
child along the road, and she asked il
she might drive. l said: Certainly"
l handed over the reins to her, and
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
r. 81 hn laL
to me and said: II 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
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 rc:ns
soon enough.
After man has had trouble, prayer
is with him taking hold of the arm
of God and crying out for help. /
have heard earnest prayers on two or
three occasions that remember.
Once, on the Cincinnati express train,
going at forty miles the hour, the
train jumped the track, and we were
near chasm eighty feet deep; and
the men who, a few minutes before,
had been swearing and blssphe ming
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
lsr There was another time, about
eight hundred miles out at sea, on a
steamship, after the last
ifeboat had been split finer than
wood. They prayed then.
Why is it you SO often hear people, in
-eciting the last experience of some
friend. say: "He made the n ost beau
,iful prayer l ever heard:' What
makes it beautiful? 1t is the earnest
ness of it. Oh! l tell you, man is in
when his stripped and naked
'oul wades out in the soundless, shore
ess, bottomless ocean of eternity.
1t is trouble my friends, that makes
Is feel our dependence upon God. We
10 not know our own weakness or
iod's strength until the plank breaks.
It is contemplate in us when there is
nothing else to take hold of, that we
,atch hold of God only Why. you do
lot know who the Lord is. He IS not
IN autocrat seated far up in palace,
rom which He energies once year,
preceded by heralds swinging swords
o clear the way. No, but father
Wiling at our call, to stand by us in
very crisis and predicament OF life.
tell you what some of you business
men make me think of A young
nan goes off from home to earn
lis fortune. He goes with his mothers
and benediction She has
arge wealth, but he wants to make