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

| by agnoStioism or atheism. A man
J needs to look into his Fathers face and
to lie at his feet; he needs to feel the
throb Of his Fathers heart. God does
not make up his accounts ut the end of
each month; God does not balance the
books of Providence at the end Of each
year. The memory of the wicked shall
rot, but the righteous shall be in ever
lasting remembrance.
The Shadow of Death.
There is also the shadow of bereave-
| ment. Perhaps there is no shadow so
broad, so deep, so dark, as this shadow
often is. 1t is simply impenetrable and
inexplioable darkness, judged from our
point of view. During the past week !
stood beside the little casket where lay
the babe of two months Of earthly life.
Why was that babe given to our brother
and sister so soon to be taken from
their arms and hearts2 God knows God
is too wise to err. God is too good to be
unkind. In the Alpine regions we are
told that when the sheep have eaten the
grass bare on a given level the shepherds
come and take the lambs in their arms
and carry them up higher where the
grass is green and abundant and where
the waters are clear and cool, and soon the
sheep Chamber up the side of the noun.
tain to reach the lambs. So now the
| Good Shepherd takes our lambs from
| our homes and hearts up to his own
paradise, that parents may be drawn
| from earth and lifted in love and life
ILL.,
Christian man, from whose side his wife
had just been taken, who asked me this
question little time ago, "Did God
need her more than | needed her? Did
God need her more than the babe need
ed herr Did God need her more than
her mother needed her?'' She was the
only child of her mother, and she was a
widow. All, what could | say? What
could you have said? | only whispered,
Even so, Father, for so it seemed good
in thy sight. "
Allow me now to direct your atten-
ton in the second place to another sug-
gestion in this text. The time is coming
when the shadows shall flee away
Until the day break and the shadows
flee away. "
The Dawning of the Morning.
Yes, the day will dawn when the
shadows shall flee away. The day of
greater trust in God will dawn. The
day Of doubt shall entirely end. The
day of sweetor faith shall begin. The
day will come when we shall know that
''all things work together for good to
them that love God" The day ap.
proaches when we shall see good in
seeming evil, and light in real darkness
l stood in this pulpit while there sat be.
fore me in her pew one of the noblest
women to whom l have been permitted
to minister for years. Within ten days
she had lost her husband and her only
child. Ny heart ached for her rs l con.
Quoted the services that morning. So
soon as the services were over, | went
to her. The peace of God was in her
heart; the glory Of the Lord was on her
face, and divine quictude reigned with.
in her soul.
She looked into my face when spoke
to her of pastoral and and personal sym
pathy and said Though he slay me,
yet | will trust him. The day had
dawned for her. Earth has no shadow
for the heart that has such faith. Earth
has no storms TO disturb the sea of ex-
perience when Jesus says, peace, be
still " The psalmist knew what it was
to pass through trials in the loss of
property, of friends, Of honor and of all
that he held dear, and yet he was able
to assure us that before he was afflicted
he went astray, but now he sought the
Lords precepts and walked in the
Lords way. There is thus an expert
ence Of life, joy, peace and blessing
even here and now
The Spiritual Day.
The moment we can take the hand Of
Jesus i'll our hand and kneel by his side
and say, Even so, father, for so it
seemed good in thy sight, the day of
blessedneSs has begun to dawn, and
heaven has already begun ON earth But,
better still, the day of everlasting light
will dawn sure and soon. Life when
longest is short, when darkest is bright
when roughest is peaceful to the child
Of God. Earth may become foretaste
OF heaven, earth may hear now the mu-
sic of saints and seraphs and may see
the light of God streaming through "the
gates ajar. | thank God for this sweet
hope, for this blessed assurance, for
this unbroken peaces Already the shad.
Ows are fleeing away; already the day is
dawning.
1t is helpful for us TO bear in mind
that lights and shadows have their uses
in every relation in life. Art would b.
comparatively meaningless but for It's
commingling Of lights and shades. A
picture all light would be without ex.
preston, without character, without
real worth of any sort. One of the
charms Of Gothic architecture is the op-
portunity that it furnishes for the inter
mingling Of lights and shadows. The
deep recesses in the ceiling, in the gal
lery fronts and elsewhere in this church
add much to its pleasing effects, both in
natural and in artificial light The
minor chords in music give it no small
element Of its power over the hearts Of
men. Every trained ear watches with
interest and every cultivated heart lis
tens with appreciation to the notes ex-
pressive Of mingled sorrow and joy. The
same truth is illustrated in tho highest
poetry. Its deepest undertone is express
i've of the inevitable shadows in life
Elm, with the waving Of its palm trees
and the gurgling of the waters from its
IL wells, is evermore near Marah, with
its bitter waters and its disappointed
pilgrims.