Connecticut western news., 1896-06-25


 remark again, that God puts down the limit to our temporal prosperity. The world of finance seems to have no God in it. You cannot tell where man will land The aff1uent fall the poor rise. The ingenious fail the ignorant succeed. An enterprise opening grandly, shuts in bankruptcy, while out of the peat dug up from some New England marsh the millionaire builds his fortune. The poor man thinks it is chance that keeps him down; the rich man thinks it are both wrong. It is so hard to realize that God rules the money market, and has hook in the nose of the stock gam bier, and that all the commercial revo- lutions of the world shall result in the very best for Gods dear children.
 Accept the Inevitable.
 My brethren, do not kick against the divine allotments God knows just how much money it is best for you to lose. You never gain unless it is best for you to gain. You go up when it is best for you to go up and go down when it is best for you to go down. Prove it, you say. will. Romans viii, 2S, "All things work together for good to them that love God" You go into factory and you see 20 or 80 wheels, and they are going in different directions. This band is rolling off this way and another band another way !; one down and another up. You say, "What confusion in a fac tory!" Oh, mol all these different bands are only different parts of tl~ machin- cry So I go into your life and see strange things. Here is one providence pulling you one way, and another in another way But these are different parts of one machinery by which he will advance your everlasting and pres ent well being
 Now you know that second mort gage, and third and fourth mortgage are often worth nothing. It is the first mortgage that is good investment I have to tell you that every Christian man has a first mortgage on every trial, and on every disaster, and it must make q payment of eternal advantage to his soul. How many worriments it would take out of your heart if you be- lieved that fully. You buy goods and hope the price will go up, but you are in fret and frown for fear the price will go down. You do not buy the goods using your best discretion in the mat ter, and then say: ''Oh, Lord, have done the best I could! commit this whole transaction into thy hands" That is what religion is good for or it is good for nothing.
 There are two things, says an old proverb, Sou ought not to fret about first. things that you can help. and sec- ond, things which you cannot help. If you can help them, why do you not ap- ply the remedy? If you cannot help them, you might as well surrender first as last. My dear brethren, do not sit any longer moping about your ledger. Do not sit looking so desponding upon your stock of unstable goods. Do you think that God is going to allow you, a Christian man, to do business alone? God is the controlling partner ill every firm, and although your debtors may abscond, although your securities may fail, although your store may burn, God will, out of an infnity of results, choose for you the very best results.
 Do not have any idea that you can overstep the limit that God has laid down for your prosperity. You will never get one inch beyond it God has decided how much prosperity you can stand honcrably and employ usefully and control righteously; and at the end of the year you will have just so many dollars and cents, just so much ward robe, just so much furniture, just so many bonds and mortgages, and nothing more. I will give you $100 for every penay you get beyond that God has looked over your life. He knows what is best for you, and he is going to bless you in time. and bless you fer eternity 1; and he will do it in the best way. Your little child says, "Papa, wish you would let me have that knife. " No, !" you say, "it is sharp knife and you will cut yourself. !" He says, II must have it. " -''But you cannot have it. !" you reply. He gets angry and red in the face, and says he will have it; but you say he shall not have 1t. Are you not kind in keeping it from him? So God treats his children. I say, II wish, heavenly Father, to get that" God says, "No, my child" say, II must have it. '' Gcd says, "You cannot have it." I get angry and say, II will have it." God says, "You shall not have it :" and do not get it. Is he not kind and loving and the best of Fathers? Do you tell me there is no rule and regulation in these things? Tell that to the men who believe in no God and no Bible. Tell it not to mel
 go cut of his store, leaving much of his investments in the business, and he says to his sons: "Now, am going to leave tbis business i'll your hands. Perhaps may come back in a little while. and perhaps not. While I am gone you will please to look after affairs" After awhile the father comes back and finds everything at loose ends, and the whole business seems to be going wrong. He says: I am going to take possession of 1 this business-you know 1 never fully surrendered it-and henceforth consider | yourselves subordinates. :" Is he not right in doing it? He saves the business. The Lord seems to let us go on in life, | guided by our own skill, and we make l miserable work of it. God comes down to our shop, or our store, and says "Things are going wrong. I come te I take charge. I am master, and I know what is best, and I proclaim my au | thority." We are merely subordinates.
 It is like a toy at school with a long
 sum that he cannot do. He has beer
 working at it for hours. making figures
 here and rubbing out figures there, anG
 it is all mixed up, and the teacher
 looking over the boys shoulder, know!
 that he cannot get out of it, and clean
 ing the slate says, Begin again" Jus
 so God does to us Our affairs get into
 an inextricable entanglement, and h,
 rubs everything out and says, "Begi1
 againp' Is he not wise and loving in & doing?
 l thi,,b ba fror, h1a iC fhot *Io,o ,y c,