The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-06-26

Wnlle the poor man comes up anu
makes his investments in the bank OF
Him who runs all the quarries, all the
mines, all the gold, all the earth, all
Heaven Do you think a man can fail
when he is backed mp like that?
remark, again. that all those things
that seem to be but accidents in our
life are under the divine supervision
We sometimes seem to be going helm
less and anchorless. You say: IF I
had some other trade; if had not gone
there this summer; if l had lived in
some other house" You have no right
to say that Every tear you wept, ev-
cry step you have taken, every burden
you have carried, is under divine in
spection, and that event which startled
your whole household with horror God
met with perfect placidity, because He
knew il was for your good 1t was
part of a great plan projected long
ago. In eternity when you come to
reckon up your mercies, you will point
to that affection as one of your great
est blessings.
God has strange wav with us Jo-
seph found his way to the prime min
ister's chair by being pushed into pit;
and to many a Christian down IS up
The wheat must be failed; the quarry
must be blasted; the diamond must be
ground; the Christian must be atdict-
ed; and that single event, which you
supposed stood entirely alone, was q
connecting link between two great
chains, one chain reaching through all
eternity past and the other reaching
through all eternity future-so small
an event fastening two eternities to-
gether.
missionary, coming from India to
the United States, stopped at ST.
Helena while the vessel was. taking
water. He had his child with him
They walked along by the embank-
ment, and a rock at that moment be-
came loosened, and falling instantly
killed the child Was it an accident?
Was it a surprise to God? Had he al
lowed his servant, after life of con-
secration, to come to such trial? Not
such is nv God. There are no acct
dents in the divine mind, though they
may seem so to US God is good, and
by every single incident of our life,
whether it be adverse or otherwise, be-
fore earth and Heaven, God will DEM
onstrate His mercy.
hear a man say: That the idea
belittles God. You bring Him down
to such little things" Oh, have
more thorough appreciation of God in
little things than / have in great
thingsI The mother does not wait
: until the child has crushed its foot or
broken its arm before she administers
sympathy. The child comes in with
the first bruise, and the mother kisses
it God does not wait for some ire
mendous crises in our life, but comes
down to US in our most insignificant
trials, and throws over US the arms Of
His mercy. 4
Going up the White mountains some
years ago, thought of that passage in
the Bible that speaks of God as weigh
ing mountains in a balance. As l
looked at those great mountains 1
thought, can it be possible that God
can put these great mountains in
scales? 1t was an idea too great for
me to grasp; but when / saw a blue
bell down by the mules foot, on nv
way up Mount Washington, then I
understood the kindness and goodness
OF God. 1t is not so much of God in
great things l can understand, but of
God in little things.
There is a man who saws: THAT
doctor cannot be true, because things
do 60 so very wrong" l reply it is no
inconsistency on the part of God, but
a lack OF understanding on your part
/ hear that men are making very fine
shawls in some factory. go in on the
first floor, and see only the raw mate
rails. and 1 ask: Are these the shawls
/ have heard about?" NO" says the
manufacturer; "go up to the next
floor" and go up. and there begin
to see the design. But the man says;
do not stop here; go up 70
the top floor of the factory and you
will see the idea fully carried
out" 1 do SO, and, having
come to the top, see the complete pat
tern of an exquisite shawl So in our
| life, standing down on a low level OF
Chri stion experience we do not under.
stand Gods dealings He tells US 70
go up higher and higher. until we be-
| gin to understand the Divine meaning
with respect TO US, and we advance IN.
| til we stand at the very gate of Heaven,
and there see Gods idea all wrought
out-a perfect idea of mercy, of love,
of kindness And we say: Just and
true are all Thy ways" II is all right
at the top. Remember there is no in
consistency on the part of God, but IL
is only our mental and spiritual inca
pacity.
Some of you may be disappointed
/ this summer-vaeations are apt to be
disappointments-but whatever your
perplexities and worriments, know
that mans heart deviseth his ways,
but the Lord directeth his steps" Ask
these aged men in this church il it is
not so. 1t has been so in nv own
life One summer / started for
the Adirondacks, but my plans were
so changed that landed in Liverpool
studied law and got into the minis
try. / resolved to go as missionary
to China, and ! stayed in the United