Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-11-26
STRUGGLES OF LIFE.
PROSPERITY KILLS; TRo1rR1.ps
SAVE.
Y-1-~nase Draws Lessons ~ n.
Smkable Power From q &C.,.
bible Scene. strange

not aoain - III When he saw that he prevailed /,
thigh sna MN he touched the hollow OF his !
nut s = and the hollow Of Jacob. tbi.h y, r ~
Iu. OF joint as he wrestled With ,;n.sh vas
Ana -, ~, Let me- 90. for the dav hrea.a,n
thor 10 sald. will not let thee On ercar,
Do1.'ess m~e.'-Genesis xxxii. a. % 5p'
herd - 10 a cloud OF dust from a Travelling
eama,s ,Tau1e and sheep and ,oats and
ssu aes = They are the presen, that 1a "nh
broth.r sm.n the good will OF hi. oaendeS
Drook Jabock. But there IL "a na.s ey me
mel man, no shining ladder ~ Ia. ,hho
s.-n"'s uoWn into hi. dream but , ss-a
Eronn mat lasts until morning with an NM
other. .rhaos. They each try 10 throw the
superior no,a anSnown visitor. to reveal his
tnlgn bone from its socket. ..rhrna "acoos
@ = HE. Is on the mornin, sHn ~
I.coh OF purple cloud begin TO rin.n
hren .o".I u IS an angel with whom he has
oe oa contendine and net one OF HE hro.hnr.s
HoaaJntors. LET me- "a" cr;aa bao.nsls
n..lnh himself up into incneasino ~, "a usI,
Jay breake,h." Hsn'; the
IN the first place, that God allows
60 p. J1semetimes to get into a terrible
nave IF. yacoo was R.good man, but here
oys 'eit alone in the midnight 10 w,es,ia
YIN a tremendous influence bv thc brons go
~"nVpk. FOR Joseph, n pit: for Daniel a
WIN peast > den; for David, dstbronement ND
sxi,e; 1or John the Baptist. a wilderness Sist
fnr Dr.. ;" eAeeutioner's AK; for Peter. a prison:
snlpwreck; for John. desotate Pat
mos 'or Christ, the cross. For whom Mo
!~css, inc gibbets. the prisons, the thumb.
1s1eWs. For the sons and daughters ri Tho
Auln Almighty. Some one said to a Christian
."m.r!ner, ''The world is against Won"
-.n.h; no replied. II am against the
Will 90 further and say that every Chris
q HAS Ills 2truO3pln WITH 8-.l
IoItune some OF you have had tho midnight
Wrestir. R"dhOt disasters have dronna1 Into
your stots from loft to cellar. What Won
nousn! yon could not sell. Whom YOU
nus'eo NED. Inc help you expected would
nor come. Some giant panic, with long
arms and grip like death, took hold OF Won
"a ahawiui wrestle, from which YOU have moi
yer escaped, and it is uncertain whether
~ VIII throw you or you will
snfow II. Here is another soul
III struggle with some bad appetite. He
knew net how stea!thly 1t was growing
upon MN. One hour he woke up. He said,
,For the sake OF my soul, OF my family. OF
my children and OF my God 1 must stop
THIS. And behold he found himself alone
by the brook of Jabbok. and II was mid.
night. That evil appetite seized upon him.
nno n seized upon it. and, oh. the horror OF
the conflict! When once a bad habit hath
reused itself up to des,r roy a man, and the
man mas sworn that by the help OF the eter-
nal zoo ne will destroy it, all heaven draws
itsetf out In long line OF light 10 Iook from
above. and all hell stretches itself in
myemldons OF spite TO look up from beneath.
l nave seen men rally themselves for n
and they have bitten their lip, and
cllncied their fist, and cried with n blood
reg earnestness and a rain a scalding tears,
GOD help mel"
fall back deieatei. Calling for no help, bat
relying on their own resolutions, they have
come into the struggle, and for a time 1t
seemed as II they were getting the upper
hand OF their habit. But that heDit rallied
again its internal power and lifted the soul
from It's standing. and With y force borrowed
1foUi the Dit hurled 1t into darkness.
but. thank God. l have often seen a better
termination than this. I have seen mel
(Rserars themselves for such a wrestling.
They. laid hold OF Gods help as they went
3Dto combat. Tho giant haiti, RECALLED by
the cup OF many designations, came out
strong and defiant. They clinched. There
were the WRITINGS and distortions OF q fear.
Jul struggle. But the old giant began to
waver, and at last, In the midnight clone,
with none but God to witness, by the brook
Jabbpk, the giant fell, and the triumphant
wrestler broke the darkness with the cry
'Thanks be unto God, who giveth US the
victory. through our Lord Jesus Christ"
There is n widows heart that first wa.
desolaied by bereavement and since by ths
aDxieties and trials that came in the supper
Of fnmiiy. 1t is n sad thing to see a maj
C~ontendiDg for a livelihood under disadvan
tages, but to see Il delicate woman, will
helpless little ones ut her back, fighting TIL
giants OF poverty and sorrow is mor'
affecting. 1t was a humble home, ant
passersby knew not that within those fou
! walls We're displays of courage moro admir-
able than that OF Hannibal crossing
the Alps. or in the pns- OF ThermopylR, O.
at Balaklava. where lint the jaws OF deatf
rode the six hundred.' These heroes haC
the whole world TO cheer them CD, but ther
.was no ono TO applaud the struggle in tina
humble home. She fought for bread. 10
clothing. for fire, for shelter. with aching
head AMI weak side and entrusted strength
through the iong night by the brook Jabbol
Gould ii be that nons would give her help
Had God forgotten TO be gracious? No. con
tending soul. The midnight air is full
wings coming to tho rescue. She hears |
now. In the sough OF the night wind, in tn
rippie OF the brook Jaobok, the promis
made so long ago, ringing down the sky
"Thy fatherIess children. l will preserv
them alive. and let thy widows trust in me.
Some ono said TO a very poor woman, "Ho'
il II that in such distress you keep cheerfulI
She said: II 10 it by what l call cross pray
ers, When l had my rent to pay and notl
ing to pay it with and bread TO buy and moth
inv TO buy it with. l used to sit down an
cry. But now l do not get discou ragged.
20 alons the street. when | come TO n COZ
nar a. the street. 1 say The Lord help Inc
Ken 10 on until l come to another eros
80 Ipr OF the street, and again SAY, The Lor
hello NAP And so / utter a prayer at ever
G.sioc. and since l have got into the hao