The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-01

And some of the very people who ask the
question are not themselves obedient
unto God! think the course of human
nature shows tnat men are not turned
into righteousness by sudden warnings
when they will not listen 10 other warn
ings. In the city OF st. Louis God is
known. The gospel of Jesus is preached.
Perhaps none, certainly few, of those
who perished there, were without fre-
quent opportunities of seeing themselves
IN the eye of truth, and OF living the life
OF redeemed men. And when we ask this
question concerning warning, we remem-
ber that in spite OF such disasters as that
we speak OF, the great majority of men
die in their beds. Even since / have
been speaking tonight twice as many
people have died as in the st. Louis
storm. 1t is surely short-sigh hted to deny
the hand of God in occasions like. this,
but to admit it on ordinary occasions.
Every day half as many people as Provi-
dence contains go from the wide world
TO wider world. Eighty thousand,
hundred thousand day God made
these lives. He takes them away. Every
ten days as may as perished in our civil
war! We are not among those who think
II necessary to shield the Almighty from
responsibility in the matter of life or
death. The prophets expressly state that
He holds these in His power. When a
man dies God does it; when a child is
born God does it. He knows the way lie
taketh. j hold a view of death such that
j can believe a merciful, a loving God,
can not only permit il, bnt bring 1t
about. Isike to think ! am not a chance
grain Of sand on the shore of ages, being
tossed up and down by its tide-some-
times left burning and drv on the high
beach, sometimes sucked under the waves
and laFripH n dpnp md Innu ennt innot1
buripl i'm brine. This would be, as we so
often hear, something that God per-
mtted. Nol Every human creature is
constantly in the hollow of that hand
through which the nail was driven at
Golgotha. The bounds of our habitation
are set. Spite of block signals and COM
partment ships we cannot lengthen or
abbreivate our days. l am glad in this
faith. / do not lament thst whatever
pain, wee or shock is destined to come to
a human soul, there is reason in it, and
perhaps glory to come ont of it.
People who exclaim at the bitterness of
suffering simply prove that they believe
little in the power and Imagination of
God, to counter-balance thousand fold
over the sharpest pain by the glories of
life.
IL life is what we arc told il is, If Ii de-
volops in us during the next ten thousand
years as 1t has i'm the first fifty the Incl
dent OF death, under any circumstances
whatever, may be regarded as minor
incident
Some people think the flood was cruel.
must believe it mercy. 1t IL not neces-
sary then to donbt 1t or explain it away,
for the floods still come, and the winds
blow; tre yet breaks forth and the hand
of God is in it all. The radical defect in
some peoples theology is in believing
that II God loves men lie will not let
4 ha,R n,,t "a sa .atit, -. -
say God could not let Paul suffer, or the
martyrs; lie could not permit Christ to
die. The simple truth is that God ar
ranges that some OF those lie loves best
suffer most.
l am ready to grant that suffering
might be continued so long IA to make
life a curse. But the duration of any
suffering we see Is to the Joy God has
promised as the lightning fash to three
score years and ten.
| am ready to believe also that the con-
stituents OF happiness may be gathered
out OF suffering, aud that something may
remain to the people who suffer that will
enhance their happiness. That human
institution, the savings bank, is the evil
dence OF our understanding IN the matter.
Men deprive themselves of the things
money will buy now, because they think
IL Will sometime lie an advantage to them.
Perhaps they are right But IL the Lord
does not give larger interest than saw
ings bank He is not what we believe
Him 10 be. IL He were only a little better
aud more generous than we, ii would still
be Wise TO suffer for His sake.
The fact that no man is consulted about
the question, whether he shall ne created
or not, does not impugu the justice,
mercy or love Of God. The only method
Of success in life is TO find how God is
working. what His intentions are con-
corning us, and then come into sympathy
with it. The moment human being
awaKes to the fact that Goa moans well
By him that moment lie has the greatest
possible incentive TO live grandly.
Ntne of US can have any free iom in
life so long as we feel that il is an uncer-
tain, Intangible thing, liable TO slip away
from us. Ii is this that makes men mis-
crable. view OF life which makes it
hang wholly on the mercy of God is COM
We are all children--wo weep when our
dolls are lost. We invest many things
with a fictitious value, whereas we must
love them only tecauso of the eternal
character to come out of them.
A traveller in far country was ship
wrecked; picked up be was happy again,
for he was going home. Encountering
storms he smiled. Homel Shall | seek
10 anchor in the center OF the sea? And
then cast anxious eye about? MOI Pm
going home! Shall i settle on the desert,
because In cocl evening il Is comfort
lbler Pm going on; II love of something
have now hinders progress j viii learn
10 hate it. II bono Is before you, YOU
,an GO through anything. But whittier
're you going?