The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-21
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
A THANKSGIVING MEDITATION:
KEEP THINGS OPEN sKYwARD.
Short Sermon by Rev. Thomas r. Sill
(Unitarian), New York City.

Why is light given to man whose way is hid.
whom God has hedged in?-Job iii, 49,
Are there some of us, at this Thanks
giving season, in whose. hearts gratitude
for the manifold mercies enjoyed is over
Swallowed by the thought of things denied?
Are we inclined to complain with Job, when
he utters the despairing cry of our text?
1t Is equivalent to saying: If a man can
not see a way for his feet, why should he
see the distant object of his desire? Why
should life present prizes which are not for
him?
Job felt his case to be one of special hard
ship. He was very sick; he had lost chill
dren and property by sudden disaster; his
wife was not help, meet for him''-she
prompted him to blasphemy and suicide
adding to his suffering the weight of her
evil nature. His grief is tyrant to his
reason, and drives him to rash lamentation
Having so much to bear, being so "hedged
in,' the open heaven above him and the free
air about him seem a reproach and an ex-
ASPIRATION. He is like prisoner who sees
the morning coming through a window high
up above his head he knows it is dawn
but he sees only the walls of his prison
by the light of the new day. Even if he
can look out of the window. what he sees
only intensifes his desire to be free. Why
should light be given to a man thus hedged
in?
Thus suffers an unheroic soul, or one
with no sustaining Inspiration. But it is
not thus that Nine. Guyon feels; impris-
oned she writes and sings her hymns, say
ing: II am like little bird in cage
have nothing to do but sing"
Still another is imprisoned for the truth
sake, in cell so dark that only for an hour
each day thin pencil of sunlight enters
by narrow slit high in the wall. The pris-
oner is old and dim-eyed, but he waits for
this daily visit of the light, the Scriptures
open upon his knees, and when the sunlight
enters he rises as one who salutes a friend,
and, carrying the open page into the path
of the slanting ray he follows it through
its single hour that he may read the strong
words of Gods elder heroes of faith. Such
a prisoner does not say, why is light given
to man whom God hath hedged in?' He
knows why, and uses it while it lasts; he
waits for it with patience that is like
sacrament" and gives thanks for it with a
joy that is like liberty
1t is difficult to be wholly reasonable when
one is suffering severely; it takes time and
philosophy to convince ones self that this
hid way, this 'hedged' situation, is the
very order of human life. But hedge is as
much protection as a limitation, and ev-
cry mans way is hid in part else he would
not have patience to reap the joys, not yet
ripe, or courage to meet the woes lying in
ambush of the future Fortunately, our
path is not clear from end to end. If God
were not omnipotent in love, His omnis-
cience would make the harmonies of heaven
dirge for the woes of earth
We often say that happiness is a mere
matter of comparison. 1t is true in part,
but so long as our happiness depends upon
comparisons for it's satisfaction it will have
anguish forced on it by its contrasts. Each
man must find God for himself.
Job learned that a mans situation was
not alone hedged by circumstance. but de-
Tended by conscious recttude as a wall of
protection; he learned how remote from the
soul is hedging sorrow. when false phi