Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-11-10

I OF arrogance or wOrldlincSs or dissi.
patton in old age. They may not have
lost their integrity, but they have be
come so worldly and so selfish under
the influence Of large success that /,
evident To everybody that their sue.
cess has been temporal calamity and
an eternal damage. Concerning many
people il may lbs said it seems as If ii
would have been better ST they could
have embarked from this life at 90 Oh
80 years OF age
DO you know the reason why the vast
majority of people die before 80? II
is because they have not the moral en-
DURANGO for that which is beyond 30
and mcrciful God will not allow them
TO bc put To the fearful strain.
Again: There is blessing in an alb
brcviatcd earthly existence in the fac,
that one is the sooner taken off the de
tensivc. n soon as one is old
enough to take care of himself ne
is put on his guard Bolts on the
doors TO keep out the robbers. Fire
proof safes To keep off the flames Life
insurance and fire insurance against
accident. Receipts lest YOU have to
pay debt twice. Lifcboat against
shipwrcck. Westinghouse air-brakc
against railroad collision, and hun
drcdS OF hands ready 10 overrcach YOU
and take all you have. Defense against
cold. defense against heat, defense
against sickness, defense against the
worlds abuse. defense all the way
down 20 the grave, and even the tomb
stone some times is not a sufficient bar
ricadc
II a soldier, who has been on guard.
shivcring and stung with the cold. pac-
ing mp and down the parapct with
shouldcrcd musllet, is glad when some
one comes to relieve guard and he can
20 inside the fortress, ought not that
man to shout for Joy who can put down
his weapon Of earthly defense and 20
into the kings castle? Who is the more
.ortunate, the soldier who has To stand
guard II hours or the man who has Co
stund guard six hours? We have com
mo9 sense about everything but re
igiol, common sense about every
thing but transfcrencc from this
world
Again: There is "a blessing in an alb
brcviatCd earthly existence i'm the fact
that one escapes $50 many bcrcavc-
mcnts. The longer s.a live the more
attachments and th, more kindred. the
more chords To be- wounded or raspcd
or sundcred. II q man live on to 20 or
80 years Of age, how many graves are
cleft at his fcct I'M that long reach of
time father and mother 60. brothers
and sisters go. children go, grandchil-
drcn go, personal friends outside the
family circle whom they had loved
with love like that of David and
JCnathaT Besides that, some men
have II natura. trepidation about
dissolution, and ever and anon
during so or 30 or 60 years this
horror of their dissolution shoulders
through soul and body. Now. suppo,c
the lad goes at lG years of are? lie cs-
c2pes 30 funerals, 80 baskets. 30 obsc-
quics, 30 awful wrcnchiug- of the
heart. 1t is hard enough for MS to bear
their departure, but is il not easier for
Us to bear their departure than for
them to stay and bear 81 dcparturr,2
Shall we not by the grace OF cod rouse
ourselves into q generosity OF bercavc-
ment which will practically say: 1t
Is hard enough for me to 20 THROUGH
this bereavement, but how clad ! am
that he VIII never have to 90 through
it"
SO ! reason with myself and SO YOU
will find il helpful to reason with YOUR
selves. David lost his son. Though
David was king he lay ON the earth
mourning and inconsolablc for some
time. At this distance of time which
do you really think was the one to be
s4,f Z Il 4
the long-livcd father? Had David died
as early as that child died he would. i'm
the first place, have escaped that par
hcular bereavement. then he would
have escaped the worst be-
reavcmcnt of Absalom. his re-
creant son. and the pursuit of
the Philistincs. and the fatigucs OF his
military campaign, and the jealousy of
Saul, and the perfidv of Ahithophel
and the curse of Shimcl. and the de
struction of his family at Ziklar. and.
above all, ne would have escaped the
two great calamitics OF hi, life. the
great sin OF unclcauncs- and murder.
David lived 90 BE- of vast use To the
church and the world. but so far as his
own happiness was concerned does 10
not seem To- you that IL would have
been better for him 90 have gone
early.
Now This my fri ud- explains some
thing That % YOU have b.cu iueypIfr-
able. Ih- shows you why. whom Good
takes iltt'. children from household.
iIc b. very apt tp tails. The brightest.
tine most ~.u.n.. the most -vmDath.tir.
the most talented Whra lti- uecau.,