Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-12-15

righteousness unto tnem WniCn are cX
ercised thereby" weeping may en-.
dure for night, but Joy eometh in the
morning" What a sweet thing Is
harp, and wonder not that in Wales,
the country of my ancestors, the harp
has become the national instrument.
and that they have festivals where great
prizes arc offered in the competition be-
tween harp and harp, or that weird
Sebastian Erard was much of his time
bent over this chorded and vibrating
triangle and was not satisfied until he
had given II compass of six octaves,
from Z to E with al the semitones, or
that when King Saul was demented the
son OF Jesse came before him and, put
cling his fingers among the charmed
strings OF the harp, played the devil out
of the cyaxed monarch, or that L.
Heaven there shall be harpers harping
with their harps, So you will not blame
me for opening the dark saying on the
Gospel harp:
Your harps. ye trembling saints,
Down from the willows take:
Loud the praise OF love Divine
Bid every string awake!
Interrogation third: Why did the
good God let sin or trouble come into
the world when He might have kept
them out? My reply Is: He had good
reason He had reasons that He has
never given us He had reasons which
He could no more make us understand
In our finite state than the father, start
Ing out on some great and elaborate en-
terprise, could make the two-yearold
child in its armchair comprehend H.
One was to demonstrate what grandeur
of character may be achieved on earth
by conquering evil. Had there been no
evil to conquer and no trouble to con.
sole then this universe would never
have known an Abraham, or Moses,
or a Joshua, or an Ezekiel, or Paul,
or a Christ, or a Washington, or John
Milton. or John Howard and 1,0o0,0 900
victories which have been gained by the
consecrated spirits of all ages would
never have been gained, Had there
been no battle there would have been
no victory. Nine-tenths of the anthems
OF Heaven would never have been sung
Heaven could never have been thou.
sandth part of the Heaven that 1t Is,
| will not say that am glad that sin
and sorrow did enter. hut do say that
| am glad that after God has given all
His reasons to an assembled universe
He will he more l,unorcd than II sin and
sorrow had never entered. and that the
unfalen celestials will be outdone and
will pu, down their trumpe1S TO listen,
and II will be In Heaven. when those
who have conquered sin and sorrow
shall enter, as II would BE in small
singing school on earth II Thalberg and
Gottschalk and Wagner and beethoven
and Rheinberger and Schnman should
all at once enter The lmmortals that
have been chanting 10000 years before
the throne will say. as they close their
librettos: "Oh. II we could only sing
like that!" But God will say to those
who have never fallen, and consequent
ly have not been redeemed: "You must
be silent now. You have not the quail
fication for this anthem" So they sit
with closed lips and folded hands. and
sinners saved by grace take up the har-
could learn that song but the hundred
and forty and four thousand which
were redeemed from the earth"
But now come nearer home and put
a dark saying on the Gospel harp. a
style OF question tina; Ia asked mil
lion times every year Interrogation
the fourth: Why do ! have Il so hard
while others have II so easy? Or, Why
do have so much difficulty In getting
a livelihood while others go around
with full portmonnaie? Or, Why
must | wear these plain clothes. while
others have TO push hard 10 get their
wardrobes closed so crowded are they
with brilliant attire? Or, Why should
| I have TO work so hard. while others
have 365 holidays every year? They are
all practically one question. I answer
them by saying II is because the Lord
has His favorites. and He puts extra dis
cipline upon you and extra trial. be-
cause He has for Won extra glory. extra
enforcement and extra felicities
That is no guess of mine. but Divine
says so: "Whom the Lord loveth He
| shasteneth" Well" says some one:
~ would rather have little less in
Heaven and little more here. Discount
my Heavenly robe ten per cent and let
me now put II on fnr-lined overcoat;
put me in less gorgeous room OF the
house Of many mansions and let me
have house here in better neighbor-
Lood," No. no; God is not going to rob
Heaven. which is to be your residence
for nine hundred quadrillion OF years,
10 fix up your earthly abode. which you
WIN occupy at most for less than cen
fury, and where you may perhaps stay
only ten years longer. or only one year
or perhaps n month more. Now. you
had better cheerfulIy let God have His
way. for. you see. He has been taking
care OF folks for near 5000 years and
knows how to do II and can see what Is
best for you better than you can your
self. Don't think you are too insignib-
cant TO be divinely cared for. II wa
said that Diana. the goddess. could not
be present TO keep her temple at Ephe-
sus from burning because she was at