The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08
1'h0 Sunday .PUipit.
SORROWS AND TROUBLES.

For whom the Lord loveth he chast-
cneth.-Helrovs Xii. s.
Perhaps the most serious question in
connection with the spiritual life is this:
why are there so many troubles and
sorrows in the road to heaven:
No thoughtful soul ever bowed under
an afflctlcn without wondering why the
Lord thought it best 10 make suffering
50 large 4 part Of our experience. He
could have arranged matters very differ
entity If He had wished 10 do so. but He
chose TO have them as they are. There
must therefore be 4 very important sic
~nitlcance III our burden bearing. but
what is it: We may be perfectly re-
signed to His will, and may believe.
without the shadow Of Il doubt. that
Wrenching griefS and heart struggles are
all right but We cannot suppress the
query. Why are they ali right:
To the mere Onlooker from another
! planet the situation would be interesting.
curious and painful. He would see men
wrestling with the most peryerse ~circuln-
stances, and apparently conquered b.
them. and women weeping over SORROWS
too deep for sympathy to reach. To him
this would be the oldest of all worlds.
administered on Il plan which he might
ma It difficult to understand.
But 1t seems to me possible 10 get 4
glimpse of the meaning of it al. to so ear
comprehend it that we are able to say.
perhaps in feeble accent, Thy Will, not
mine. be done. If it is possible to do
that we shall be greatly comforted and
our powers Of endurance Will be largely
increased.
The golden key to the mystery is found
i'll the apparently cruel statement made
in the Book of Revelation: AS many
as | love | rebuke and chasten.' The
Lord is our Father, and if YOU are 4
! parent you will readily see what is
meant. If YOU are Indifferent to the
welfare Of your children. caring more
for your own pleasure than for their
good, you will allow them a very large
license. let them go their own way. even
though it be the wrong way. But if
YOU have the true parental heart and
wish to insure for the dear ones that
integrity and Sturdiness which are neces-
sary to q noble character YOU will hot
only watch over them With SOlicitudo
during the formative period, but YOU Will
rebuke them, and even sternly deny
them certain undesirable qualifications.
You chastcn them in order to make them
cnaSte or pure. for that is the meaning
of the word. TO chastcn is to purify by
discipline. If it be true that to be pure
or perfect is the chief end to be sought.
and il it he true that if left to own
impulses or passions we should never be
come pure. but that ny discipline we may
become so, then God would either cease
to love us or else cease to be good unless
He allotted such pains and grIcfs rs
would make the S3ui stronger by its
11iIrar.n of Thoun If may Saarn u
strange thing. but it is true. that Goo
would not lie a father if lie failed in
that sharp discipline which in this life
causes regret. lat will some time prove
Itself to have been Il blessing in disguise.
| suppose that the bar Of gold which is
placed in the smelling pot may be very
unhappy for a time. 1t does not know
! very much about the worthless and de-
baSing alloy which is mingled with its
very substance. and it therefore cries
out against the cruelty Of the fire which
heats it to the melting point. Blu the
goldsmith loves his gold too much to
heed its cries. THE fire is the chaSten-
ing element, and he plies the bellows
with a rugged strength. But when the
end comes and the pure metal has been
separated from the alloy. will it not he
seen that Il hot fire. Il consuming flame.
- 4'' - IL ~ SiA'A 'A'f -
dom and love?
If the ingot of gold, not quite under.
standing the process of publication.
could have had Il perfect faith i'll the.
goldsmith it would have suffered less
during the ordeal of fire. In like man
ner if we could believe that our slf-
fcringS have Il grand mission to achieve.
that they are under the guiding hand eff
the Master of our souls. i would largely
alter our attitude toward them and also
toward Him who has ordained them.
To weep without hope or trust is to
break your heart. Even though you
cannot see the meaning of a grief, if You
believe there is one. and that He sees it,
YOU can summon YOU best strength,
, and YOU can be brave. But what Of that
man who neither sees any light IN the
arkneSS nor believes that there Is any:
\ tempest with home in sight is one
thing: Il tempest with no resting place
to look forward to-could any fate be
harder than that or any coalition more
p~itiful?
Whatever else may be said of our
religion this one thing at least is true
that it gives good cheer when good cheer
is most needed. In your direst strivings.
when you are like to fall by the wayside
weary and worn. You may see the.
ShadoWy form of the Christ beneath the
branches of the olive tree. He is rent
and torn by u~nspeakable anguish. but IS
whispering to the unseen messengers
who Will carry the words to the Father,
Not my will. but thine, be done" He
went from under the overhanging clouds
to the better land. and if Our wildly beat
ing hearts will listen we can hear Him
saying: Let not your heart be troubled.
| go to prepare a place for YOU"
GEORGE II. iiEpNORTH.
SOUTH CAROLINA IJTIERANS.