Connecticut western news., 1898-05-26

over the grief. It is no sign of weakness that men are overcome of their sorrows. Thank God for the relief of tearS Have you never been i'll trouble when you Could not weep and you would have given anything for cry? David did we'll when he mourned for AbSalom, Abraham did we'll when he bemoaned Sarah, Christ wept for Lazarus, and the last man that 1 want to see come any where near me when I have any kind of trouble is a worldly philosopher.
 Again, I remark that those persons are incompetent for the work of comfort bearing who have nothing but cant to offer. There are those who have the idea that you must groan over the dis tressed and afflicted. There are times in grief when one cheerful face, dawning upon Il mans soul, is worth $1, 1000 to him. Do net whine over the afflicted. Take the promises of the gospel and ut ter them in a manly tone. Do not be afraid to smile if you feel like it. Do not drive any more hearses through that poor soul. Do not tell him the trouble was foreordained. It will not be any comfort to know it was 1 1000, 900 years coming. If you want to find splints for a broken bone, do not take cast iron. Do not tell them it is Gods justice that weighs out grief. They want to hear of Gods tender mercy. In other words, do not give them aquafortis when they need valerian.
 Gods Ministers.
 Again, remark that those persons are poor comforters who have never had any trouble themselves A larkspur cannot lecture on the nature of a snowflake. It never saw n snowflake, and those peo- pie who have always lived i'll the sum- mer of prosperity cannot talk to those who are frozen ill disaster. God keeps aged people ill the world, l think, for this very work of sympathy. They have been through all these trials. They know all that which irritates and all that which soothes. If there are men and women here who have old people in the house or near at hand so that they can easily reach them, I congratu- late you. Some of us have had trials in life, and although we have had many friends around about us we have wish ed that father and mother were still alive that we might go and tell them. Perhaps they could not say much, but it would have been such a comfort to have them around These aged ones who have been all through the trials of life know how to give condolence. Cher zI, tla,,, lot fhn,,, lnar, these aged people. If when you speak to them they cannot hear just what you say the first time and you have to say it a second time, when you say it a sec- ond time do not say it sharply. If you do, you will be sorry for it on the day when you take the last look and brush back the silvery locks from the wrinkled brow just before they screw the lid on. Blessed be God for the old people! They may not have much strength to go around, but they are Gods appointed ministers of comfort to a broken heart.
 People who have not had trial them selves cannot give comfort to others They may talk very beautifully and they may give you great deal of poetic sen- timent, but while poetry is perfume that smells sweet, it makes a very poor salve. If you have grave ill pathway and somebody comes and covers it all over with flowers it is a grave yet. Those who have not had grief them selves know not the mystery of broken heart. They know not the meaning of childlessness, and the having no one to put to bed at night or the standing in a room where every book and picture and door are full of memories-the doormat where she sat, the cup out of which she drank, the place where she stood at the door and clapped her hands, the odd figures that she scribbled, the blocks she built into house. Ah, no, you must have trouble yourself before you can comfort trouble ill others. But come all ye who have been be1eft, and ye who have Isen comforted in your sorrows, and stand around these afflicted souls and say to them, 1T had that very sor- row myself; God comforted me and he will comfort you," and that will go right to the spot. In other words, to comfort others we must have faith in God, practical experience and good, sound common sense.
 For the Sorrowful.
 But there are three or four considera- tionsAsi.at will bring to those who are sorrowful and distressed and that we can always bring to them, knowing that they will effect a cure. And the first consideration is that God sends our troubles in love. I often hear people in their troubles say, "Why, I wonder what God has against mel" They seem to think God has some grudge against them because trouble and misfortune have come. Oh, no! Do you not remem- Der that passage of Scripture, Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth?" A child comes ill with very bad splinter in it's hand, and you try to extract it. It is 8 very painful operation. The child draws back from you, but you persist. You are going to take that splinter out, so you take the child with gentle but firm grasp, for, although there may be pain in it, the splinter must come out And it is love that dictates it and makes you persist. My friends, I really think that nearly all our sorrows in this world are only the hand of our Father ex- tracting some thorn. If all these sor- rows were sent by enemies, l would say, Arm yourselves against them, and as in tropical climes when a tiger comes down from the mountains and carries off child from the village the neigh bors band together and go into the for est and hunt the monster so I would have you, if thought these misfortunes were sent by an enemy, go out and bat tie against them. But, no, they come from Father so kind, so loving, so gentle, that the prophet, speaking of his tenderness and mercy, drops the idea of father and says, GAS one whom his mother comforteth so will comfort you"
 Again, remark there is comfort in the thought that God by all this process is going to make you useful. Do you know that those who accomplish the most for God and heaven hare all been