St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-06-25

: and run through the crushing machine,
, and then 1t comes down on the anvil.
and upon it, blow after blow, blow
: after blow, until the soul cries out:
"Oh, Lord, what does all this mean?"
God says: Il want to make something
very useful out Of you. You
shall be something to hew with
; and something to build with. It
is practical process through
! which I am putting YOU" Yes, my
, Christian friends, we want more tools
in the Church OF God; not more wedges
to split with We have enough Of
these. Not more bores with which to
J drill We have too many bores. What
we really want is keen, sharp, we'll
tempered axes, and If there be any 9TH
} er way Of making them in the hot fur
mace, and on the hard anvil, and under
the neavy hammer do not know what
it is. Remember that if:God bring any
kind of chastisement upon you it is
only to make you useful Do not sit
down discouraged and say: "Ihave NO
more reason for living. wish were
dead" Ohio there never was SO much
reason for your living as now! BY
this ordeal you have been consecrated
9 priest of the most high God. Go out
and do your whole work for the Mas
ter.
Again, there is comfort in the
thought that al our troubles are q
revelation. Have you ever thought of
it in that connection? The man who
has never been through chastisement
is ignorant about a thousand things in
his soul he ought to know. For in
stance, here is u man who prides him.
self on his cheerfulness OF character.
He has no patience with anybody who
is depressed in spirits. Oh! it is easy
for him to be cheerful, with his fine
house, his filed wardrobe and we'll.
strung instruments Of music, and tap
estried parlor, and plenty of money
in the bank waiting for some
permanent investment. 1t is easy
for him to be cheerful. But suppose
his fortune goes to pieces and his house
goes down under the sheriff's hammer,
and the banks will not have anything
to do with his paper. Suppose those
people who were once elegantly enter
tanned at his table get 50 short-sighted
that they can not recognize him upon
the street. How then? Is it SO easy
to be cheerful? It is easy to be cheer
full in the home after the days work is
done, and the gas is turned on and the
house is full of romping little ones.
But suppose the piano is shut because
the fingers that PLAYED on it will no
more touch the keys, and the childish
n eli
will ask no more. Then is it so easy? |
When q man wakes up and finds that |
his resources are all gone he begins to
rebel, and he says: God is hard; God |
is outrageous He had no business to |
do this to me-" My friends, those of |
us who have been through trouble |
know what sinful and rebellious |
heart we have, and how much God has |
to put up with, and how much God |
has to put up with, and how
much we need pardon. 1t is only
in the light of . flaming furnace
that we can learn our own weakness
and our own lack of moral resource.
oh, how much coincidence there is
in this thought! I expect to see my
kindred in Heaven-I expect to see
them just as certainly as / expect to 20
home to-day. Aye, / shall more GER
tainly see them. Eight or ten will
come up from the graveyard back of
Somerville, and one will come from
the mountains back of Annoy,
China, and another will come up
from the sea of Cape Hatteras,
and 30 will come up from Green
wood; and I shall know them better
than ever knew them before. And
your friends-they may be across the
sea, but the trumpet that sounds here
will sound there. You will come up
on just the same day. Some morning
you have oversight yourself, and you
open your eyes and see that the sun is
high in the heavens, and you say: II
have oversight, and l must be up
and away" So you will open
your eyes on the morning of the
in the full blaze of Gods
light, and you will say: Il must be up
and away" Oh, yes, you will come,
and there will be reunion, . recon-
of your family. like what
Il think it was)-good old
Mr.. Haliburton-said in his last mo-
ments: II thank God that ever lived,
and that l have father in Heaven, II
and mother in Heaven, and I am now
going up to see them"
/ remark once more: Our troubles
in this world are preparative for glory.
What transition it was for Paul
from the slippery deck Of laundering .
ship to the calm presence of Jesus!
What transition it was for Latimer
from the stake to the throne! What a
it was for Robert Hall
from insanity to gloryi What q
1t was for Richard
the dropsy to the
Saints Everlasting Restl" And what
! transition it will be for you-from a
world OF sorrow 20 world Of Joy. ,
John Holland, when he was dying,
said: "What means this brightness in
The room? Have you lighted the cam !!
lles?' NO" they replied, I'VE have
1ot lighted any candles" Then said :
,e: Welcome Heaven!' The light !
llready beaming upon his pillow. Oh! I
re who are prosecuted in this world,
1our enemies will get of the track U
Ifter awhile, and all will speak c
we'll of you among the thrones. Ho! o
re- who are sick now. No medicine to
AXE there. One breath Of the eternal t
ills will thrill you with immortal n
igor And We who are lonesome now. p
There will be million spirits to well s.
ome you into their companionship. o Ii
e bcreft souls. There will be no grave L
ligger's spade that will cleave the side
i that hill, and there will be no
Urge wailing from that temple. The
liver Of God, deep as the joy of Heav. :,
n, will roll on between banks odor- =
us with balm, and over depths bright :
nth jewels, and under skies roseate ',
nth gladness, argosies OF light going
own the stream to the stroke of gilt :.
ering oars and the song OF angels! :,
lot one sigh in the wind; not one tear :.
with the waters. 8
World Building. di
We are not cropping entirely in the ia
ark. Those who have worked on the W
reat problems of life have shed light tt
nm the nafhwav 0f 0ur fh;rl,;r~. | m