The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-08-19

men are impatient, and peculiar and
irritable, excuse them. They had two
troubles, either one of which they
could have met unnecessarily, If, when
the health went, the fortune had been
retained, IL would not have been so
bad. The man could have bought the
very best medical advice. and he could
have had the very best attendance,
and long lines of carriages would have
stopped at the front door to inquire as
to his welfare. But poverty on the
one side and sickness on the other are
Bozez and Seneh. and they interlock
their shadows, and drop them upon
the poor mans way. God help mimi
There was sharp rock on the one
side, and sharp rock on the other
side"
Now, what is such a man to doP In
the name of Almighty God, l will tell
him what to do DO as Jonathan did
climb; climb up into the sunlight of
Gods favor and consolation. l can go
through the churches, and show you
men who lost fortune and health a;
the same time, and yet who sing all
day and dream of Heaven all night
If you have any idea that sound diges-
ton, and steady nerves. and clear eye
sight, and good hearing, and plenty
of friends are necessary to make a
man happy, you have miscalculated.
l suppose that these overhanging
rocks only made Jonathan scramble
the harder and the faster to get up
and out into the sunlight; and this
combined shadow of invalidism, and
financial embarrassment has often
sent man up the quicker into the
sunlight of Gods favor and the noon
day of His glorious promises.
1t is difficult thing for a man TO
feel his dependence upon God when he
has $1,000 in bank and $50, 900 in gov
eminent securities and a block of
stores and three ships We'll" the
man says to himself, 'it is silly for me
to pray, Give me this my daily bread
when my pantry is full and the canals
from the west are crowded with bread
stuffs destined for my storehouses."
Oh, my friend, il the com bined misfor-
tunes and disasters of life have made
you climb up into the arms of sym
pathetic and compassionate God,
through all eternity you will bless
Him that in this world there was a
sharp rock on the one side and sharp
rock on the other side"
Again, that man is in the crisis of
the text who has home toubfes and
outside persecution at the same time.
The world treats a man well just as
long as it pays to treat him we'll. As
On n ma N fa ct
of his bone and brain and muscle, il
favors him. The world fattens the
horse it wants to drive. But let man
see it his duty to cross the track of the
world, then every bush is full of horns
and tusks thrust at him. They will
belittle him. They will caricature
him. They will call his generosity
self-aggrandizement and his piety
sanctimoniousness. The very worst
persecution will sometimes come upon
him from those who profess to be
Christians.
A certain amount of persecution is
a tonic and inspiration, but too much
of it, and too long continued becomes
the rock Bozez throwing a dark shad-
ow over mans life. What is he to do
thenp Go home, you say. Good advice,
that. That is just the place for man
to go when the world abuses him. Go
home. Blessed be God for our quiet
aud sympathetic homel But. there is
many man who has the reputation of
having home when he has none
Through unthinkingness or precipita-
ton there are many matches made
huN ~ 20
An officiating priest cannot alone
unite a couple. The Lord Almighty
must proclaim banns. There are
many homes in which there is no SYM
patty, and no happiness and no good
cheer. The clamor of the battle NAV
not not have been heard outside; but
God knows, Notwithstanding all the
playing of the wedding March," and
the odor of the orange blossoms, and
the benediction of the officiating
pastor, there has been no marriage.
So sometimes men have awakened To
find on one side of them the rock of
and on the other side of
them the rock of domestic infelicity.
What shall such a one do? Do as
Jonathan did-climb Get up the
heights of Gods consolation. from
which you may look down in triumph
upon outside persecution and home
trouble. While good and great John !
Wesley was being silenced by |
the magistrates, and having his |
name written on the board fences |
Of London in doggerel, at that |
very time his wife was making him as
miserable as she could-actiug as |
though she were possessed by the |
devil, as | suppose she was; never do |
ing him kindness until the day she |
ran away, so that he wrote in his |
diary these words; If did not forsake
her; have not dismissed her; | will |
not recall her" Planting one foot
upon outside persecution, and the
other foot on home trouble, John
Wesley climbed no into the heights of
Christian joy, and after preaching 49,
300 sermons, and travelling 270, 900
miles, reached the heights Of Heaven
though in this world he had H. hard