The Newtown bee., 1898-03-25

ones self so as to turn to what may seem
petty considerations and services; hard
er than it is IN the great troubles and dis
asters to remember what are great SCI
unselfish when the tears are freely flow-
ing than it is when the lips are mere ly
pouting, and the brow fr,wniDg. Let us
try to remember it, our c5 Il to Christian
service; our mission to be helpful is even
when we are Disconnected and bottle red,
and perhaps complaining about our
selvt S; even then we were the better if
we thought of helping others
TO Do OUR DUTY EVEN WEEPING,
to help Others even weeping. And ore
thing more would speak about, to trust
in God even weeping. To know that
''All our weakness, pain and doubt,
great compassion flows about Because
we are burdened or troube ed we need not
think that we are God-forsaken. That l.
the last lesson of which we must speak
in this connection. 1t is easy CROUCH to
trust God as long as he seems TO do
eve rything just exactly as we want it.
When the lzrder is full and the back we'll
clothed, and the day serene, who finds it
hard to think that Providence does all
things well? When we have what we
like, then we are very sure thai
God knows what is good for Us {;
when we have what is distasteful or bur-
densome. then we don't feel so sure about
it. AS you remember, the spirit of Ten
| nyson's Northern farmer who was taken
sick, very sick, and Immediately began
to wonder whether Providence had not
. one wrong-how he kept saying,
"Do God a moigbty know what He's doing
| taking O. me?
He might ha' taken old Jones, as amt got q
haporth of sense;
| Or "a might ha' taken young Robbins, who
can't even mend a fence.
But God almighty must take me, and take me
| now,
With halt the cows to calve, and Thurnaby
hoalms to plow."
To have Providence go diff rent way
from what he would choose was very
hard to bear, and exceedingly hard to
| understand. AS if our petty plans
should weigh down all else in the eternal
BALANCED
All! the true heart, and tie genuine
faith is the one which, even weeping,
trusts in God. Though he smite me,
yet will trust in him; - that is the cry
of the faithful spirit. You will remem-
Der in that list of the heroes of faith
which is given for our example in the
eleventh chapter of Hebrews; it was not
story of men who trusted God because
they had had an easy time of it while
living; it was list Of men who trusted
God even weeping. That was what
made their trust heroic. We would not
think much of lamp that was put out
by darkness, nor of faith that was put
out by circulation. God would not have
our tears to be as water by which the
| light and fire of our faith was quenched,
but as oil which would make these shine
the brighter, and feel the warmer. Like
Paul who could fight with lions, and
yet trust in God who could be wrecked
at sea, and yet trust in God, who could be
deserted by his wsrmest friends, and yet
trust that God would never desert him,
who could be brought down unto death
and yet know that the Lord would make
it unto him as a great ard glorious vic
tory. That is the Spirit.
Yes, this is the last, and this is the
best thing, even weeping to trust in God.
To the man who has great faith to be-
lieve in the goodness of God, al storms
are from behind, and but / low him fast
er towards his port.
These things let US all remember; new
er to shirk cur duty because of difficulty,
but even weeping to labor in that where