Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-03-17

CSlLencN, tue SouAuk again VI u 4ouS
absent Jesus to meet us-not in rags
and in perjury, and death, but amidst .
light. and pomp, and outbursting 10,
such as none but gloritied intelli
gence could experience. Oh! TO gag.
full upon the brow that was lacerated
upon the side that was pierced, upot
the feet that were nailed; to stant
close up in the presence of Him VIII,
| pr, 81 Fer us on the mountain, ane
thought of us by the sea, and agonized
| for us in the garden, and died for us in
horrible crucitiXion; to feel of Him, to
embrace Him, to take His hand,
to kiss His feet, to run our
fingers along the scars of an
cient suffering; to say: This is
my Jesus! He gave Himself for
me. shall never leave His presence.
/ shall forever behold His glory. |
shall certainly hear His voice. Lord
Jesus, now see Theel behold where
the blood started. where the tears
coursed, where the face was distorted.
| have waited for this hour. l shall
never turn my back on Thee. No more
looking through imperfect glasses. No
more studying Thee in the darkness.
But, as long us this throne stands, and
this everlasting river flows, and those
garlands bloom, and these arches of
victory remain to greet home Heavens
conquerors, so long l shall see Thee,
Jesus of my choice; forever and for
ever-face to facet"
The idea of the text is just as true
when applied to Gods providence.
Who has not come to some pass in life
thoroughly inexplicable2 You say:
"What does this mean? What is God
going TO do with me? He tells me that
all things work together for good.
This does not look like it." You con-
tinue to study the dispensation, and
after awhile guess about what God
means. "He means to teach me this.
l think He means to teach me that.
Perhaps it is to humble my pride. Per-
haps it is to make me feel more
dependent. Perhaps to teach me
the uncertainty of life" But
after all it is only guess-a
looking through the glass, dark
ly. The Bible assures us there shall
be satisfactory unfolding. what l
do thou lnowest not now; but thou
shalt know hereafter" You will know
why God took to Himself that only
child. Next door there was a house
hold of seven children. Why not take
one from that group, instead of your
only one? Why single out the dwell
ing in which there was only one heart
beating responsive to yours? Why did
God give you child at all, if He
meant to take it away? Why fill
the cup of your gladness Drumming,
II He meant to dash it down?
Why allow the tendrils of your heart
to wind around that object, and then,
when interlocked with the child's life,
with strong hand to tear you apart,
until you fall, bleeding and crushed,
your dwelling desolate, your hopes
blasted, your heaat broken? Do you
suppose that God will explain that?
Yea. He will mal<eit palmer than any
mathematical problem-as plain as
that two and two make four. In the
light of the throne you will see that it
was right-all right. tJust and true
are all Thy ways, Thou King of
Saints"
Here is man who can not get on in
the world. He always seems to buy at
the wrong time and to sell at the worst
disadvantage. He tries this enterprise,
and fails; that business, and is disap.
pointed. The man next door to him
has lucrative trade, but he lacks GUS
toners. A new prospect opens His
income is increased. But that year his
family are sick; and the profits are ex-
pended in trying to cure the ailments.
He gets discouraged look. Becomes
faithless as 60 success. Begins to ex-
pect disasters. Others wait for some
thing to turn up; he waits for it to
turn down. Others, with only half as
much education and character, get on
! twice as well. He sometimes guesscs as
to what it means. He says: Perhaps
riches would spoil me. Perhaps poverty
is necessary to keep me humble Per-
/ haps | might, if things were otherwise,
be tempted into designations. But
there is no complete solution Of the
mystery. He sees through glass
darkly, and must wait for higher
unfolding. Will there be an explana-
! ton? Yes; God will take that man in
! the light of the throne and say: "Child
immortal, hear the explanation! You
remember the failing of that great en-
terprise-your misfortune in 1858; your
disaster in 1867. This is the explana-
ton" And you will answer: 1T is
all right"
! l see, every day, profound mysteries
Of Providence. There is no question
we ask oftener than Why? There are
hundreds of graves in Oak Hill and
Greenwood and Laurel Hill that need
to be explained. Hospitals for the
! blind and lame, asylums for the idiotic
! and insane, almshouses for the desti-
tute, and world Of pain and misfor-
tune that demand more than human So
luton. All God will clear it all
up. In the light that pours from
the throne, no dark mystery
can live. Things now utterly in
scrutable will be illumined as plainly
as though the answer were written on
/ ,ag laI ,r,1 IN.