Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-05-26

thing for n cry? David did well when
he muurncd for Abshlum. Abraham
did well when he bcmohned Sarah.
Christ wept for l.alarus. and the last
imam that want tn see come anywhere
near me when have any kind of
trouble is Il worldly philosopher.
Again, remark that those persons
are incompetent for the work of com
fort bearing who have nothing but
cant to offer. There are those Who
have the idea that You must groan
over the diStrc>sc and afflicted. There
are times in grief when one cheer nj
face, dawning upon "a mans soul, is
worth 81 900 to him. Do not whine
over the afflicted. Take the promises
of the Gospel. and utter them in "a
manly tone. do not he afraid To smile
II you feel like it. DO not drive any
more henrse> through that Toor soul
DO not tell him the trouble was fore
Ordnincdi it will not he any comfort
Ia know that il was | 900 900 years
coming. II you want tn find splintS
for broken lone do not take east
iron. DO not ttll them il is Gods
justice that weighs our grief They
want tn hear of Gods tender mercy.
In other words. do not give thcm aqua
FORTS when they need valcrian.
Again ! remarki that those persons
are poor comforters who have never
had any trouble themselves. a lark
spur can not lecture on the nature of
snowflake, and those people who have
always lived in the summer of pros
perity can not talk to those who are
frozen in disaster. God keeps aged
people in the world, 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 II there are men
and women here who have old people
in the house, or near at hand. 80 that
they can easily reach them, congrat-
ulate you. Some of MS have had trials
in life and although we have had many
friends around about us, we have
wished 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
coincidence.
Cherish them; let them lean on your
arms, these aged people. If when YOU
speak to them. they can not hear Just
what you say the first time. when you
say 1t second time do not say it
sharply. If you do you will be sorry
10 ha .1., sol q
last look and brush back the silvery
locks from the wrinkled brow Just be-
fore 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 broken heart.
People who have not had trial them
selves can not give comfort to others.
They may talk very beautifully and
they may give you great deal of
poetic sentiment, but while poetry is
perfume that smells sweet, it makes
a very poor salve. If you have a grave
in a pathway, and somebody comes
and covers IL all over with flowers, il
is grave yet Those who have not
had grief themselves know not the
mystery of a broken heart. They know
not the meaning of childlessness, and
they 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 door mat
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 a house. All. no,
you must have trouble yourself before
you can comfort trouble in others. But
come ell We who have been bereft and
We who have been comforted in your
SORROWS, and stand around these af-
fiicted souls and say to them: Il had
that very sorrow myself. God COM
forted 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 ex-
perience and good, sound common
sense.
But there are three or four consider
atoms that 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. l OTTER hear peo-
pie in their troubles say: ''Why, l
wonder what God has against me?"
They seem to think God has some
grudge against them because trouble
and misfortune have come. Oh, no.
Do you not remember that pas
sage of Scripture: Whom the Lord
loveth He chasteneth?" A child
comes in with a very bad splinter
in its hand, and you try to extract it.
1t is a very painful operation. The
child draws back from you, but you
persist You are going to take that
splinter out, so You take that child
with gentle but firm grasp, for al
though there may be pain in it, the
splinter must come out. And it is love
that dictates it and makes You per-
sist. My friends, / really think that
all our sorrows in this world are only
the hand of our Father extractins some
thorn. If all these sorrows were sent
by enemies, / would say, Arm your
selves against them; and as in
tropical climes when a tiger comes
down from the mountains and carries
a child from the village. the neighbors
band together and go into the forest
and hunt the monster, so l would have
you, if thought these misfortunes
battle against them. But no, they
come from Father so kind, SO loving,
so gentle, that the Prophet speaking