The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-08-20

a $4,000 in bank and $50, 900 In gov
eminent securities and a block of
stores and three ships well" the
man says to himself, ait 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, II the combined misfor-
tunes and disasters Of life have made
you climb up into the arms OF a sym
pathetic and compassionate God,
through all eternity you will bless
Him that in this world 'there was a
sharp rock OF the one side and a sharp
rock OIL the other side"
Again, that man is In the crisis of
the text who has home toubles and
outside persecution at the same time.
The world treats 4 man we'll Just as
long as 1t pays to treat him we'll As
long IS it can manufacture success out
of his bone and brain and muscle, IL
favors him The world fattens the
horse II wants TO drive. But let a 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
q tonic and inspiration, but too much
of it and too long continued becomes
the rock Bozez throwing a dark shad-
ow owe a mans life. WHAT'S he to do
thenP Go home, you say. Good advice,
that That Is just the place for a man
10 20 when the world abuses him. Go
home. Blessed be God for our quiet
and sympathetic home! But there is
many a man who has the reputation OF
having a home when he has none.
Through unthinkingness or precipita-
ton there are many matches made
that ought never TO have been made
An officiating priest cannot alone
unite u couple. The Lord Almighty
must proclaim bannS There arc
many homes in which there is no sym.
patty, and no happiness and no good
cheer. The clamor Of the battle may
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 "a
find on side OF them the rock OF
persecution, and on the other side OF
them the rock Of domestic infelicity.
What shall such a one dor 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-actinR as
though she we're possessed by the
devil, a. | suppose she was; never do
ing him q kindness until the day she
ran away, so that he wrote In his
diary these words: II 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 up into the heights OF
Christian Joy, and after preaching 49,
900 sermons, and travelling 27O, 900
miles, reached the heights OF Heaven
though in this world he had IL hard
enough-''a sharp rock on the one
side, and q sharp rock on the other.p
Again, that woman stands In the
crisis Of the text who has bereavement,
and a struggle for livelihood at tho
same time. without mentioning
names, | speak from observation. All,
It is a hard thing for a woman 10 make
an honest living, even when her heart
is not troubled, and she has a fair
cheek, and the magnetism Of an ex.
quisite presence. But now the hus,
band, n the father, Is dead. The eN.
penses Of the obsequies have absorbed
oil that was left 10 the savings bank,
and, wan and wasted with weeping
aud watching, she goes forth-a grave,
p hearse, a coffin behind her-to con.
tend for her existence and the
existence OF her children. When
~ see sueha battle as that