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

times hrc rock ana ILL
braltAr. They were PERCEPTIONS, In
scalable aud sharp Between these
two rocks Jonathan must make
mis- ascent. The day comes for the
scaling of the height Jonathan, on
his hands and feet begins the ascent
With strain and slip and bruise, / sup
pose, but still on and up, first goes
Jonathan, and then goes his body
guard. BOzez on one side, Seneh on
the other. After a sharp tug. and push,
and clinging, see the head of Jona-
than above the hole in the mountain;
anu there is a challenge, and a fight
and a supernatural CONSERVATION.
These two men, Jonathan and his body
guard, drive back and drive down the
Philiistines over the rocks and open a
campaign which demolishes the enc
mics of Israel. l suppose that the
overshadOwing rocks ON either side
did not balk or dishearten Jonathan
or his bodyguard, but only reused and
filed them with enthusiasm as they
went up. There was a sharp rock on
the L side, and a sharp rock on the
other side
My friends, you have been, or r
now, some Of You, in this crisis Of the
text II a man meets one trouble he
can go through with it. He gathers
all his energies, concentrates them on
one point and in the strength OF God,
or by his own natural determination,
goes through IT. But the man who
has trouble 10 the right Of him, and
trouble TO the left Of him, Is to be
pitied. Did either trouble come along.
he might endure ii, but two troubles,
two disasters two overshBdowing mis-
fortunes, are Bozez and Seneh. God
pity himl There is a sharp rock on
the n side, and a sharp rock on the
other side"
In this crisis of the text is that man
whose fortune aud health fail him at
the same time. Nine-tenths Of all our
merchants espsize in business before
they conn TO IS years Of age. There
is some collision in commercial circles
and they stop payment 1t seems as
II every man must put his name on the
back Of a note before he learns what a
fool q man is who risks all his own
property on the prospect that some
man will tell the truth. II seems as
If q man must have q large amount of
unstable goods on his own shelf be-
fore he learns how much easier il is to
buy than Il sell. II seems as IL every
mar must be completely burned out
before he learns the Importance of al
ways keeping fully insured. It seems
as If every man must be wrecked in a
financial tempest before he learns to
keep things snug in case of a sudden
euroclydon.
When the calamity does come, it is
awful The man goes home in despair,
and he tells his family. "We'll have
To 90 To the poOrhouse." He takes a
dolorous view Of everything. 1t seems
as il he never could rise. But a little
time passes and he says, why; | am
not SO badly of after all; | have my
family left" Before the Lord turned
Adam out Of paradise, He gave him
Eve, so that when he lost paradise he
could stand It Permit one who has
never read but a few novels in all his
life, and who has not a great deal Of
romance in his composition, to say,
that II, when q mans fortunes fail, he
has a good wiie-a good Christian
wife-he ought not TO be respondent
"0h,H you say, that only increases
the embarrassment since you have
her also to take care Of" You are an
migrate, for the woman as often sup
ports the man as the man supports the
woman. The man may bring all the
dollars, but the woman generally
brings the courage and the faith in
God.
Well, this man of whom | am speak
ing looks around. and he finds his fam
iy is left, and be rallies, and the light
comes to his eyes, and the smile TO his
face, and the courage to his heart In
two years he is quite over II. He
makes his financial calamity the first
chapter in q new era of prosperity. He
met hat one trouble-coBquered It.
lie sat down for u little while under
the grim shadow Of the rock Bozez;
yet he DOT arose, and. began, like
Jonathan, 10 climb. But how often is
II that physical ailment comes with
financial embarrassment When the
fortune failed II broke the mans
spirit His nerves were shattered.
His brain was stunned. can
snow you hundreds Of men 10 oar
cities whose fortune and health
failed al the same time. They came
prematurely 10 the staff. Their hands
trembled with incipient paralysis
They never ssw a well day since the
hour when they called their creditora
together for q compromise. II such
men are impatient. and peculiar, sad
irritable, excuse them. They had tw,
troubles, either one OF which they
could have metsuceessfully. II, Wher
the health went, the fortune had beef
retained, 1t would not have been SC
bad. The man could have bought tn,
very best medical advice, aud he could
have had the very best attendance,
aud long lines Of carriages would hay,
stopped az the front door TO inquire a
TO his welfare. But poverty on the
one side and sickness on the other are
Bozez and Seneh, and they interlocl
their shadows, and drop them upoE
the poor mans way. God help him
"There was a sharp rock on the on,
side, and a sharp rock on the othel
side"
Now, what ia such II man 10 dot II
the name Of Almighty God, | will tell
him what TO do. Do as Jonathan did
climb; climb up into the sunlight o.
Gods favor and consolation. can Y,
through the churches, and show you
men who lost fortune aud health a
the same time, and yet who sing al
day and dream Of Heaven all night
II you have any idea that sound diges
ton, and steady nerves. and clear eye.
. sight, and good hearing, and plenty
of friends are necessary 10 make 1
, man happy, you have miscalculated
| suppose that these ~overhangins
rocks only made Jonathan scramble
the harder and the faster 70 get III
and out into the sunlight; and thiI
combined shadow OF i~nvalidism. an,
financial embarrassment has Otter
q sent q man up the quicker into tn,
) sunlight Of Gods favor and the noon
day Of His glorious promises.