Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-07-01

with which to hcw down the forest, and
build the ship, and erect houses, and
carry on u thousand enterprises of civ
ilization. That is the reason we pound
YOU" Now, God puts n soul in the fur
mace of trial, and then II is brought out
and run through the crushing machine,
and then it comes down on the anvil,
and upon it, blow after blow, blow
after blow, until the soul cries out.
"Oh, Lord, what does all this mean?"
God says; IL want TO make something
very useful out of you. Yvi
shall be something to hew with
and something to build with. 1t
is practical process through
which | am putting you Yes, my
Christian friends, we want more tools
in the Church of God; not more wedges
to split with, We have enough of
these. Not more bores with which to
drill. We have too many bores What
we really want is keen, sharp, we'll
tempered axes, and If there be any 9TH
or way of making them in the hot fur
mace, and on the hard anvil, and under
the neavy hammer,l do not know what
it is. Remember that if,God bring any
kind of chaStisement upon you it is
only to make you useful. Do not sit
down discouraged and say: IL have no
more reason for living. wish | were
dead. Ohio there never was so much
reason for your living as now! by
this ordeal you have been consecrated
a priest of the most high God. Go out
and do your whole work for the Mas
ter.
Again, there is comfort in the
thought that all our troubles are n
revelation. Have you ever thought of
it in that connection? The man who
has never been through chastisement
is ignorant about "a thousand things in
his soul he ought to know For in
stance, here is Il man who prides him
self on his cheerfulness Of character.
He has no patience with anybody who
is depressed in spirits, Oh! it is easy
for him to be cheerful, with his fine
house, his filled wardrobe and we'll
strung instruments of music, and tap
estried parlor, and plenty of money
in the bank waiting for some
permanent Investment, 1t is easy
for him to be cheerful But suppose
his fortune goes to pieces and his house
goes down under the sheriff's hammer,
and the banks will not have anything
to do with his paper. Suppose those
people who were once elegantly enter
tanned at his table get so short-sighted
that they can not recognize him upon
the street How then? Is it so easy
to be cheerful? 1t is easy to be cheer
full in the home after the days work is
done, and the gas is turned on and the
house is full of romping little ones.
But suppose the piano is Shut because
the fingers that played on it will no
more touch the keys. and the childish
voice that asked so many questions
will ask no more. Then is it so easy?
When man wakes up and finds that
his resources are all gone he begins to
rebel, and he says: "God is hard; God
is outrageous lie had no business to
do this 10 me-" My friends, those of
us who have been through trouble
know what sinful and rebellious
heart we have, and how much God has
to put up with, and how much God
| lIe., put up ,itI, ana how
much we need pardon. 1t is only
in the light of flaming furnace
that we can learn our own weakness
and our own lack of moral resource.
Oh, how much coincidence there is
in this thought! l expect to see my
kindred in Heaven expect to see
them just as certainly rs | expect to go
home to-day. Aye, | shall more GER
tainly see them. Eight or ten will
come up from the graveyard back of
Somerville, and one will come from
the mountains back of Annoy,
China, and another will come up
from the sea off Cape llatteras,
and 80 will come up from Green
wood; and | shall know them better
than ever knew them before. And
your fricnls-they may b. across the
sea, but the trumpet that sounds here
will sound there. You will come ur
on just the same day. Some morning
you have oversight yourself, and you
open your eyes and see that the sun is
high in the heavens, and you say: 81
have oversight, and | must be NJ
and away" So you will opcn
your eyes on the morning of TIL,
resurrection, in the fall blaze Of God,
light, and you will say: Il muN be VI
and away Ola, yes, you will come
and there will be reunion, "a recon
, struction Of your family. like what
halliburton Il think it was old
Mr.. lIaliburton-sIid in his last mo
{ ments Il thank God that ever lived
and that | have father in Heaven
and Il mother in Heaven, and am now
going up to see them.
remark once more: Our troubles
in this world are prcparative for glory
What transition 1t was for Paul
, from the slippery deck of laundering
, ship to the calm presence OF Jesus
, What a transition it was for Latimel
[ from the stake to the throne What ;
5 transition il was for Robert Hall
!, from insanity to glory What
= transition 1t was for Richart
4 Baxter-from the dropsy to TIN
Saints Everlasting Rest And wha
Y transition it will b. Tor you-from {
S world OF sorrow to IL world OF JOY
J, John Holland, when he was dying
e said "What means this brightness il
n the room? Have you lighted the can
j. dles?' No" they replied, "we hav
t not lighted any candles" Then san
| he Welcome Heaven The ligh
Y already beaming upon his pillow. Oh
t ye who are prosecuted in this world
v your enemies will get off the tracI
t after awhile, and all will spea
= well of you among the thrones. lie
l. We who are sick now. No medicine t
S take there. One breath of the eterna
It hills will thrill you with immorta
L /