The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-23
RISE Into SUNSHINE
REV. DIR. VI PREACHES A
SERMON TO THE TROUBLED.
seek Christi for Consolation When Sore.
~ Pressed by :the Trials Of Lise-A
Helpful Lesson Drawn From Jona-
than's Victory Over Difficulties.

Copyright, 1898, by American Press
Association
TITS discourse Of DR.. Talmage is full
OF encouragement for those who know
not which way to turn because OF &C
curnuiated misfortunes; text, I Samuel
XIV, T. There was a sharp rock on
the one side and a sharp rock on the
other side"
Inc cruel army of the Philistines
must De taken and scattered. There is
just n man, accompanied by his
b~odyguard, TO do that thing. Jonathan
Is the hero o. the scene. / know that
Davi cracked the skull Of the giant
with a few pebbles we'll slung. and that
SW Gldeonites scattered 10, 900 Amale-
Kites by the crash OF broken crockery,
put here is a more wonderful conflict.
1onder are the Philistines on the
rocks Here is Jonathan with his body
guard in the valley. On the one side
is a rock called Bozez; on the other
side is a rock called Seneh. These two
were as famous in olden times as in
modern times are Plymouth Rock and
Gibraltar. They were precipitous. un-
scalable and sharp. Between these
two rocks Jonathan must make his
ascent. The day comes for the scaling
or the height. Jonathan, or his hands
feet, begins the ascent. With
strain and slip and bruise, 1 ppo
but still on and up, first goes Jona-
than, and then goes his bodyguard.
BoZeZ on one side, Seneh on the other.
After a sharp tug and push and cling
ing l see the head of Jonathan above
the hole in the mountain, and there
| is a cha11anop and a foht anI n !,
pernatural CONSERVATION. These two
men, Jonathan and his bodyguard,
drive back and drive down the Philis-
tines over the rocks and open a cam
paign which demOlishes the enemies
of Israel. 1 suppose that the overhang-
ing and overshadowing rocks on either
side did not balk or diShearten Jona-
than or his bodyguard, but only rous-
ed and filled them with enthusiasm as
they went up. There was a sharp
rock on the one side and a sharp rock
on the other side
WHEN CALAMITY COMES.
My friends, you have been or are
now some of you in this crisis of the
text. If a man meets one trouble, he
can go through with it. He gathers
all his energies, concentrates them on
one point, n in the strength of God
or by his own natural determination
goes through it. But the man who has
trouble to the right of him and trouble
to the left of him is to be pitied. Did
either trouble come alone he might en-
dure it, but two troubles, two disasters,
two Overshadowing misfortunes, are
BOzez and Seneh. God pity him.
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 and health fail him at
che same time. Nine-tenths of all our
merchants capsize in business before
they come to As years of age. There is
some collision in commercial circles,
and they stop payment. 1t seems as
if every man must put his name on
the back of a note before he learns
what a fool a man is who risks all
his own property on the prospect that
some man will tell the truth. 1t seems
as if a man must lave a large amount
of unstable goods on his own shelf be-
fore he learns how much easier it is
to buy than to sell. 1t seems as if ev-
cry man must be completely burned
put before he learns the importance of
always keeping fully insured. 1t seems
as if every man must be wrecked in
a financial tempest before he learns
to keep things snug in case of a sud-
den euroclydon.
When the calamity does come, it is
awful. The man goes home in despair,
and he tells his family, Wen have to
go to the poor house" He takes a do
lorous view Of everything. 1t seems as
if he never could rise. But a little time
passes. and he says, Why, I am not
so badly off after all; I have my fam
lily 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 romano in his
composition, to say that if when a
mans fortunes fail he has a good wife
a good Christian wife-he ought not
to be respondent. "Oh,' you say
that only increases the embarrass-
ment. since you have her also to take
care Of" You are an migrate, for the
woman as often supports the man as
the man supports the woman. The
man may bring all the dollars, blu the
woman. generally brings the courage
and the faith of God.
A NEW CHAPTER.
Well, this man of whom 1 am speak
ing looks around and he finds his fam
lily is left, and he 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 it. He
makes his financial calamity the first
chapter in a pew era Of prosperity. Ht
I'met that one trouble-cOnQuered 1t
He sat down for a little while undel
the grim shadow of the rock BozeZ
yet he soon rose, and began. like iona
than, to climb. But how often is i
that physical ailment comes WITH
financial embarrassment, When ths
fortune failed, it broke the mans
spirit. His nerves We're shattered
His brain was stunned. / can SHOW
? you hundreds of men in our cite:
whose fortune and health failed at tn
< same time. They came
to the staff. Their hand trembled Will
= i~ncipient paralysis. They never saw
= a we'll day since the hour when they
D called their creditors together for
I compromise. If such men are impa
lent and peculiar and irritable, ex
= cuse them. They had two troubles
either one of which they could hav'
met successfully. II. when the healtl
: went. the fortune had been retained
il would not have been so "a TIL