The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-05-19

In the wal eJfalls dash you heard the voice
OF Gods love. The clouds and the tree,
the house OF God. You remember how
your hand tremhled AZ you took up the cup
of the communion. You remember tho OLD
minister who consecrated It, and you re-
member the church officials who carried il
through the aisle. You remember the old
people who at the close of the service took
your hand In theirs In congratulating sym
pathy, as much rs to say, "Welcome home,
you lost prodigal!" Aud, though tboss
hands be- all withered away, that COM
munlon Sabbath Is resurrected to-day.
But 1 must not spend any more of nv
time In going over tho advantages OF your
life. j just put thom In one great sheaf,
and Gull them up in your memory with
one loud harvest song, such rs the reapers
sing. Praise the Lord. yo blood bought
immortals on earth! Praise the Lord, ye
crowned spirits OF heaven.
Gut some of you have not always had
smooth iFc. Some Of you are now in the
shadow. Others had their troubles years
ago; you are q nero wreck OF what YOU
one" were. l must gather up tho sorrows
OF your past life, hut how shall do IL?
You say that IL IS impossible, as you have
had SO many troubles and ndversities.
Then will just take two--thc first trouble
and tho last trouble. As when you are
walking along tho street, and there has
been music in the distance, YOU un conscious.
ly find yourselves keeping step to tho mu-
SIC, SD WItn you lllO your very lilo
was II musical time beat. Tue air was
full Of JOY and hilnrity; with tho bright.
clear oar YOU ma;lo tho boat skip. You
went on. aud life i;rew brighter. until, uf-
ter awhile, suddenly voice from heaven
snid. Hate and quick as tho sunshine
YOU halted, You grew pale, you confronted
.our ilrst sorrow. You r;id no idea that
the flush Oh your chid's cheek was an un-
n"althy flash. You said it cannot be any
thing serious. Death in siipDered feet
COLL md ~. ~, Il It.,
hear tho tread, but after awhile the truth
flashed Oh you. You walked the floor
Oh, IL you cOnd, with your strong, stout
nani. have wrcnched that child from tho
destroyer! YOU went to your room and
yom said. God, savemy child! God, snve
ny cAi'd!' The world seemed going out
in darkness. You said, II can't bear 1t, I
cane bear it," You felt as II you could not
put the long lashcs over the bright eyes,
sSI i Gnys ssS ns@ san nan fat ipass o ono ii ysa
arms, aal with it loapcd the grave. how
gladly you would have done il! II you
could let your property go, your houses
go, how gladly you would have let them
iopart III You could only have kept that
Onr treasure!
Bu. ono day there came up n chill blast
that swept through tho bedroom, and in
SANITY nil tho lights went out and there
Was darkneSs-thick, murky, i'm pcnetrable,
7hud';rriuG darkness. Bat Goa did not
took up tho bitter cup TO put 1t to YOUR
lips Goi said, Let it pass" and forthwith,
rs 10y the hanl OF angels, another cup was
aut into your hands. 1t WIS tho cup of
Gods consolation. And as you have some
times lifni the head OF n wounded soldier
md poured vino into his lips, so God puts
;lis left arm under your head and with
~. ric"t hand ii" rcnrs into your lips the
wine or His comfort and His consolation,
and you looked ut tho empty cradle and
looked at your broken heart, and you
looked ut the Lords chastisement, and
You said Even so, Father, for so it
seemeth good in Thy sight"
All, 1t was your first trouble. How did
yon get over it? God confronted YOU. You
have been better man ever since. You
have been better woman ever since. In
tho jar Of tho closing gate OF the sepulcher
YOU heard the changing OF the opening cato
OF Heaven, and you felt an irresistible
drawing heavenward. You have been
spiritually better ever since that night
whom the little ono for tho last time put
its arms around your neck and said:
Good night, pupn! Good night, mamma!
Meet me in Ucavcn.
Perhaps your last sorrow was a financial
embarrassment. | congratulate somo of
you on your lucrative profession or occu-
patton, on ornate apparel, on Il commodi-
Gus residencc-evcrything YOU put your
hands on seems to turn to gold. But there
arc Others OF you who are like tho ship on
which Paul sailed where two seas met and
You arc broken by the violence OF tho
waves. BY nm unadvised Endorsement or
by n .conj junction OF unforeseen events or
by lire or storm, or senscless panic YOU
have boen flung headlong and where you
once dispensed great charities now you
have hard work To win your daily bread.
lave you forgotten to thank God for your
days OF prosperity, and that through your
trials somc OF you have made Investments
which will continue after the last bank OF
this world has eynioded, and the siverand
gold arc molten in the fires Of II burning
world' liavo you, amid all your losses
and ddiscouragements, forgot tha. there was
bread on your table this morning and that
there Shall be shelter for your head from
the storm, and there is air for your lungs,
and blood for your heart. aud light for
your eye. and glad and glorious and
trium mphant religion for your soul?
Perhaps your last trouble was Il bercave-
ment. That heart which in childhood was
your refuge, the parental heart, and wi ich
has been asource Of the quickest sympathy
ever since, has suddenly become silent for
ever. And now sometimes, Whenever in
sudden annoyance and without dciberation
you say, II will go and tell mother" tho
thought ilashcs on you, II have no
mother Or tho father, with voice less
tender, but with heart rs loving, watchiul
OF all your ways, CNultnnt ovsr your success
without saying much, although the old pco-
pie do talk it over by themselves his trem-
bling hand on that staif which Won now keep
hs Il family relic, his memory cmbalmcd in
grateful hearts-is taken away forever. Or
there was your campanion In life shurcr OF
your joys and sorrows, taken, leaving tho
heart an old rnin, where the i'll winds blow
over Il wide wilderness Of desolation, tho
sands OF desert driving across tho place
which once bloomed like the garden OF
God. And Abraham mourns for Sarah at
the cave Of Machpelnh. AS you were mov-
ing along your path in life, suddenly, right
before you, was I'm open grave. People
looked down, and they saw it was cn!y II
few feet deep nnd n few feet wide. but to
You it was II cavern down which went all
your hopes and all your eXpcc. atons But
cheer up in tho namo oil tho LORI Jesus
Christ, tho Comforter.