St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-06-10

your plans for the future. The mos
insignificant affairs in your life bccam
the subject of mutual consultation an
adviscment. You were SO happy yo'
felt you never could be any happier
One day a dark cloud lowered over you
dwelling. and it got darker and darker
but out of that cloud the shining mes
senger Of God descended to incarnat
an immortal spirit. Two little fee
started on an eternal journey, and yo'
were to lead them, a gem to flash il
Heavens coronet, and you to polish il
Eternal ages of light and darkness
watching the starting out of a newl!
created creature. You rcjoiced and yo,
trembled at the responsibility that il
your possession an immortal treasure
was placed. You prayed and reioicef
and wept and wondered. You were ear
nest in your suppiication that yor
might lead it through life into thu
kingdom OF God. There was .rcmol
in your carnestness. There was ;
double interest about that home. There
was an additional interest why yor
| should stay there and be faithful. and
| when i'm few months your house wa.
filed with the music Of your child.
laughter you were struck through with
| the fact that you had stupendous mis-.
sion.
Have you Kept that VOW? Have you
neglected any of these duties? Is your
home as much to you as it used to be
Inro %lrcu
flied: God help you in your solemn
Renaissance. and let His mercy fall
upon your soul. if your kindness has
been ill requitcd. God have mercy on
the parent on the wrinkles of whose
face is written the story of child's
sin. God have mercy on the mother
who. in addition to her other pangs,
has the pang of child's iniquity. Oh,
there are many. many sad sounds in this
sad world. but the saddcst sound that
is ever heard is the breaking of a moth
er's heart!
1 find another point in your life his
tory. You found one day you were
in the wrong road; you could not sleep
at night; there was just one word that
seemed to sob through your banking
house or through your Office or your
shop or your bedroom, and that word
was eternity" Yon said: I'm not
ready for it. Oh, God have mercy" The
Lord heard. Peace came to your heart.
In the breath of the hill and in the
waterfalls dash you heard the voice
Of Gods love: the clouds and the trees
hailed you with g!adness: you came
into the house of God. You remember
how your hand trcmbled as you took up
the cup of the communion. You remem-
Der the old minister who consecrated it,
aad you remember the church officials
who carried it through the aisle; you
remember the old people who at the
close of the service took your hand in
theirs in congratulating sympathy, as
much as to say: welcome home, you
lost prodigal," and, though those hands
be al! withcred away, that communion
Sabbath is resurrected to-day. 1t is
rcsurrccted with all its prayers and
songs and tears and sermons and trans
f:guration. Have you kept these vows?
Have You been backslitlor? God help
you. This day kneel at the foot of
mercy and start again for Heaven.
Start now as you started then. l rouse
your soul by that "reminiscences.
Ent ! must not spend any more of
my time in going over the advantages
of your life. l just put them in one
great sheaf, and Fall them up in your
memory with one loud harvest song,
such as the rcaERe@ins. Praise the
Lord, We blood T& Testimonials on
earth! Praise the Lord, We crowned
spirits of IIcavenl.,..ir
Eut some of YOU have not always had
a smooth life. SONG of you are now in
the shadow. Othefs had their troubles
years ago. You areso 5mere wreck of
what you once were. ! must gather up
the sorrows of yodf fast life. But how
shall do it? Yousay that is impossi-
bic. as you have lid so many troubles
and Universities. Then I will just take
3llsiil.a.4 La n! 81 ID the %,,1 las,
along. the. street land there has been
music: in the distance you unconscious
ly find yourselves keeping step to the
music, so, when You started life, your
very life was a musical time beat. The
air was full of JOY and hilarity. With
the bright clear oar You made the boat
skip. You went on, and life grew
brighter. until after awhile suddenly
voice from Heaven said: 'Halt!" and
quick as the sunshine you halted, you
grew pale, you confronted your first
sorrow. You had no idea that the flush
on your child's cheek was an unhealthy
flush. You said it cannot be anything
serious. Death in slippered feet walked
round about the cradle. You did not
hear the tread. But after awhile the
truth flashed on you. You walked the
floor. Oh. if you could. with your
strong, stout hand, have wrenched that
child from the destroyer! You went
to your room, and you said: God, save
my child! God, save my child" The
world seemed going out in darkness.
You said: 81 can't bear it; can't bear
t." You felt as if you could not put
he long lashcs over the bright eyes,
never to see them again sparkle. If
rou could have taken that little one in
'our arms and with It leaped the grave, F.,
low gladly you would have done it! If
,ou could let your property so, your
,ouses go, your land and your store
house 60, how gladly yon would have al
owed them to depart if you could only |
lave kept that one treasure!
But one day there came up chill |
blast that swept through the bedroom.
nd instantly all the fights went out,
md there was darkness murky, !
mpenetrable. shuddesing darkness.
sut God did not leave you there. Mercy |
poke. As you took up the bitter cup
o PUT it to your lips God said: "Let it
ass" and forthwith. as by the hand of
ngels. another cup was put into your
ands. It was the cup of Gods con-
olation. And as you have sometimes
fitted the head of a wounded soldier and
CURED wine into his lips. SO God puts
lis left arm under your head and with
lis right hand He pours into your lips
he wine of His comfort and His con-
and you looked Mt the empty
radle and looked at ycur broken heart,
nd YOU looked ut the Lords chnstise-