Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-05-25
vour heart, In the breath Of the hill and
In fha un arfalls dash YOU heard the voice


minister who consecrated it., and you re-
member the church officials who carried 1t
through the aisle. You remember the old
people who at the close of the service took
your hand in theirs in congratulating sym.
YOU lost prodigal!'' And, though those
hands be all withered away. that COM
munon Sabbath is resurrected to-day.
But must not spend any more of my
time In going over the advantages Of your
life. I just put them in one great sheaf,
and call them up In your memory with
one loud harvest song, such as the reapers
sing. Praise the Lord, ye blood bought
immortals on earth! Praise the Lord, ye
crowned spirits Of heaven!
But some of you have not always had
smooth life. Some OF you are now in the
shadow. Others had their troubles years
ago; you are mere wreck OF what you
once were. must gather up the sorrows
OF your past life, but how shall do it3
You say that 1t is impossible, as you have
had so many troubles and adversities.
Then will just take two-the first trouble
and the last trouble. AS when you are
walking along the street, and there has
been music in the distance,you unconscious
ly find yourselves keeping step to the mu-
sic, so when you started life your very life
was 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, af-
ter awhile, suddenly voice from heaven
said, "Haltr 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 un-
healthy flush. You said it cannot be any
thing serious. Death in slippered feet
walked around the cradle. You did not
hear the tread. but after awhile the truth
flashed on you. You walked the floor.
Oh, II 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, II can't bear 1t, I
can't bear it." You felt as If you could not
put the long lashes over the bright eyes,
never to see them again sparkle. If you
could have taken that little one in your
arms, and with 1t leaped the grave. how
gladly you would have done it! If you
could let your property &c, your houses
go, how gladly you would have let them
depart :f you could only have kept that
one treasure!
But one day there came up q chill blast
that swept through the bedroom, and in
stantly all the lights went out. and there
was darkness-thick, murky, impenetrable,
shuddering darkness. But God did not
leave you there. Mercy spoke. AS you
took up the bitter cup to put 1t to your
lips God said, "Let it pass" and forthwith,
as by the hand OF angels, another cup was
put into your hands. 1t was the cup of
Gods consolation. And as you have some-
times lifted the head Of a wounded soldier
and poured wine into his lips, so God puts
His left arm under your head and with
His right hand He pours into your lips the
wine Of His comfort and His consolation,
and you looked at the empty cradle and
looked at your broken heart, and you
looked at 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
you get over it? God confronted you. You
have been better man ever since. You
have been better woman ever since. In
the jar of the closing gate OF the sepulcher
you heard the changing ofthe opening gate
OF Heaven. and you felt an irresistible
drawing heavenward. You have been
spiritually better ever since that night
when the little one for the last time put
its arms around your neck and said:
GOOD night, papal Good night, mammal
Meet me in Heaven!'
Perhaps your last sorrow was q financial
embarrassment. / congratulate some Of
you on your lucrative profession or occu-
patton, on ornate apparel, on commodi-
Gus residence-averything you put your
hands on seems to turn to gold. But there
are others of you who are like tho ship on
which Paul sailed where two seas met. and
- 80 ~' VI 'no
waves. Dy an unaaFisea lnoorsement, or
py conJunctlou Oh unforeseen events, or
py hre or storn, OF sehseless panic, you
nave peeh nung neaulonR anu "here you
once uispenseu ereat charlties now you
nav nave naro WorK 10 win your aaiiy pread.
huve you lorgotteh 70 tnank Gou lor your
uays Oh prosperlty, anu ina. tnroueh your
trials some OF you nave maze investments
wnlcn VII continue alter the last oank OF
.nis I, wosla mas eAplouea' ano tne silver ana
Goid IRE molten IN the nres OF burning
Wollue haVe you, amid aii your losses
anu uaiscouragemehts 1orgot that tnere was
preau On your tapie TINS morning, ana that
.nere snaii pe sneiter lor your mead from
.ne STORM ana tnere Is ar Ior your lungs.
anu plooo Io1 your neaft, ana nght 1or
triumnhant rslieion u for ~nnr snuip anu
Perhans vonr last tronb!a awas barsovo-
ment 'rhst haarI whioh IN ohi,dhnnd NO.
vonr rafnna tho n,rantai haart and ,u,.;o,,
hns been = sonrca Of the nr,crast s svmnatbn
ever since haa suddenIv hacnma s;,ant Co..
aver And now aomnttn,es nso wbanenar ~ q,
sudden annovance and ,vitho,+ daIihorotian
Won saw m viii 90 and taIl mother ;, Tho
fhonoht aasbes IN rau mI ha,,. ~
mothern Or the father With yoice ,ass Y
tender bpt with beart 30 l"uino win o wotchfnI