Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-01-21


and brought down the blessing of God
upon his household and upon the stranger
within their gates. Rude but glorious
Christian hospitality
The Joys of the Minister.
Again. this woman Of my text was great
in her kindness toward Gods messenger
Elisha may have been stranger in that
household. but as she found out he had
come ON divine mission he was cordially
welcomed We have a great many books
in our day about the haryiships of minis
tcrs and the trials Of Christian ministers
wish somebody would write book about
the joys of the Christian minister, about
the sympathics all around about him,
about the kindness about the genial con-
sidcrations Of him Docs sorrow come 10
our home, and is there shadow on the
cradle. there are hundreds Of hands TO
help. and many who weary not through
the night watching and hundreds OF
prayers going up that God would restore
the sick Is there burning. Drumming
cup of calamity placed on the pastors Ia
hles Are there not many e. help him drink
of that cup and who will not he comforted
because he is stricken oh. for somebody
10 write book about the rewards of the
Christian ministry-about his surround
ings of Christian sympathy
This woman of the text was only typo
of thousands of men and women who come
down from mansion and from cot to do
kindness TO the Lords servants could
tell you of something that you might think
a romance A young man graduated from
New Brunswick Theological seminary was
called To "A village church He had not the
means to furnish the parsonage After
three or four weeks of preaching n com
mittcc Of the officers of the church waited
ON him and told him he looked tired and
thought he had better take vacation of a
few days The young pastor took 10 as an
intimation that his work was done or not
acceptable lie took the vacation, and at
the end of few days came back. when an
old elder said: Here is the key Of the
parsonage We have been cleaning it up
You had better go up and look ut IL. 3" So
the young pastor took the key, went up TO
the parsonage. opened the door, and lol 10
was cirpcted. and there was the hatrack
all ready for the canes and the umbrellas
and the overcoats and ON the left hand of
the hall was the parlor. sofaed, chaircd,
pictured He passed ON To the other side of
the hall. and there was the study table in
the center of the floor with stationery upon
IL. bookshelf es built. long ranges of new
volumes. far beyond the reach of the means
of the young pastor many Of these vol
umcs The young pastor went up stairs
and found all the sleeping apartments fur
nished. came down stairs and entered the
pantry, and there were the spices and tho
coffccs and the sugars. and the groceries
for six months He went down into the
cellar. and there was the coal for all
the coming inter lie Went into the din
ing hall, ana there was the table already
sct-the glas and the silver ware IIcwcn
into the kitchen. and there were all the
culinary implements and great stove
The young pastor lifted one lid of the stove
and he found the fuel all ready for igni-
ton Putting hack the cover Of the stove
he saw in another part of IL lucifcr
match, and all that young man had 10 do
in starting to keep house was 10 strike the
match You tell me that is apocryphal
Oh. no. that was my own experience
Oh, the kindnesscs. oh. the enlarged sym.
pathies sometimes clustering around those
who enter the gospel ministry | suppose
the man of Shuncm had TO pay the bills
but IL was q large hea-tcd Christian wo.
man of Shuncm that looked after the
Lords messenger
Great Even In Trouble.
Again, this woman of the text was
great In her behavior under trouble Her
only son had died on her lap \ very
bright light went out in that household
The slcrcd writer puts 1t very tcrsely
when he says. He sat ON her knec until
noon and then he died Vet the writer
goes on 20 say that she exclaimed. 1T is
wcllr Gr,at In prosperity. this woman
was great in trouble
Where are the feet that have not been
blistcrcd on the hot sands OF this great Sa-
hara, Where are the soldiers that have not
bent under the burden of grief Where IL
the ship sailing over CLASSY sea that has
not after awhile been caught in u cyclone?
Where Is the garden Of earthly comfort
but trouble hath hitched up its fiery and
painting team and gone through 1t with
burning plowsharc of disaster Under the
pclting OF ages of suffering the great heart
of the world has burst with woe Nayi-
gators tell us about the rivers and the
Amazon and the Danube and the Missis
sippi have been explored, but who can
tell the depth or the length of the great
river of sorrow. made up of tears and
4, blood. rolling through all lands and a..
ages, bearing the wreck 81 families and "a
communities and of empires foaming
writhing, boiling with the agonics of 5000
years. Etna. Cotopaxi and NcSuvius have
been described, but who has ever skctch.d
the volcano Of suffering rctching up from
I its depths the lava and scoria and pouring
them down the sides To whclm the nationsi
/ Oh. IL | could gather all the hcartstrings,
+ the broken hcartstrings. into harp,
would play on 1t "A dirgc such rs was never
sounded Mythologists tell us of gurgon
and centaur and Titan and biologists tell
/ us of extinct species of monsters bun
| greater than gorEgOn or megatherium and
not belonging to the ncalm of fable and
not of AN cAtirct species. monster with
an iron jaw and IA hundred iron hoofs has
walked across the nations and history and
poetry and sculpture. in their attempt to
sketch IL and describe IT, have seemed to
sweat great drops Of blood But, thank
God. there are those who can conquer as
| this woman Of the text conquered and
say lit is well. though my property DO
gone. though my children bc gone, though
my home bc broken up though my health
be sacrificed, il is well, 1t is Welt" There
is no storm on the sea but Christ is ready
10 rise in the hinder part Of the ship and
hush it, There is no darkness but the con
stcllation of God eternal love can illumino
IL, and though the winter comes out of tho
northern SIX, you have sometimes seen
that northern sky all ablaze with aurOras
which seem To say Come up this way;
up this way are thrones of light and seas
Of sapphire ana the splendor Of an eternal
heaven Come up this way
We may, Ike the ships, by tempest he tossed
On perilous 'lceps. hut cannot be lost.
Though sntan enrage the wind and the tide.
ghe promise Us the Lord will provide
The Home Woman.
Again. this woman Of my text was great
I'm her application To domestic duties
Every picture is home picture, whether
she is entertaining AN Elisha or whether
she Is giving careful attention to her sick
boy or whether she Is appealing for the
restoration Of her property Every picture
I'm her case Is one of domcsticity Those
are not disciples of the Shunenite woman
who. going out to attend 20 outside chart.