The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1899-03-31

A
! ton. OF digestion, of locomotion, max,
up the great obstacle in your life. ana
you tug and sweat along the PATHWAY
and wonder when the exhaustion vii
end, My friends, the brightest crown
in Heaven will not be given TO thos
who, in stirrups, dashed to the cavalrN
| charge, while the general applauded
and the sound of clashing sabers RAM
| through the land but the brirhtes-
crowns in Heaven, | believe. will N
given TO those who trudged on and
chronic ailments which unnerved theb
strength, yet all the time MAINTAINING
their faith in God. 1t is comparatiyeh
easy TO fight in n regiment of q thou.
sand men, charging up the parapets C.
| the sound of martial music, but il Is MOI
so easy TO endure when no one but
| the nurse and the doctor are the wA.
ncsses of the Christian fortitude Be.
sides that, you never had any pairk
worse than Christ's. The sharpness
that stung through His brain, through
His hands. through His feet, through
His heart, were as great as yours cef
! tainly. He was as sick and as weary
Not a nerve or muscle or ligamenj|
escaped. All the pangs of all the 10
tons of all the ages compressed intoI
one sour cup. lie took the vinegarl
There is also the sourness of poverty
Your income does not meet your out
goings, and that always gives an honest
man anxiety. There is no sign of desti-
tuition about you--pleasant appearance
and a cheerful home for you-but God
only knows what time YOU have had
to manage your private finances. just
as the bills run up the wages seem 70
run down. You may say nothing, but
life to you is hard push, and Wild
you sit down with your wife and al
over the expenses you both rise up III
couraged You abridge here, and ydi
abridge there, and you get things snJt
for smooth sailing, and, 10, suddenH
there is a large doctors bill 20 pay, II
YOU have lost your pocketbook, or sont
debtor has failed, and you are throw
abeam end Well, brother, you are b
glorious company. Christ owned ND
the house in which He stopped or I
colt on which lie rode or the boat
which He sailed. He lived in bot
rowed house; He was buried in a boz
rowed grave. Exposed TO all kinds n
weather, vet lie had only one sup
of clothes. He breakfaSted in the mor3
ing, and no one could possibly teR
where He could get anything 20 eat b
fore night. lie would have been pr$
nounced a financial failure. He had q
perform miracle TO get money 10 pd
tax bill. Not a dollar did He OWE
Privation OF domesticity, privation f
nutritious food, privutlon Of comic
able couch on which 20 sleep. priV
tion of all worldly resources' IH
kings OF the earth had chased chaiu
out of which 10 drink, but Christ IA
nothing but plain cup set before HI1
sna &c sa ws ssss y- W. paSrea sI'
! before your family circle was invydI\
| by death, but the moment the charmJ
circle was broken everything semi
to dissolve Hardly have you PIT n Fl
black apparel in the wardrobe ocfor
| YOU have again TO take il out. Grca'
and rapid changes in your samly rec
ord. You got the house and r. oicel
in IL, but the charm was gone as soor
as the Grape hung on the Goorhr'I n.
one upon whom you most depended Wa.
taken away from you. \ cold marble
slab lies on your heart TO-DAY. Once.
as the children romped through the
house, you put your hand over your
aching head and said: "Oh. IL could
/, only have il still!" Oh. il is too still
now. You lost your patience when the
tops and the strings and the shells were
left amid floor, but, oh. YOU would
be willing TO have the trinkc;s scat.
tered all over the floor again IL they
were scattered by the same hands.
With what IA ruthless plowshare be.
reavement rips up the heart. But
Jesus knows all about that You can.
not tell Him anything new in regard
&c bereavement. He had only a few
friends, and when He lost one IL
brought tears TO His eyes. Lazarus had
often entertained Him al his home
Now Lazarus is dead and buried. and
Christ breaks down with emotion. IN,
convulsion Of grief shuddering through
all the ages of bereavement. Christ
knows what it is 10 go through the
house missing a familiar intimate.
Christ knows what it is 10 see an uroc.
cupied place at the table Were there
not four Of them-Mary and Martha
and Christ and Lazarus? Four OF them.
IA But where is Lazarus? Lonely and az
fiicted Christ, His great, loving eye,
filled with tears! Oh, yes, yes, IIc
knows all about loneliness and the
heartbreak. He took the vinegar!
Then there is the sourness Of he
death hour. Whatever else We NAV Is.
cape, that acid sponge will be pressed
TO our lips, ! sometimes have curl
osity TO know how ] will behave when
| come TO die. Whether will be calm
or excited, whether | viii be filed with
Renaissance or with anticipation. [
cannot say, But come 10 the poirt I |
must and you must An officer from
the future world will knock AT the door
Of our hearts and serve on us the writ !
Of ejectmcnt, and we will have 10 sUr. |
render. And we will wake up af,cr
these autumnal and vipfry ard ,..,,.r |