The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-01-27

q 10 pay n Dillx. Dnt u was the
large-hearted Christian woman Of
Shunem that looked after the LORDS
messenger.
Again. this woman Of the text was
great in her behavior under trouble.
Her only son had died on her lap. A
very bright light went out in that
household. The sacred writer puts 1t
very tersely when he says: "IIe sat on
her knee until noon and hen he died."
Yet the writer goes On to say that she
exclaimed: ut is well!" Great In pros
perity. this woman was great in trouble.
Where are the feet that have not been
blistered on the hot sands OF this great
Sahara? Where are the soldiers that
have not bent under the burden of
grief? Where is the ship sailing over
CLASSY sen that has not after awhile
been caught in a cyclone? Where Is
tie garden of earthly comfort but trou-
BILE hath hitched up its fiery and pant
ing team and gone through 1t with
burning plowsharc OF disaster? Under
the pelting OF ages OF suffering the
great heart Of the world has burst with
woe. Navigators tell us about the riv-
ers. and the Amazon and the Danube
a, the Mississippi have been explored,
but who can tell the depth or the length
OF the greaf river OF sorrow, made up of
tears and blood. rolling through all
lands and all ages. bearing the wreck
{. families and of communities and Of
empires, foaming, writhing. boiling
with the agonies OF 5000 years? Etna,
Co'opaxi and Vesuyius have been de-
scribed, but who ever has sketched the
Volcano of suffering retching up from
T. depths the lava and scoria and pour
ing them down the sides TO whelm ma
tions Oh, if l could gather all the heart.
strings, the broken heartstrings, into
a harp, | would play on it a dirge such
as was never sounded! Mythologis.s
tell us Of gorgon and centaur and Titan
and biologists tell us OF extinct species
of monsters, but greater than gorgon
or megatherium and not belonging TO
the realm OF fable and not Of an extinct
species, a monster with al iron jaw
and a hundred iron hoofs has walked
across the nations, and history and
poetry and sculpture, in their attempt
to sketch 1t 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 con-
quered and say: 1T is well, though my
property be gone, though my children
be gone. though my home be broken
~, though my health be sacrificed. it
is well, 1t is well!" There is no storm
on the sea but Christ is ready to rise in
the hinder part Of the ship and hush II.
There is no darkness but the constella-
ton OF Gods eternal love can illumine
II. aud. though the winter comes out of
the northern sky. 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 and the SPLEEN
dor of an eternal heaven. Come up this
way"
We may, like ships, by tempest be
tossed
IN perlious aeeps, out cahnot De LOST.
The nrom,ss ass,,rss ns tbs Lard vii, nro.
vide.
Again. this woman of my text was
great in her application to domestic
duties. Every picture is a home pic-
ture. whether She is entertaining mn
Elisha or whether she is giving careful
attention to her sick bow or whether she
is appealing for the restoration OF her
property. Every picture in her case is
one of domesticity. Those are not dis.
ciples of the Shunemite oma who.
going ont 10 attend 10 outside chari.
ties. neglect the duty at home--,he
anty of wife Of mother. Of dnuch,er.
No f~aitbfulness in public benefnction
c.n ever atone for domestic negligence
There has been many 4 mother VIM Nv