The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-03-22

HOW snail ne do It! he
annot afford to efface his horizon or to
tear of a fiery panel from the sunset or
to subtract an anther from the water lily
Or to Danish the pungent aroma from the
mignonette or to drag the robes of the
morning in mire. You cannot expect a
Christopher Wren to mar his own St.
Paul's cathedral or a Michael Angelo to
dash out his own Last Judgment or a
Handel to discord his Israel In Egypt"
and you cannot expect God to spoil the
architecture and music of his own world.
How, then, are we to be made willing to
cave? Here is where trouble comes in.
New Heaven and New Earth.
After a man has had a good deal of
trouble he says: "Well, I am ready to go.
If there is a house somewhere whose
roof does not leak, I would like to live
there. If there is an atmosphere some
where that does not distress the lungs, /
would like to breathe it. If there is a
society somewhere where there is no tit
tie tattle, 1 would like to live there. If
there is a home circle somewhere where
/ can find my lost friends, l would like
to go there" He used to read the first
part of the Bible chiefly; now he reads
the last part of the Bible chiefly. Why
has he changed Genesis for Revelation?
All, he used to be anxious chiefly to know
how this world was made and all about
its geological construction. Now he is
chiefly anxious to know how the next
world was made and how it looks and
who live there and nov they dress. He
reads Revelation ten times now where he
reads Genesis once. The old story, 'In
the beginning God created the heavens
and the EARTH" does not thrill him half
as much as the other story, II saw a new
heaven and. q new earth" The old
mans hand trembles as he turns over
this apocalyptical leaf, and he has to
] TAX out his handkerchief to wipe his
s~pectacles. That book of Revelation is a
prospectus now OF the country into which
he is soon to immigrate; the country in
which he has lots already laid out and
avenues opened and mansions built.
Il is trouble, my friends, that makes
us feel our dependence upon God. We
do not know our own weakness or Gods
strength until the last plank breaks. 1t
is contemplate in us that only when
there is nothing else to take hold of we
catch hold of God. Why, do you know
who the Lord is? He is not an autocrat,
seated far up in a palace, from which lie
energies once a year, preceded by her
aids swinging swords to clear the way.
No. He is a father, willing at our call
" SlalIu w uS IL CNSls S1ioiS dho PISGIS
ament of life. 1 tell you what some of
you business men make me think of. A
man is unfortunate in his business. He
has to raise a good deal of money, and
raise it quickly. He borrows on word
and note all he can borrow. After
awhile he puts a mortgage on his house.
After awhile he puts a second mortgage
, on his house. Then he puts a lien on his
furniture. Then he makes over his life
insurance. Then he assigns all his prop
erty. Then he goes to his father-in-law
and asks for help. Well, having failed
everywhere, completely failed. he gets
down on his knees and says, "Oh, Lord,
J 1 have tried everybody and everything;
now help me out of this financial trou-
ble." He makes God the last resort in
stead of the first resort.
A young man goes off from home to
earn his fortune. He goes with his
mothers consent and benediction. She
has large wealth, but he wants to make
his own fortune. He goes far away,
falls sick, gets out Of money. He sends
for the hotel keeper where he is staying,
asking for lenience, and the answer he
gets is, 'If you do not pay up Saturday
night, you'll be removed to the hospital"
The young man sends to a comrade in
the same building. No help. He writes
TO a banker who was a friend of his de-
ceased father. No relief. Saturday
night comes, and he is moved to the hos
pital. Getting here, he is frenzied With
grief, and he borrows a sheet of paper
and q postage stamp, and he sits down,
and he writes home, saying: Dear moth
er, ] am sick unto death. Come" 1t is
20 minutes of 10 o'clock when she gets
the letter. At 10 o'clock the train starts.
She is FIVE minutes from the depot. She
gets there in time to have five minutes
to spare. She wonders why the train
that can go 40 miles an hour cannot go
so miles an hour. She rushes into the
hospital. She says: "My son, what does
all this mean? Why did you not send
for me? You sent to everybody but me.
You knew I would and could help you.
Is this the reward I get for my kindness
to you always?" She bundles him up.
takes him home and gets him well very
soon.
The Last Resort.
Now. some of you treat God just as
that young man treated his mother.
When you get into a financial perplexity.
you call on the banker, you call on the
broker, you call on your creditors. you
call on your lawyer for legal counsel. you
call upon everybody, and when you can
not get any help then you go to God.
= " say. ou. LOlu, u SOA4C " NASO-
Help me now out of my perplexity." And
the Lord comes, though it is in the elev-
enth hour. He says: why did you not
send for me before? As one whom his
mother comforteth. so will l comfort
you" 1t is to throw us back upon God
that we have this ministry Of tears.
I like what Martin Luther said to
Philip Melanchthon when Melanchthon
has gone to bed discouraged and saying
to Luther: "Our cause is lost. We have
had all our work for nothing. I am in a
state Of despair!" Then Luther said:
"Come, Philip: we have had enough of
such talk! Let US sing the Forty-sixth
Psalm Of David: God is our refuge and
strength. a very present help in trouble.
therefore will not we fear though the
earth be removed and the mountains cas-:
into the midst of the sea. Though the
waters thereof roar and be troubled
thouph the Mountains shake with tho