St. Tammany farmer., 1901-04-20


So we all realize that the death Of
our friends is the nipping of many ex-
pectations, the freezing, the chilling.
the frosting of many of our hopes It
is far foms being . south wind. 1t
comes from the frigid north, and when
they 70 away fkom us we stand be-
nunbed in body and benumbed in mind
and behlmhed An soul. We stand
amone oar dsad peighbors, our dead
families, and We say :'"Will we ever
get over it?" Yes, we will get over It
amid the shoutings of heavenly re-
union. and we will look back to all
these distresses, of bereavement only
Is the temporary distresses OF husking
time. "Weeping may. endure for 2
night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Light, and but for q moment" said
the apostle As he clapped his hands,
Light, and but for q moment" The
chill of the frosts followed by the
gladness that cometh in ''like as
shock Of corn copeth in in his season." )"
or course, the husking time made
rough work with the ear of corn. The
husking peg had to be thrust in and
the hard thumb of the husker had to
come down on the swathing OF the ear,
and then there was pull and ruth
less tearing and then q complete snap
ping off before the corn was free, and
il the .husk could have spoken it would
have said: ''Why do you lacerate me?
Why do you wrench me? All! my
friends, that is the way God has ar
ranged that the ear and the husk shall
part. and that is the way He has ar
ranged that the body and soul shall
separate. You can afford to have your
physical distresses when you know
that they are only forwarding the
souls liberation. Every rheumatic
pain is only plunge of the husking
peg. Every neuralgia twinge is only
twist by the husker. There is gold in
you that must come out Some way
the shackle must be broken. Some
way the ship must be launched for
heavenly voyage. You must let the
heavenly husbandman husk of the
mortality from the immortality.
There ought to be great consolation
in this for all who have chronic all
ments, since the Lord is gradually and
more mildly taking away from you
that which hinders your souls liberia
ton, doing gradually for you what for
many of us in robust health, perhaps
He will do in one fell blow at the last.
At the close of every illness. at the
close Of every paroxysm you ought to
say: "Thank God, that is all past now;
thank God, l will never have to suffer
that again; thank God, l am SO much
nearer the hour of liberation" You
will never suffer the same pain twice.
You may have q new pain in an old
place. but never the same pain twice.
The pain does its work and then it
dies. Just so many plLnges of the
crowbar to free the quarry stoae for
the building. Just SO many strokes Of
the chisel to complete the statue. Just
SO many pangs to separate the soul
from the body. You who have chronic
ailments and disorders are only paying
in installments that which some us
will have to pay in one payment when
we pay the debt Of nature. Thank
God, therefore, We who have chronic
disorders, that you have SO much less
suffering at the last Thank God that
You will have SO much less to feel in
the way Of pain at the hands OF the
heavenly husbandman when 1.-The
shock of corn cometh in in his season."
Perhaps now this may be an answer
to a question which l asked one Sab
bath morning, but did not answer:
Why is it that SO many really good
people have so dreadfully to suffer?
You often find good man with enough
pains and aches aud distresses, you
colony, while you will find man who
is perfectly useless going around with
easy digestion and steady nerves and
shining health, his exit from the
world is comparatively painless. How
do you explain that? Well, noticed
in the husking time that the hushiug
peg was thrust into the corn aud then
there must .bea stout pull before the
swathlng was taken of the ear, and
the full. round, healthy, luxuriant corn
was developed; while on the other
hand there was corn that hardly
seemed worth husking. We throw
that into place all by itself and we
called "nubbins."
Some of it was mildewed, and some
of it was mice-nibbled, and some of.it
was great promise and no fulfillment
All cobs and no corn. Nubblns. After
the good corn had been driven up to
the barn we came around with the
corn basket and we picked up these
nubbins. They were worth saving.
not worth. much. So all around us
there are people who amount to moth
ing. They develop into no kind of
usefulness. They are nibbled on one
side by the world. and nibbled on the
other side by the devil, and mildewed
all over. Great promise and no fulfill
ment All cobs and no corn. Nubbins!
They are worth saving. / suppose
many of them will get to Heaven. but
they are no. worthy to be mentioned
in the day with those who went
through great tribulation into the
kingdom of our God. Who would not
rather have the pains Of this life, the
misfortunes of this life-who would
not rather be torn, and wounded, and
lacerated, and wrenched. and husked,
and 1t last 60 in amid the very best
grain Of the granary, than to be pro-
nounced not worth husking at all?
Nubbins! In other words, l want to
say to you people who have distress of
body, and distress in business, and
distress of all sorts, the Lord has not
any grudge against you. It is not de-
a l.