Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-03-16

are now set apart to the Office Of SYM
pathy. When we are in prosperity, we
like to have a great many young peo-
pie around US, and we laugh when they
laugh, and we romp when they romp.
and we sing when they sing, but when
we have trouble we like plenty Of old
folks around Why? They know how
to talk. Take an aged mother. Is years
of age, and she is almost omnipotent
In comfort. Why? She has been
through it ALL At o'clock in the morn.
ing she goes over TO comfort young
mother who has just lost her babe.
Grandmother knows all about that
trouble. Fifty years ago she felt II.
At II o'clock Of that day she goes over
to comfort a widowed soul She knows
all about that. She has been walking
in that dark valley 20 years. At 4
o'clock in the afternoon some one
knocks at the door, wanting bread. She
knows all about that. Two or three
times In her life she came to her last
loaf. At 10 o'clock that night she goes
over to sit up with some one severely
sick. She knows all about II. She
knows all about fevers and pleurlsles
and broken bones. She has been doc
toring all her life. spreading plasters
and pouring out bitter drops and shak-
ing up hot pillows and contrivlng things
to tempt a poor appetite. Drs. Aber-
nethy and Rush and Hosack and Har-
vey were great doctors, but the great
est doctor the world ever saw Is an old
Christian woman. Dear me, do we
not remember her about the room when
we were sick in our boyhood? Was
there any one who could ever so touch
sore without hurting 1t? And when
she lifted her spectacles against her
wrinkled forehead so she could look
closer at the wound 1t was three
fourths healed. And when the Lord
took her home, although you may have
been men and women 80. 40, 80 years
Of age. you lay on the coffin lid and
sobbed as though you were only 5 or ~
years Of age.
A SouI of Infinite Value.
Your troubles are educational. l go
into the office of lapidary, an artifcer
in precious stones, and | see him at
work on one precious stone for few
minutes, and he puts 1t aside finished.
see him take up another precious
stone. and he works on that all the
afternoon, and | come in the next day
and still find him working on 1t, and
he is at work on it all the week. say
to him, why did you put only 20 min
utes' work on that one precious stone
and put n whole week on this other?
"Oh." he says, that one upon which
put only 20 minutes work Is Of but lit
tie worth, and soon got through with
It. But this precious stone upon which
I have put such prolonged and careful
work is of vast value, and 1t Is to fash
in a kings coronet." So God lets one
man go through life with only little
cutting of misfortune, for he does not
amount to much. he is small soul and
of comparatively little value, but this
other soul is of great worth. and 1t is
cut of pain, and cut OF bereavement,
and cut of persecution, and cut of all
kinds OF trouble. and through many
years, and | ask, Dear Lord, why oil
this prolonged and severe processT'
and God says: This soul Is of infinite
value, and it is to flash In a kings cor
onet. He shall be mine In the day
when make up my jewels"
You know, on a well spread table the
food becomes more delicate at the
last. l have fed you today with the
bread of consolation. Let the table
now be cleared, and let us set on the
chalice of heaven. Let the Kings
cupbearers come in. "Oh," says some
critic In the audience, "the Bible con-
tradicts itself. 1t intimates again and
again that there are to be no tears In
heaven, and If there be no tears in
heaven how is it possible that God
will wipe any awayT l answer,
"Have you never seen child crying
one moment and laughing the next
and while she was laughing you saw
the tears still on her faceY And per-
haps you stopped her Ia the very midst
of her resumed glee and wiped OIL
those delayed tears. So | think after
the heavenly raptures have come upon
us there may be the mark of some
earthly grief. and while these tears are
glittering in the light. Of the Jasper
sea God will wipe them away. How
well he can do thatl
Jesus had enough trial to make him
sympathetic with all trial. The short
sst verse In the Bible tells the story
Jesus wept." The scar on the back
of his either hand, the scar on the
arch Of either foot. the row OF scars
along the line Of the hair, will keep all
heaven thinking. Oh, that Great
Weeper is just the one to silence all
earthly trouble. wipe out all stains OF
earthly grief. Gentle! Why. his step
is softer than the step Of the dew.
will not be a tyrant bidding you hush
your crying. 1t will be a father who
will take you on his left arm. bis face
beaming into yours. while with th'
soft tips Of the fingers Of the righ
hand he shall wipe away all tears from
your eyes.
Methinks 1t will take us some time te
get used to heaven; the fruits of Goo
without one speck; the fresh pastures
without one nettle; the orchestra with
out one snapped string; the river OF
gladness without one torn bank; the
solferino and the saffron Of the sunrise
Of the eternal day that beams from
Gods face.
God Shall Comfort.
Friends, II we could get any apprecl-
alton Of what God has in reserve for
us. it would make us so homesick we
would be unfit for our everyday work.
Professor Leonard, formerly Of Iowa
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