St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-04-13
looked at yet" Noman wants to 60 out
Of this world or out Of any house until

he h4o Oetter mouse.
To cure this wish to stay here God
must somehow create disgust for our
surroundings. How shall He do it?
He cannot AFFORD to efface His horizon
or to tear OF q 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 christopher Wren to
mar his own st. paul's cathedral or .
Michael Angelo to dash out his own
Last Judgment" or Handel to dis
cord his Israel in Egypt" and you can
not expect God to spoil the architecture
and music of His own world. How.
then, are We to be made willing to
leave? Here is where trouble comes in
After man has had . good deal OF
trouble he says: swell, am ready to
20. If there is a house somewhere
whose roof does not leak. would like
to live there. If there is an atmosphere
sone whevs shat does not distress the
lungs, Iwould like to breathe 1t. II
there is a society somewhere where
there is no title tattle, would like to
live there. Ifthere is home circle some
where where l can find my lost friends,
I 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 anx-
ious chiefly to know how this world was
made and all about its geological con-
struction. Now he is chiefly anxious to
know how the next world was made
and how it looks and who live there and
how 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, Il saw a new Heaven
and new earth" The old mans hand
trembles rs he turns over this ePoc-
Alyptical leaf. and he has to take out
his handkerchief to wipe Mis- spectacles.
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.
Itis trouble. my friends, that makes
us feel our dependence upon God. We
do not know our rownweaknessorG or God s
strength until the last plank breaks. II
is contemplate ID us that only when n
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 aPalace,' from which
He emerges once . yenr, preceded by
herslds swinging swords to clear the
way. No. He is father, willing at
our call to stand by us in every crisis
and predicamento of life. / ten you what
some of you business men make me
think of. A man is unfortunate in his
business. He has TO raise q good. deal
Of money, and raise it quickly. He bor-
rows on word and, note all he can bor-
row. After awhile he puts . mortgage
on his house. After awhile he puts a
second mortgage on his house. Then
he makes over his life insurance. Then
he assigns all his property. Then he
goes to his father-in-lav and asks fur
help. Well, having failed everywhere
completely failed, he gets down on his
knees and says: "Oh, Lord, have
tried everybody and everything; now
help me out of this financial trouble
He makes God the last resort instead
of the first resort. s.la e..
A young man goes of 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 stay
ing, asking for lenieEce, and the answe,
he gets is: IF you do not pay up Sat
urday night. you'll be removed to thu
hospital, The young man sends to I
comrade in the same building. No help
He writes to a banker who was FRIEND
of his deceased father. No relief. Sat.
urday night comes, and be is moved tt
the hospital. Getting here, he is fren
zied with grief. and he borrows sheet
of paper and a postage stamp, and h
sits down and. he writes home, saying;
Dear mother, I am sick unto death
Come" It is 20 minutes of ten o'clocl
when she gets the letter. Atten o'clocl
the train starts. She is five minutes
from the depot. She gets there in time
to have five minutes to spare. She won
ders why the train that can 60 40 mile.
an hour cannot go so miles an hour
She rushes into the hospital. She says
MY son, what does all this mean? VIII,
did you not send for me? You sent I.
everybody but me. You knew woult
and could help you. Is this the rewart
get for my Kindness to You always? ?
She bundles him up, takes him hom,
and gets him well very soon.
Now, some of you treat God jus
as that young man treated hi
mother. When you get into . finan
eial perplexity, you call on the bank
er, you call on the broker. you cal
on your creditors, you call on you
lawyer for legal counsel. you cal
upon everybody, and when you can
not get any help then you 60 to God
You say: "Oh, Lord, I come to Thee
Help me now out of my perplexity.
And the Lord comes, though it is il
the eleventh hour. He says: "Wh,
did you not send for me before? A
one whom his mother comforteth, S,
will I comfort you" It is to throw
us back upon God that we have thi
ministry of tears.
I like what Martin Luther said 4
Philip Melancthon when Melancthol
has gone to bed discouraged and say
ing to Luther: "Our cause is losi
We have had all our work for moth
ing. / am in . state of despair!
Then Luther said: "Come. Philip
we have had enough Of such talk
Let W sing the forty-sixth Psalm Q
David: God is our refuge an
strength, . very present help in trou
bic, therefore will not we fear thong
the earth be removed and the noun
tains cast into the midst Of the ses
Though the waters thereof roar an
be troubled, though the mountain
shake with the swelling Thereof
Selah'"
i Again, it is the use Of trouble I
capacitate us for the Office Of syn