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

of any house until he has n better
house.
Ministry of Tears.
To cure this wish to stay here God
must somehow create n disgust for our
surroundings. How shall he do 1t? He
| cannot afford to efface his horizon. or
to tear off fiery panel from the SUM-
set, 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 a
Michael Angelo to dash out his own
Last Judgment" or n Handel to dis
cord his "Israel In Egypt" and you
cannot expect God to spoil the archltec-
| ture and music Of his own world.
How, then, are we to be made willing
to leave? Here is where trouble comes
In.
| After a man has had good deal OF
trouble he says: "Well, I am ready to
90. Ii there Is house somewhere
whose roof does not leak, would like
to live there. If there is an atmosphere
somewhere that does not distress the
lungs, | would like to breathe 1t. III
there Is a society somewhere where
there is no title tattle l would like to
live there. If there Is n 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 geo.
logical construction. Now he Is chiefly
anxious to know how the next world
was made, and how 1t 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 heav-
ems and the earth," does not thrill him
half as much as the other story, u
saw a new heaven and new earth"
The old mans hand trembles as he
turns over this apocalyptlcal leaf, and
he has to take out his handkerchief to
wipe his spectacles. The book Of Rev.
elation Is a prospectus now Of the coun-
try into which he Is soon to immigrate,
the country in which he has lots al
ready laid out and avenues opened and
mansions built.
A willing Friend.
It 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 pal
ace. from which he emerges once a
year, preceded by heralds swinging
swords to clear the way. No; he Is
father, willing at our call to stand by
us In every crisis and predicament or
life. tell you what some Of you busi-
ness men make me think of. man Is
unfortunate in his business. He has to
raise a good deal OF money and raise 1t
quickly. He borrows Oh 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 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, 80 Lord,
| have tried everybody and everything;
now help me out of this financial trou-
blew 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 and gets out OF money. de
sends for the hotel keeper where he Is
staying, asking for lenience, and the
answer he gets is, 'Tf 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 banker who was
friend of his deceased father; no relier.
Saturday night comes, and he Is moved
to the hospital Getting here, he Is fren-
zied with grief, and he borrows n sheet
Of paper and a postage stamp, and he
sits down, and he writes home: Dear
mother, 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 80 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
would and could help you. Is this the
reward | get for my kindness to you al
! ways?" She bundles him up, takes him
home and gets him well very soon.
Now, some of you treat God just as
that young man treated his mother.
When you get into a financial perplex-
ity, you call on the banker, you call on
the broker, you call on your creditors.
you call on your lawyer for legal coun-
sell you call upon everybody, and when
you cannot get any help then you go
to God. You say: 20 Lord, come to
thee! Help me now out Of my perplex-
ity." And the Lord comes, though 1t
is In the eleventh 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 min
istry of tears.
like what Martin Luther said to
Philip Melanchthon when Melanch-
lo1 20 nod HicoOnra God and