Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-03-28


my troubles. l would be willing to be
troubled" All. my brother. then it
would not be trouble. You would
choose something that WOULD not hurt,
aud unless II hurt II does not get sane
tiled Your trial perhaps may be child
lessncss. You are fond OF children.
You say, "Why does God send children
TO that other household, where they are
unwelcome and are beaten and banged
about when I would have taken them
in the arms OF my affectionT' You say,
ANY other trial but this" Your trial
perhaps may be disfgured counte-
nance or a face that is easily caricatur-
ed and you say, Il could endure any
thing IL only was good looking" And
your trial perhaps-is a violent temper
and you have to drive II like six I'M
broken horses amid the gnnpowder ex-
plosions of great holiday, and ever
and anon it runs away with You. Your
trial is the asthma. You say, "If 1t
were rheumatism or neuralgia or cry
slpelas. but it is this asthma. and it is
such an exhausting thing to breathe"
Your trouble is husband, sharp. snap
Ply and cross about the house and rails
ing small riot because button is off.
How could you know the button is off?
Your trial is q wife ever in contest
with the servants, and she is sloyen.
Though she was very careful about her
appearance in your presence once, now
she is careless. because, she says, her
fortune is madel Your trial is n hard
school lesson you cannot learn. and you
have bitten your finger nails until they
are a sight TO behold.
Complaining Against Ged.
Everybody has some vexation or an
noyance or trial, and he or she thinks
ii is the one least adapted. Anything
but this" all say; anything but this"
My nearer, are you not ashamed TO
be complaining all this time against
God? Who manages-thc affairs OF this
world anyhow? Is it an Infinite Mo-
doc or u Sitting Bull savage or an ON
nipotent Mana Sahibg Ne; it Is the
most mercifal and glorious and wise
being in al the universe. You cannot
teach omnipotence anything. You have
fretted and worried almost enough.
Do you not think so? Some OF you are
making yourselves ridiculous in the
sight of the angels. Here is a naval
architect. and be draws out the plan of
a ship of many thousand tons. Many
workmen are engaged on it for long
while. The ship is done. and some day,
with the flags up and the air gorgeous
with bunting. that vessel is launched
for Southampton. At that time q lad
six years Of age comes running down
the dock with toy boat which he has
made with his own jackknifc. and he
says: Here. my boat is better than
yours. Just look at this jibLoom and
these weather crossjack braces" And
he drops his little boat beside the great
ship. and there is roar of laughter on
the decksl All. my friends. that great
ship is your life as God planned it
vast, million tonncd. ocean destined,
eternity boundl That little boat is your
life rs you were trying TO hew il out
and fashion ii and launch it DO not
try 10 be a rival of the great Jehovah
God is always right. and in nine cases
out OF ten you are wrong He sends
just the hardships, just the bankrupt.
you to have. He knows what kind of
grain you are. and he sends the right
kind OF thrashing machine. II will be
rod or stat or iron wheel Just accord
ing rs you are dtches or cummin or
corn.
Again, my subject teaches that God
keeps trial on us until we let go. The
farmer shouts "whoar' TO bis horses
us soon as the grain Is dropped from
the stalk. The farmer comes with his
Cork and losses mp the straw. and he
sees that the straw has LET 20 the grain
and the grain is thoroughly thrashed.
So God. Shifting rod and turning
wheel both cease as soon as we let go.
We hold on TO this world. with It's
pleasures and riches aud emoluments.
and our knuckles are SO firmly set that
It seems as IL we could hold on for
ever. God comes along with some
thrashing trouble and beats us loose.
We started under the delusion that this
was great world. We learned out of
our geography that II was so many
thousand miles in diameter and so
many miles in circumference, and we
said. ooh. my. what a worldr' Trou-
BILE came in after life. and this trouble
sliced on one part OF the world, and Il
has Got TO be n smaller world and In
some estimations very insignificant
world, and it is depreclating all the
time as spiritual property. Ten per
cent of, 90 per cent Off. and there are
those who would not give 10 cents for
this world-the entire world-as a soul
possession.
The Friendship That Endure..
We thought that friendship was a
grand thing. In school we used TO
write compositions about friendship.
and perhaps we made our graduating
speech Oh commencement day or
friendship. oh, 1t was a charming
thing! But does it mean as much to
you ms il used to? You have gone on In
life. and one friend has betrayed Won.
and another friend has misinterpreted
you, and another friend has neglected
you, and friendship comes now some
times TO mean to you merely another
AK TO grind! So with money. We
thought If man had competency he
WIS Soie iOf All the future, but we
have learned that mortgage may be
defeated by an unknown previous in
cumbrance; that signing your name on
the back of note may be your bust
ness death warrant; that new tariff
may change the current of trade; that
man may be rich today and poor to-
morrow. And God. by all these mis-
fortunes. Is trying TO loosen our grip,
but we still hold on. God smltes with
stan, but we hold on. And he strikes
US with rod. but we hold on. And he
sends over us the iron wheel OF misfor-
tune, but we hold on. There are men
who keep their grip ON this world until
the last moment, who suggest to me
the condition and conduct OF the poor
Indian in the boat In the Niagara rap
ids. coming on toward the fall. Seeing
that be could not escape. moment or
two before he got to the verge of the
plunge he lifted wine bottle and
drank IL of and then tossed the bottle
into the air. So there are men who
clutch the world, and they go down
~bv.<<. Il.