The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-03-28
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NoTEr
DIVINE.
Subject: The Benefits Of AdversitN-we
Must All Go Through Some Kind "t y
Thrashing Process For Our own Good
Triumph After Misfortune.

WASHINGTON. u. C-From a process
familiar TO the farmer DIR. Talmage draws
lessons OF consolation and encouragement
fer people IN sorrow and adversely. The
text ls Isaiah NXvln, q, 2s: for the
htehes are not thrashed with thrashins
instrument. neither Is cart wheel turned
about upon the cummin, but the ttehes
are beaten out with stan and the cum
min with a rod Bread corn Is bruised be
cause ne Will not ever he thrashlng It.
Misiortunes OF various kinds come upon
various people. and IN all times the great
need of ninety.nlne people out OF a nun
dred Is solace. Look, then, 10 this neg
lected allegory OF my text.
There are three kinds OF seed men
tioned-ftches, cummn and corn. OF the
last we all know. But II may he well 10
state that the titches and the cummln were
small seeds, like the caraway or the chick
pea. When these grams or herbs were 70
be th-ashed they were thrown ON the
floor, and the workmen would come around
with staff or rod or fail and beat them un-
I'll the seed would be separated, but when
the corn was TO be thrashed that was
thrown on the floor, and the men would
fasten horses or oxen 10 a cart with iron
dented wheels; that cart would be drawn
around the thrashing floor, and SO the
work would be accomplished. Different
kinds of thrashing for different products.
The titches were not thrashed with a
thrashng instrument, neither Is a cart
wheel turned about upon the cummln, but
the ttches are beaten out with staff and
the cummin with rod. Bread corn Is
bruised because he viii not ever be thrash
ing II.
The great thought that the text presses
upon our souls is that we all so through
some kind of thrashing process. The fact
that you may be devotlng your life 10 hon
orable and noble purposes will not WIN you
any escape. Wilberforce, the Christian
emancipator, was in his day derlsvely
called Doctor Cantwell' Thomas Bah
ington Macauley, the advocate of all that
was good, long before he became the most
conspicuous historian OF his day, was carr
catured in one OF the quarterly reviews as
"Babbletongue Macaulay." Norman Me
Leod, the great friend OF the Scotch poor,
was industriously maligned in all quarters,
although on the day when he was carried
out TO his burial workman stood and
looked at the funeral procession and said,
III he had done nothing for anybody more
than he has done for me, he would shine
as the stars forever and ever" All the
small wits of London had their fling at
John Wesley, the father OF Methodism.
II such men could not escape the mahgn.
ing of the world, neither can you expect
TO get rid of the sharp, keen stroke of the
Jesus must suffer persecution. Besides
that, there are the sicknesses and the
bankruptcies and the irrltations and the
disappointments which are ever putting a
cup OF aloes to your lips. Those wrinkles
on your face are heiroglyphics which. If
deciphered, would make out thrilling
story OF trouble. The footstep OF the rab-
bit is seen the next morning on the snow.
and on the white hairs of the aged are the
abA tvh a. Ia
alighted.
Even amid the joys and hilarities of life
trouble will sometimes break in. As when
the people were assembled IN the Charles
town theatre during the Revolutionary
War, and while they were witnessing a
farce and the audience was in great gratu-
lation the guns OF an advancing army were
heard and the audience broke up wild
panic and ran for their lives, so oftentimes
while you are seated amid the Joys and
festivities OF this world you hear the can
nonade OF some great disaster. All the
fitches and the cummin and the corn must
come down on the thrashing floor and be
pounded.
Ny subject, in the first place, teaches us
that II Is no compliment 20 us If we es.
cape great trial The ftches and the cum
min on one thrashing floor might look
over 10 the corn on another thrashing floor
and say: Look at that poor miserable.
bruised corn! We have only been little
pounded. but that has been almost de
stroyed.' Well, the corn, II IL had lips.
would answer and say: "Do YOU know the
reaeon you have not been as much pounded
as ! havey 1t IS because you are not of so
much worth as | am. II you were, you
would be as severely run over" Yet there
are men who suppose they are the Lord =
favorites simply because their barns are
full and their bank account Is flush and
there are no funerals in the house. IL NAV
be because they are fitches and cummin,
while down at the end of the lane the poor
widow may be the Lords corn.
You are but little pounded because you
are but little worth and she bruised and
ground because she is the best part of the
harvest. The heit OF the thrashng ma.
chine is according to the value of the
grain. II you have not been much thrashcd
IN lie, perhaps there - not much TO
thrash II you nave not been much shaken
OF trouble, perhaps 1t IS because there il
going 10 be a very small yield
When there are plenty OF blackberries,
the gatherers 90 out with large baskets
but wh n the drought has almost consumed
the fruit, then quart measure will do az
well.
1t took the venomous snake on Paul's
hand, and the pounding OF him with stones
unit he was taken up for dead. and the
jamming against him of prison gates, and
the Ephesian vociferation, and the ankles
skinned by the painful stocks and the
foundarng OF the Ale=andrian corn ship,
and the heheading stroke Of the Roman
sheriff 20 bring Paul 70 his proper develop.
ment.
1t was not because Robert Moffat and
Lady Rachel Russell and Frederick Ober.
lin were worse than other people that they
had TO suffer. IL was because they were
better, and God wanted 20 make them
best. BY the carelessness Of the thrashing
you may always conclude the value of the
grain.
Next, my text teaches us that God pro
portions our trials 20 what we can bear
the staff for the itches the rod for the
cummin, the iron wheel for the corn
"Oh. ! can't bear IT," But YOU did bear Il
God would not have sent IL upon you II
He had not known that you could bear IL
You trembied and you swooned but you
got through God will not take from your
eyes one tear too many nor from your
lungs one sigh too deep nor from your ten.
pies one throb too sharp. The perpiexi.
ties OF your earthly business have not in
them one tanzie too intricate. You some.
times feel as II our world were full Of
bludgeons flying haphazard. On, no, they
are thrashing instruments that God just
suits 20 your case There is not a dollar
Of bad debts on your ledger or A disap.
pointment about goods that you expected
20 20 up. but that have gone down. or
swlndle Of your business partner or trick
On the part Of those who are in the same
kind OF merchandise that you are. but God
intended 20 oyerrule for your immortal
help. Oh" you say, there is no need
talking that way 10 me. j don't bke % be
cheated and outraged" Neither does the