The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1902-12-10

failed to hear it in the minor notes
that wall of sin and sorrow in the
dirge OF death in the means of
calamity and ruin.
II. / see in this text an ex-
hortation of forgetfulness. Strange
as it may seem, Gods word enjoins
forgetfulness as well as remem-
brance. These people mourned for
their sins when they heard the law,
and the leaders of the people stopp
ed them, forbade them to consider
that question on that day but to go
and eat the fat aud drink the sweet
and send portions unto them for
whom nothing is prepareI--to re
joice and be glad--because the day
was holy, And yet that command
was consistent with nature-it is
adapted to the very constitution of
man. We are so constituted by
nature as to be unabled to live un.
der a constant strain Of apprehen
sion, or in constant remembrance
of some dark fact in our lives. 1t
is one of the mercies of God in
nature. The soul for instance,
that has suffered grief may feel
that it will never forget it's be-
reavement,-that it will live and
be present every moment. But as
the days and weeks drag on, now
and then a moment comes when the
old smile fits across the countenance
again, and now and then the voice
unconsciously assumes its old
cheerful ring, and the sun seems to
shine with its old time brightness,
and the birds sing sweetly, and
the flowers look gay once more.
What a mercy that it is so.-that
though we keep our sorrow it slum
bers oft and gives the poor heart
rest. $50 it is with the con-
sciousuess Of the burden of debt
and the pinch of poverty. There
even come times in his life when
he forgets the burden that he is
bearing-the odds against which
he is struggling. Sometimes when
he takes his little ones on his knee
and looks into their bright faces,
free from care or worry, his own
spirit catches their mirth and he
is as happy as millionaire. And
then sometimes, such as Christmas,
he so far forgets his condition that
he buys toys and sweet-meats and
little luxuries that they do not
often have; and as with a joyous
heart he bears them home to his
sweet cherubs, 1 am tempted to
pull aside the curtain and let you
see that scene when they receive
them. But no l will not. 1t is
too sacred for unhallowed eyes tC
look upon, too beautiful for any
but the angels to see.
| l hear some righteous man, some
honest man, say-"He had better
pay his debts; !" "He had better
buy shoes and clothing or furni.
ture for his bare home instead o.
those things" No you don't
You shall not subject that poo
life to your hard philosophy. Yor
shall not compel him to live every
moment in plain view of the dis.
couraging facts that surround his
life. 1t is decreed by nature, it i
commanded by God.
/ expect there will be feasts il
some homes to-day where ther,
will be fasts tomorrow. Som,
people will eat turkey to day, wh,
cannot buy bacon next week
What of it? It's there home, theil
life; and the Jesus who permitted
costly vase of ointment to b,
poured upon his head when i
might have bought necessities fo
Others, would say likewise of these
-"Let them alone. Let then
alone"
SO is it also with one who is
. sinner. There are times now ant
, then when he forgets what a ba(
man he is, when he does not seen
, to see the blackness of his owl
heart. And you who are laborinl
in the gospel know that it is i'm
possible to keep man under heav,
conviction of sin.
, We can make that conviction dee
, now and then, but as he mingle
} with the world and its pleasures, j
disappears--there is time whe
he feels his sin, and times when h
J almost if not quite forgets it. l
it not merciful that this is so? /
! he labored under that convictio
| always, the brain would crack, tn
light of reason go out. That fac
t is the distingulshg difference be
, tween this place and perditiol
l If / were going to describe hell j
Q one sentence, / would say, it
/ "the place where soul never fol-