Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-02-11

! uIUUR III bOltlc solI Va uHlhitS w o'"NS'J
1t was light poured on the conscience OF
the nation that, brought on the war; 1t
was light shining through the darkness
that kept the nation steady Had no
such lie ght shone, we should have con,
structed new Union with the shackles
of the slave for wedding ring. But the
light stood like wall Of fire; yet how long
it was only, light shining, on hidden
way. Our homes, back with desoiatlon
fathers. mothers, wives, only putting on a
cheerful look, because they would not, by
their sadness, dshcarten the great heart
OF the nation.
And so, | say, in men and nations you
will find everywhere this discord between
the longing that is in the soul, and what
the man can do. Our life. as some one
said OF the Cathedral of Cologne, seems to
be broken promise made to God.
Now, in trying to find some solution or
this question, | want to say frankly that
| cannot pretend to make the mystery all
clear, so that it will give you no more
trouble; because l cannot put q glrd!e
around the world in forty minutes, and
also because full solution must depend
greatly on our own dissolution. | believe,
nothing unexplained, in the mystery of
providence and life, has rather explained
nothing. listen to him, if | am i'll trou.
be and then go home and break my heart
all the same, because | see that he has not
only not cleared up the mystery, but that
he does not know enough about 1t to
trouble him. The "Principa' and the
easy to him because he does not know the
Rule of Three And so ] cannot be sat
isfed with the last words which some later
/ hand has added to the book that holds this
sad history They tell us how job has all
his property doubled, to the last Ass and
| camel-has seven so. again and three
daughters, has entire satisfaction OF all
his aecusers, lives a hundred and fNty
years, sees four generations OF his line and
then dles-satistied.
Need | say that this solution will not
stand the test of life. and that if lfe, on
the average, came out so from It's most
trying ordeal, there would be little need
for our sermons. For then. every life
| would be an open, selI.contaned provi-
dencc and the last page IA time would YIN.
drate the first Men do not 50 live aud
die: and such cannot have been the primi-
tive conclusion oi the history. 1t has
deeper meaning and a suhimcr instltica.
ton or it had never been inspired 10y the
holy Ghost.
And thus issure to suggest itself to You
aa you read the story, that job, in his
trouble, would have lost nothing and
gained very much If he had not been 80 i'm.
patient III coming to the CONCLUSION that
God had left him, that lie was mere
apple OF Sodon. that he had backed mp to
great walls of fate and he had not a mend
left on the earth His soul, looking through
her d+rkencd windows, concluded the hCar-
ems were dark. The nerve, quivcring at
the gcntle>t touch, mlstook the mnlStIa-
ton of mercy for a bow. He might have
! found some cool shelter tor his agony; he
preferred to sit ON the ashes in the burn
,.At El,t1In ln M
robe was TO come from; this did not deter
him from tearing to shred- the robe that
was 10 shelter him from the keeu winds.
1t was dreadful trial at the best; 1t was
worse Tor his way OF meeting 1T: aud,
when he was at once i'll the worst health
and temper posSb,e. he sand: why IS
! light given to Il man whose way Is hid!
i not TINS now, ~ Il was then, one nt the
most serious mistakes that can be- made:
| try To solve great problems OF Prov
dencc prrnaps. when ] am so nSirung as
t, be entirely untitled to touch their
more subtle. delicate and far reaching har-
monies. As well might YOU decide on some
exquisite anthem when your organ IS
broken, and conclude there Is no music
| in it because YOU can make no music OF
it, as in such a condition OF life and such
a temper OF the spirit. try to find these
great harmonies OF God When | am in
trouble. then, and darkness comes down
On me like a pail. the first question ought
| to be. "How much OF this unboh"f about
providence and life, Ike CowperS sense
OF the rnpaldonabe sin. comes from the
most material disnr.anzaton? !s he
darkness feel in the soul, OF is it on the
y.ndows through which the soul must
see?" Then, clear on this matter, the
nan tried so will endeavor to stand at the
first. where this sad hearted man stood
az the last, in the shadow of the Almighty,
If he must stand in shadow and hold on
to the confidence that somewhere within
all this trial is the eternal, the shadow of
a great rock in a weary land. Friends
speculate all about the mystery, and their
conclusions from their premises are entire Y
correct; but they have forgotten to take
in the separate sovereign will of God, as
working out great purpose in the man 5
life, by which he is to be lifted INTO a
grander reach of insight and experience
than ever he had before. job said; Il
suffer. am in darkness and dlsappon,-
ment and uan. because it is fate Johs
friends SAID: NO YOU suffer because. You
| have sinned. Rushes never grow without
nire." They were both wrong. and all
wrong. He suffered because that was the
divine way of bringing him out OF hls
sleek we'll satisfied content; and when
through suffering this was done he said: "
have heard of Thee with mine ears, but
| now mine eye seeth Thee.
If I had never gone into darkened rooms,
where the soul stands at the parting OF inc
vor,tis: or sat down beside widows ana
httie children. when the desire OF their
eyes was taken away with stroke. or
grasped the hands of strong men, when
all they had toi!ed for was gone, nothing
! left but honor; or ministered to men
mangled on the battlefield beyond all tell
ing; and heard in all these places where
darkness was on the way. melodies, me.o'
dies that ! never heard among the com
monplaces of prosperity, ! could not De So
| SIRE as / am that God often darkens the
wav 90 that the melody may grow Gear
and entire in the sou
There is a story in the annals ot science
touching this principle, that we canho,
struggle faithfully with these things and
leave them as we found them. pIato
niercng here and there with his wonderlul
Cree; eyes:
Searching through all he felt and saw
;. he springs OF life, the depths or awe,
To reach the law within the Jaw.
was impressed by the suggestive beauty Of
he elliptic figure. He tried to search out
It's fll! meaning, but died without the
SIGHT. \ century and Il half after Plato.
| Apo onius came, was arrested IN the
same way, took up the quest;oh where
Plato left ii, tried to find out its full
meanings. and died without the. sight.
And so, says fine writer, for eighteen
centuries some of the best minds were
fascinated by this problem, drew iron, it
strength and discipline; and yet, in al this
| time. the problem was an abstract form,
Il beautiful or painful speculation. 1t did
nol open out into any harmonious prln-
cipic. There was light on the thing, but no
ligsht OH the way. In the full time, kep!er
came; sat down to the study; and by what
we cali the suggestion OF genius, hut ought
to call the inspiration OF the Almighty,
found that the orbits of the p,anetS were
norn, took up the problem where Kep,er
lad laid it down. made all the established
lacts the base OF his mightier labors; and,
when he had done, he had shown that this
figure, this problem, which had held men