Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-11-05
HOPEFULNES5 nv TRIAL.
The Need and the Blessing of the Up
ward Look When Things
Are Dark.


trials and the desolatiCn of Jerusalem
which he loved, jeremiah exclaimed:
1t is good that man hope" There is
bright side TO all trial 1t is Gods
tool to sharpen the saints. Untitled
ground goes to weeds. The prosperous
christian soon forgets GOD and His
manifold benefits
Edmund Burke became the chastened.
softened, eloquent orator that he was
through the death of his only son.
There is legend of an artist who had
found the secret of the wonderful red
which no other artist could initiate.
Inc secret of his color died with him
BUT after his death an old wound was
discovered over his heart This re-
vealed the source of the matchless hue
In his picture. Affection brings out the
hearts blood which gives color and
NE and attractiveness and power and
successful achievement in all the work
of life.
Inc sepulcher in the garden may yet
become the place of the souls resur-
recuon and thus transform the whole
into something more than Edenic
beauty and loneliness. Expect great
| things to be wrought out by trial. by
him who makes all things work to-
| gether for good to His people Don't
demand of God untimely deliverance
lest He grant it and with it send lean
ness to the soul Be willing to endure
| the thorn in the flesh continually if
your suffering may be an example to
| others and if 1.-The power of Christ"
may be more fully upon you and if thus
you may hear as not otherwise the
| inspiring words: My grace is suf-
hcient for you" But be hopeful at all
| hazards. Expect the trials God has
given to bring good to you and to all
concerned and glory to His name and
| then you can always be hopeful in it.
yea, you will be enabled to rejoice In
it, says w. J. Mosier, in Christian
| Work. You will count it all Joy when
you fall into divers trials" You will
| glory in tribulations also" and you
will rejoice evermore and in every
| thing give thanks" and will possess
that goodness with contentment which
Is great gain.
Also quietly wait for deliverance.
wait for the Lord and He shall
4 !
wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with
wings as eagles; they shall run and
not be weary; and they shall walk and
not faint" A great painter in time of
sore trouble went to his friend for
comfort. Good advice was given but
ut brought no help. He then went to
another, who said, after hearing his
story: I'VE Shau't be disturbed and
think 1 can you in the ~ of
Tie desired ilsap you want Then he
fell upon his knees. asking his friend
to do the same. When they arose the
troubled man said: "You have put me
In the way Of getting. yes and obtain
Ing the very comfort that / stood in
need of. God bless you,"
John Brown. of Haddington. said:
mo doubt have met with trials like
others. yet so kind has God been to
me that l think IL He would give me
as many more years to live, / would
not desire single circumstance in
my life changed, excepting that wish
there had been less Of sin. On nv
coffin might be inscribed: Here lies
one of the cares Of Providence. who
early lost both father and mother. and
yet never wanted for the care of
either"
| A commander of n victorious army
gave to each one of his soldiers a
medal giving the time and place OF the
great battle, having underneath il the
inscriptions 81 was there" So when
we reach glory, and look back upon
~ IL ,fl
ried ourselves nobly and fought sue
cessfully and mastered all the trials.
we shall be glad to say of every one
If them: Il was there" Then we
shall see that these light Affections of
earth have worked out for us an ex-
ceeding great and eternal weight of
glory.
But we must improve these oppor-
tunities of trial as much as possible.
There is beautiful Indian legend of
good spirit who, wishing to please a
beautiful princess, led her into a ripe
and golden cornfield and said to her:
IF thou wilt diligently pluck these
ears of corn, they will turn into pre-
cious jewels, the richer the ear the
brighter the gem. But thou mayest
only pass through this cornfield once
and canst not return the same way"
AS she went she passed many beautiful
and ripe ears, hoping to fina better
ones, but soon the stalks grew thinner
and the ears poorer. and further on
they were blighted and she did not
think they were worth picking. Sor-
rowfully she looked back over the
held, regretting the golden ears she
had neglected and los;. So if the trials
Of life are properly improved. every
one of them will be transformed into
an everlasting gem of beauty and glory
which shall eXait the character
through eternal aGes But il not met
and mastered, as is made possible by
the grace of God the very trials which
| were intended for hlocSi~ee ,.;u /,