The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-05-27

ascertain the cause. Not all are greatly
affected, though it is very likely that every
heart sustains some burden.
Even our limited knowledge Of the
Scriptures and imperfect religious exper-
fences enable us to understand why believ.
ers are often afflicted. 1t seems as if some
were destined to be unfortunate. Every.
thing they undertake fails, and the hard
| er they labor the more they are disap-
| pointed. We utterly repudiate the doc
trine of fate but find ourselves confronted
with the fact that some seem to be crea-
| lures of misfortune.
Many of lifes adversities are brought
upon ourselves. We may accuse others
| or even God, but in our inner conscious
ness find ourselves confronted with the
conviction that we have been the cause of
| our own suffering. A man who attempted
| to steal wheat from an elevator brought
| down an avalanche of the staff Of life
| which smothered him to death. He had
trangressed the law and brought upon
himself destruction
Some of life's adversities are brought
upon us by others. The social fabric is
so closely woven that even one thread cam
not be broken without weakening the
whole, So we suffer for the deeds Of 9TH
ers. A bank official abscounds with the
funds OF the institution and many lose
all they possess. One partner defrauds an
The President is assassinaued, his family
broken-hearted and the nation and world
IN mourning. An intoxicated father de-
stroys the life of his child and the fam
lily never recover from the shock
Unquestlonabiy God permits Affections
to come upon His people. Adversely is
required as well as prosperity If it were
not for the former we should become in
different to the latter, and forget the
source from which all blessings come.
Prosperity is a more severe and refined
test of character than adversely, as one
hour OF summer sunshine produces greater
corruption than the longest winters day.
India with her famine is more to be en-
We'd than ancient Rome with her fatal
apoplexy of wealth. Better grace with
scarcity than plenty without saving salt.
We believe that God sometimes sends
affection to bring His children back to
Himself. He takes away the idol of some
heart that He may be the only object of
alteration. He sweeps away. houses and
lands to teach His people that they are
dependent on Him. One has excruciat-
ing pain to teach him the frality of the
body and the certainty of its ultimate dis
solution. Spurgeon used to say that many
are like boys tops, they only spin when
they are whipped.
There is famous fairy tale in Brad
wardine that will convey to our minds the
Interpretation that we ought to apply to
the sublime doctrine of providence. A
certain hermit resolved that he would
travel from place to place until he found
some one who could offer a satisfactory
explanation of the government of God AS
he was passing along on his contemplated
journey an angel in the form of man
joined him. The first night they lodged
at the house of very holy man, and they
spent their time in praising God and con-
versfng Upon divine things. In the morn
ing when they departed the angel took
with him cup of solid i.old. The second
night they came to the home of another
religious man by whom they were most
Hospitality entertained In the home they
had an infant upon whom their affection
conferred When they left the next morn
ing the angel destroyed the life of the
child. The third night they were enter
tanned in home of great wealth. When
they left the following morning the angel
killed the favorite steward. The last
night wcs at the home of goddess man,
to whom he gave the cup of gold as the
angel left. After the fourth night the
hermit asked the angel to explain why he
had taken the cup and given it to another,
why he had taken two lives. He replied,
will now explain. The first man was being
ruined by his cup. so took it away. The
second home was more concerned in regard
to the child than in the. service of God.
The steward was slain to preserve the
life of his master whom he was plotting to .
destroy. The golden cup was given tc the
ungodly man because his only comfort was
to be had here. Or in other and inspired
words: "All things work together for
good"
All ostensible prosperity is not true pros
perity The prosperity of the world is
greatly overestimated. Some goddess men
succeed in certain particulars, but they
have not that Which IS worth more than
the treasures of Egypt They are poor
spiritually. They cannot purchase at the
market the one great need of the soul
The adversely of the righteous is also
overestimated. They do suffer, they ex-
pect to suffer and are willing to suffer if
such suffering will contribute toward JUST
fication. But it is better to be n moderate
and be in the Kingdom, than
to roll in wealth and be outside of it, 1t
is better to be in the kingdom with pain
than out of it without.
There IS only one just conclusion It
is that the government of God is per-
fectly just and that we are safe in it's
keeping. A child once said, / know that
the criminal will obtain justice because
my father is the judge. We know that
we shall have prosperity and adversely.
We know that we shall have justice be-
cause our heavenly -sther is the Judge.