Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-27
DRAWS LESSON
FROM SUFFERING
SAYS SORROWS MARK HISTORY
OF PROGRESS
Rev. Stephen A. Northrop Touches a
Sympathetic Chord In the Hearts
Of His Hearers at the First
Baptist Church

Rev. Stephen A. Northrop, who fllIet
the pulpit of the First Baptist churcl
yesterday morning. struck responsive
chord in the hearts Of his hearers ir
MS sermon on the necessity and grand.
eur of Personal Suffering"
The large church was filled to its
capacity by an interested congregation
many of whom were former friend:
orally understood that Dr. NorthroI
will be called to the pastorate of the
local church, which meets with the ap-
probation OF the members.
No signs OF the former stormy scenes
so recently enacted within this church
were present yesterday, and DIR. North
rop In his opening prayer asked for
Divine guidance in the affairs of the
church and that any personal feeling
might be eliminated for the welfare
of the church.
DR.. Northrop took his text from
Romans, will, IL, and spoke in clear
and distinct voice, with a forcefulness
and rapidity that was hard to follow al
times. He possesses the art of inter-
esting his hearers from the first and
keeps them keyed up to his theme
throughout the discourse, a player, as
1t were, upon the human heart strings.
Flower Marks Place of Blood
DR.. Northrop said in part:
I'VE are told that at one time there
was celebrated battle in Scotland.
No monument stands to mark this
great battle, but we are told there is q
little flower, never known to bloom
anywhere else, that blooms on this soil,
which was bathed in the blood of
Scottish heroes. The blood of the
oh NRnIN ts.1~- n. \ \
by the martyrs.
'It is personal suffering that L wish
to speak of today. L speak to you older
ones. you who have gone through the
conflict, perhaps persecution and sor-
row. The problem of suffering in the
world Is even more of problem than
that Of sin. Whatsoever man
soweth, that shall he also reap
80 universal is suffering that even
to paganism it seemed to stand forth
as law. The Gospel takes a sublime
view of suffering and gives to it a high
distinction, raising it to the level of
an educational power and teaches us
to treat it with an awful, but submis-
sive, respect.
Taught Lesson of Suffering
Jesus prayed that his disciple might
be with him to see his glory. Where
they might behold his glory, inspired
by suffering? 1t was not on the Mount
CT Transfiguration or Mount of Olives,
but in the dark valley of Gethsemane
In the shade of the old olive trees
When he was forstaken by all we hear
the reproach, Gould you not wait with
me?
Let us take this lesson to ourselves.
You know your personal experiences
ava aIA1 L. 30
from which the twelve shrunk. We can
stand on the heights but can we stand
in the dark valleys? Have you had
a Gethsemane?
I'VE are good workers in the toll
and victory, but can we stand the call
to suffering not to do but endure?
Christian character shows forth not
when the skies are blue, but when the
heavens scowl and the storm lowers,
and there is no music but that which
the heart makes for itself Men and
women are broken by failure and turn
sour by the ferment of trouble.
Progress Marked by Suffering
What swells the census of suicides
but that moral lack. that cannot face
trouble? Cowards who have basked in
the sunshine. Coward or imbecile is
every man who rushes out of this
world unbidden.
"There is a process by which God
chastens a noble nature, and that is
always by adversely. Every history
has it's exalted and great men. One
day at st. Helena balances the tyranny
of Napoleon, and Columbus is greater
in chains at the foot of the Spanish
throne than a mighty king
National progress comes the same
way. America was not born on a
downy bed but on Plymouth rock
Every footstep of advance has been
by blood and suffering.
What truths were those that Carl
baldi uttered when he talked to his
soldiers! You shall have famine, con-
flict, cold, hunger, nakedness, long
battles, wounds and death;
all these, but Italy shall be free
Il look down the vista of the ages.
You know all the saints and heroes
of the faith. Men who lie in unknown
graves, whose ashes are blown by the
four winds-sonS of sorrow, all, but
cloud of witnesses.
Let us be careful and guarded lest
we cause others to suffer. Young men
do not bring gray hairs to the heads
Of your parents. Let us be guarded in
the home, lest we speak the cruel
word. If we knew the little baby fin
gers would soon be stilled and cold.
would those little eyes see the frown
and those little rosy ears hear the
cross word?"