Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-10

must learn how 10 harness IL Alright
that IL may 10 his bidding and relieve
him OF toll. Go TO Niagara falls and
take yor- land on the ledge OF rock
called CNs' alton point and watch
that rush OF water descending from the
heights. What power is there to light
our cities. 10 bear our burdens. to H.
Illuminate our habitations! sYet for
countless ages IL has been running
to waste because man did not know
how to harness IL lrlInt. Stand on the
seashore and soc the power i'm the in
coming tide. Quietly and resistiesslv
wave succceds wave. breaking impo-
tently on the rocks. yet there is power
there that might be turned to account.
The little streamlet that turns the
wheel OF the village mill. grinding the
corn and wheat for a whole valley. ia
feeble beside the pillows of the sea.
This. too. man may yet learn to har-
ness that II may work for him. The
secret Is with the Lord. Man must
plan and contrive and design before he
can master il. So long as he sits nj
ease aud makes no effort at Is useless
to him. Why should not God have
given man this knowledge ut the be-
ginning? Because he wished him To
develop his intellect. He wished TO
teach him that there was q reward for
his labor. BY the sweat OF his brow he
must gain his bread.
All, my friends. this problem that
perplexes u.s. this distressing question
OF why God permits us to struggle
along in poverty and hardship. finds
its solution IN the Bible 1t was not
In vindictiveneSs or for his own sake
that he cursed the ground. The SEN
tence was beneficial and remedial.
Cursed is the ground for thy sake"
God is allowing tbs, thorns and the
thistles to grow wild Instead OF the
wheat and tho. barley Why? BY the
hayonet thrusts OF those thorns God is
driving Us closer aud closer to him
self BY putting us In the tTeadnlill OF
uncoasing daily toll God 10 teaching rs
to turn our eyes away from tempta-
ton. He Is also teaching Us to turn
thcm toward himself Work serves n
useful purpose. Our toll and difficulty
and sorrow are intended TO draw US
nearer TO himself When trust IN God
and love Of him have filled the hearts
OF men. when the knowledge Of God
covers the earth sNthe waters cover
the sea. then poverty VIII have fulfilled
its mission and will be eliminated from
this weary world. for then. says Isai-
ah. Instead OF the thorn shall come
up the fir tree. and instead OF the brier
shall come up the myrtle tree. and il
shnIi be TO the Lord for a name for an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut
or" Oh. sinner, thank God today that
he makes your callous hand stick to
the pi0~ OF daily toll In order that your
feet shall follow the narrow and
straight groove Of virtue and truth and
purity and gospel coRsecrntion and
right. So
God could easily taks cut OF this
world all physical ailments il he would
He could change the Invalid chairs of
the homes. the operating tables OF the
hospitals, the medicine bottles OF the
drug stores. the ear trunipets OF the
deaf. the ambulance wagons and The
anaesthetlcs and the spiints and the
bandages OF a military surgeons outfit
and make them Us unsuitable and anti
qusted articles for modern use as the
cbopstieks of the Chinese would be for
the cauc2siap race or the sandals OF
an Arab chief would be for tho short
Legged Eskimo Of the arctic He could
ut mere word sti RigbtRa the crooked
limbs and loosen the dsmb Hips and
strengthen the weak lungs God did IL
in the past; he can do it now. God Is
che same yesterday. today aud forey-
eruorc." But God does not take all
sickness out OF this world because he
does not wish physical pain and suffer
ing TO cease 20 perform their spiritual
mission In the world
Must Perform Th~sr .sits~ton.
~ benefoent influence for pain and
physical ailments "Oh." says some
one. II do not believe thst eau be tyue.
Can any good come from flushed,
fevered cheek or frcm o hacking cough
or from sieepless night? God is
good. God Is love. Therefore O good
and loving God does not wish his
children TO suffer any more than an
earthly parent would want HIS children
10 be physically sick or in pain. Ask
thaf mother as she gets up In the mid.
die or The night 10 put cool bandages
upon the bot brow OF her child IL she
sees any blessing IN sickness. Ask
that father who taxes hls lovely daugh.
ter down to southern climes to burn
out with the hot rays OF the san the
microbes OF diseased lung IL he can
See any blessing I'm one OF his dear chit,
dren slowly fading away rs a beautiful
flower will fade and wither before the
chilling breath VI the autumnal frosts.
Ask that child II she sees any blessing
In pain when night altar night she
must hear her mother Groap under the
gnawiug advancement or u fatal can
Ger. When Christ was upon earth be
never beard the suppliapt cry Of q
Ieper but bis bands eleapsed away this
scales. He perer saw one POSSESSED
with the devils of disease. tneptai or
physical unIess he cast then forth.
even though they were iegion. How
can there now be auy blessing Ia ohys.
icni pain when Christ.s mission on
earth was TO hea! the sick and be n
divine physician TO the body as well
as 10 the soulY''
Yes. lay brother. blessings can come
and do eope from physical pain In two
ways. First. IN the influence OF sick
ness upon those who are sick. You can
read this truth In the looks OF those
who have been near 10 deaths door.
When Dante used to walk through the
streets OF the city OF his adoption. tho
passersby would stop and look ut him
and Nv awe say. There goes a man
who hos been In hsli" When we see
Christian msp and women who have
lain under the shadow or death In
sickroom we know they have had ex-
periences which have influenced them
even as Dante had when. with Virgil.
az his guide. he trod the hot. blistering
snndS where dwelt and agonized the
muitiirdss OF the lost and the de-
stroyed-" We also know that their ex.
periences OF safEering have nodded
their lives for good. eysp as Samuel
johnson felt this experience 10 ibis own
life. Il myself" said he. was for some
yeaFs totally regardless Of religion, it
had dropped out Of my mind. 1t was at