The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-30

| SoFIIfi First; lie had just been talking about
 ns and sdss as straight rS ssnasrsO nfO
 R Second; end He used the figure of the cross which stood for the crucifixion,
 Third He said. Follow me" and he | was going to Calvary, and from that time on. His feet led directly there.
 Use of Suffering.
 He calls us then to an imitation of | His suffering. Let us for few min | utes induire into the use of that suf- l fering since He asks us to do nothing l Follow Christ Christ digniflcd la- Dor by being carpenter, He sanctified the marriage relation by attending the in fering By treading the Via Via Dolorosa fsa rS | himself The valley of Virginia Is sacred to the memory of the heroes in gray who marched there and who died valley of gloom, with the sky all over | cast and turned to lead, our feet creep ling forward in the darkness. to the glory rises from foot-,prints that lead 1 made sacred by the feet of Christ" | But what arc the uses of suffering1 l Let us consider some as they touch l strengthens. That tree there on the I bluff, from the time. that 1t was a twig, has been wrenched and torn by roots roo down into the rock and stands I now in it's matured strength, a match l for the winds. because 1t has grown by it's suffering The ss boy VI who 'o grows oss 1 suffering, will have iron in his blood | In the Hall of Fame. In New York City, there were, when saw It, thirty were men who had come up out of pow l erty and through hardship It puri- flies. The word tribulation is an in- word tribuIum, a great flail, used to separate the wheat from the chan; In the great foundries at Birmingham, the iron ore Is subjected to the. fiercest dross and impurities
 Perfection Through Travail.
 Suffering beautifies. The diamond before it reflects and refracts the light with it's many facets The sculptor bends over the statue and uses his and months. ere 1t stands forth in it's perfect beauty.
 We have in Alabama little growth called the heart-ieaf. It springs up trees. when crushed 1t gives forth a ysery yer line, dsieate perfume so wt1n it's perfect fragrance In the South of France, there is an industry which consists in gathering together great
 
 these, grinding them, crushing them. in order. to give to the people the almost priceless altar of roses. and we areI flowers like unto the roses that must recognition before the waiting world catches our sweetness.
 It is a well known fact, that the. in divtdual who has seen suffering, If hel has taken It arighE Is prudent, calm. trustful, sweet, sympathetic. fine-hber- ed On the other hand. he who has shallow. reckless, headstrong. hard tol please, uncharitahle, vainglortous. You are suffering. Have you at times Sweetness of disposition, beauty of soul? He is answering your prayer now by means of your suffering.
 ter must lie hard by some Gethsemane Of tears, and some Calvary of blood. Sorrow is an angel guide of more than earthly fairness, who comes to us with yelled face to lead US to those noun tain tops of perfect development, that reach on up toward the throne of God, lesS y9n o isy fayTtber se the he anss sc broken?'' But he points to the glory ,dat of those hsght,s snd n aS ths through your tears, you say: 70 God, lead me on. only go Thou with me"
 selfishnesn of Man.
 As the Divine Sculptor, with hammer and chisel and countless strokes, seeks to liberate the perfect statue of your character from the easement of rough. "oh, stay Thy hand. Spare me the pain or this birth Into beauty Leave me in, the rough. uniformed. unsymmetri- us again by division of splendid and glorious perfection to say; Let the work go on. only be Thou with me" but have ydu ever thought that 1t is sublimely selfish? What of the teach CT that always prepares and never always studies and never breaches? What of the clock with perfect mech anism and keeping accurate time but ther have yce yo eyer nStceS that there is precious little Bible foundation for this doctrine of suffering? It is com Prehended in Bible teaching. but only
 And notice again that we are follow ing Christ in suffering See him toil- ing up the mount there. with his body of thorns get on his face. Is 1t for Himself that He Is doing this, for His own self.development? No. 1t is for height that Paul occupied when he said to the Corinthians;
 Blessed De the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort who comforteth US in all of our afflic- tion that we may be able to comfort
 
 comfort wherewith he comforteth us So then we have tho glory not only of following Christ in suffering, but of following Christ in suffering for oth-
 suffer to Help others.
 There is no selfishness noted in the Btble. Christ gave Himself up en- others, and His teachings are permea- ted with the same principle. Never do Paul and the other writers regard anything that comes tothem but as fitting for helping other people. Sor- row and suff fering to beautify and be the more perfect. tools for. uplift- ing other men. And they call us to suffering In order that we may be the more powerful to reach down and lift up humanity. and that we may be the more gentle to breathe. comfort iE- to bruised and broken spirits. As Christ hung on the cross for the hang on the cross for the world. How? In some vague, mystic way? No. in two very plain particulars. First. to show people how we can suffer. Second, to grow strong through our suffering, In order that we may help
 Henry Drummond probably accom- plished more in the last two years of his life when he lay on bed of sick ness than he did during all the years of his long and splendid ministry. Your sick chamber when ingrattude l name in the mud. that is your pulpit | from which to preach to a sceptieal world.
 Remember, we are following Christ, | and who suffered more than He, was i stung more keenly by insratitude or "a ,1Nr TaFf lA sfI