The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-10-25

l.anst them and threaten TO SUD
merge them they may find divine
..ace and gospel comfort In the les
SONS we have taught them In the quie- /
nlde of the nursery and in the Inspired
truths they have learned at the family
altar.
Rut There Is another weighty lesson /
10 De- learned from the scene OF my /
text The easiest way 20 overcome the
tiai waves of trouble Is by harnesslhs
ourselves up 10 work. Inactivity ana
Inertia are sympathizing attendants
who are only too willing to sit 10y the
h.d-nc of heartrendiug grief ana |
,...n with us when we weep and tax
aver with us the sickening tragedies
,f tho mist But their chief mission Is
mot to heal the wounds OF lie or 10
.f,n the hemorrhages Of bleeding
t.arts They only take the bandages
ar the pain racking wounds ana start
,l,o Needing afresh The best way TO
dshi grief is TO 20 forth IN manly,
Christian way and lift our cross ana
silently carry our burden along ana
.,f SION to make complete inventory
of our misfortuues Peter knew this
TRUTH as every brave man ought 10
know lt
Cannot you hear him say to the oth-
opp disciples. Men. what Is the use OF
amir sitting here and nursing our griei
ur dwelling on the scenes Of the past
..n we lessen one iota any OF our
..rra,rss Would Jesus want us TO SIT
.r,nnl idle like thisY We cannot bring
him hack to us. Like David with his
f.11 hoy. we can 20 TO him, but ne
cannot come 90 us Have we no daily
1nfles To- performl Have we no hun
-rv mouths to nul Are not our wives
and children dependent upon us TOT
..ols If Jesus does not want me to
follow him and preach, at least ne
wants me 10 bee an honest man ana
nrovide home for my family. used
fo earn their living boy a nshermans
NOT. can earn them bread by selling
fish again. 60 a-hshlng-" Then the
other disciples said, I'VE also go Win
.hoe Yes. the sad fact is that many
naon'e do not fight the sorrows OF life
.r fha activities Of life Like Job OF
.id they nurse their grief by tearing
fhelr garments and by weeping ana
,omplaining IN sackcloth and ashes.
Here. for instance. Is wife and
,,,otl.or who has been blessed with as
noble a family as God ever gave to a
home. From the morning when the
sweet throated songstress called love
SANG amid the bowers Of the orange
blossoms the sunshine Of Joy has al
WAYS been flooding her life. Her life'
like humming bird. has winged Its
way from flower 10 flower. The sting
ING uettles and the hard stony path
vavs were for others Only the rest
full tender symphonies Of happy life
sounded their music in her heart But
one day the shadow Of the broad wing
cd messenger Of death passed over her
head. Now. as before. there are seven
olaces at her family table, but one Of
flo baby chairs is vacant. Does that
mother always arise I'm the morning
/ uffh "a sweet smile upon her lips and
take up her duties Of life cheerfully?
Docs She help her husband bear his
rriaff With noble Christian resig-
nation does she thank God that she
/ has stu four babies leftY Does she
live 90 make them happyl OR does
She sit down and nurse her grieff
Are her cheeks being continually
.plashed by the fountains Of her tearsl
Does she put away all her bright
clothes and advertise her sorrow by
repulsive crapef Does she 20 forth
with q brave heart to bind up the
bleeding wounds Of her neighbOrsi
Does She continually expect her neigh
hors 10 come and talk TO her upon
ONLY one subject. the loss Of her baby
oirlq NV friend. God sent you sOr-
rlw 90 prepare You for helping others
/ lear their trials. The easiest way TO
overcome grief is 10y brayely lifting up
YOUR cross and going forth to comfort
others Peter fishing for food for his
children on the sea Of Galilee Is a
far more commendable sight than Pc
ter with tear stained cheeks. nursing
/ his grief upon the pebbled beach Of the
sea of Liberals.
But there is another fact which i'm
presses me about Peters fishing expe-
dition. and that is that troubles do not
live a hermits life. They do not perch
MS a baldhoaded eagle upon the crags
ana the cliffs in solitary glory. They
love companionship. Like some fish,
they travel in schools. Like the cattle.
/ thov pasture together In herds. Peters
/ troubles were cumulative. They came
ln companies. Like the snowfiakes,
they persisted in piling themselves up
/ into @ great. impossible drift. Like
The mighty onrushing rivers, they
gathered mp the waters Of many brooks
and creeks and fountains. In the first
place. Peter had an awful remorse
ma wing at his heart for his denial Of
Jesus Christ. DO you not suppose he
/ thought Of that apostasy day IN and
day out? After your father died, did
there not for weeks and months and
years llnger In your mind some act Of
/ disobcdience or some dutiful act that
you neglected to dOl Tell me, do you
not suppose there were some people
/ just tactless enough to remind Peter
Of his three denlals7 "Yes," they sar-
castlcally said; If / were you, Peter,
/ I would cry a good deal about Jesus
death. You always pretended you low
cd him so much. Oh. yes, you were
f always going to be faithful And yet
YOU failed him when the test came
f Peter. I believe you are a hypOcrlte
and YOU would deny him again If you
had the chance" And ! can hear Pc
F Ter say eyes. perhaps | would. o
Christ. why have been false TO theer
Thcn the next grief Juggling at Pc