The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-04-01
,SSISsS'SsSs'iSsN's'6,5'1
( Sbort 9ermons
Il FOR A
{ 5unnap Dalf- -Dour|
S,,s.,.,e,,sss.,e,.
Theme:
Gle AR SHINING
AT TER STORMS.
r r r
~ THEODORE L. cUYLER. D. o.
+ + +

ONe OF the numberless touches Of
exquisite poetry in the Old Testament
is that which describes the tender
grass springing out of the earth by
clear shining after rain" The verdant
grass plot which gladdens the eve ia
the result of a double process show
er ard sunshine. Both are indispen.
sable. We find in this beautiful ex-
preston a type of our deepest and
I richest spiritual experiences. It is a
! ~ of the most thorough work Of
cur version by the Holy Spirit.
over every impenitent soul hangs
the dark cloud of Gods righteous
pleasure; His holy Word thunders
against sin and His threatenings beat
like storm of hail. Repentance and
faith in Christ sweep away this cloud:
the thunders cease; the face of the
atoning, pardoning Saviour look forth
like clear. blue sky after storm:
for there is no condemnation to them
who are in Christ Jesus. No two
cases of conversion are exactly SINH
lar; yet in every thorough work of
grace the darkness and dread which
belong to state of guilt give place to
the smile and peace of God in the face
of Jesus Christ.
What Is true in the beginnings of
the most thorough Christian life is
often realized in the subsequent ex-
periences Of the believer. Rain and
sunshine both play their part in de-
veloping godly character. It ought to
be comfort to such of my readers as
are under the heavy downpour of
trials to open their Bibles and read
how 1t Jared with some of Gods most
faithful children.
Abraham toiled on his sorrowful
way to Mount Moriah under a dark
cloud of apprehension, but the clear
shining came when God approved his
faith and spared the beloved son Of
Isaac to the fathers heart The sue
cessive strokes of trial that burst on
the head of Joseph only made his ex-
altation the more signal when he be-
came prime minister of Egypt There
are forty-one chapters of the book of
Job through which beats the tempest
which smOte the four corners of his
house, but in the forty-second chapter
| comes the clear shining after the rain.
and the blaze of restored prosperity.
The biographies of Elijah and Of Dan
iel prove that light is sown for the
righteous; and the eleventh chapter
OF the Hebrews is a meteorological
record to show how faith paints rain
bows on thunder clouds.
In our day God often employs
| stormy providences for the discipline
and perfecting of His own people He
knows when we nsed the drenchings.
Every rain drop has it's mission to
perform. 1t goes right down to the
roots of the heart, and creeps into
every crevice. Not one drop of sor-
row, not one tear, but may have some
| beneticent purpose. The process is
not joyous, but grievous: nevertheless
afterward it yieldeth the peaceable
fruits of righteousness and purity and
| strength. ChriSt's countenance never
beams with such brightness and beau
| ty as when ii breaks forth after a de-
| luge of sorrow; and many a Christian
has become a brayer, stronger, and
holier man or woman for terrible af-
| fiictions; there has been a clear shin
ing after rain.
This principle has manifold appli-
cations. Sometimes a cloud of unjust
calumny gathers over a good mans
name; lies darken the air, and it pours
falsehoods forty days and forty nights.
But when the shower of slander has
spent itself the truth creeps out SLOW
| ly but surely from behind the clouds
of defamation, and the slandered char
acter shines with more luster than
ever. The same storm that wrecks a
rotten tree only rots the more firmly
the sound tree, whose leaves glsten
in The subsequent sunshine
All ye children of God who are un-
der the peltings of poverty, or the
downpour of disappointments, or the
billiards OF adversely, think il not
! strange as though some strange thing
had happened unto you" Millions
have had the same experiences be-
fore you. No storm ever drowned a
true believer, or washed out the foun-
dations of hope. The trial of your
| faith viii be found unto praise and
honor and glory at the appearing of
your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Two things ought to give you cour.
age. One is that our Lord loves to
honor and reward unwayering faith
He permits the storm to test you, and
then sends the smile of His sunshine
to reward you. Another thought is
that the skies are never so brilliantly
blue as when they have been washed
by storm. The countenance of Jesus
is never so welcome and loyable as
when 1t breaks forth upon us-a sun
Of consolation and joy after trials.