The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-03-16
God Uses Pain to /
Refine Humanity
By DR.. HAROLD PATTlS0N
Pastor of First Bsptise Church.
ST. Paul, MINI.

The problem in Jobs time was, why
do the righteous suffer? but the prob
lem in our day has broadened to why
should there be any suffering at all?
AS we have stood near the bedside of
some dear one whom we could not
bear to see suffer, we have wondered
how God could stand 1t. Personally, I
do not believe that God is a being
that goes about shattering our homes
or breaking our hearts. 1t is thought
that he permits such things, but it
may we'll be said that God cannot
still be good and make exceptions,
here and there in the workings of the
great laws of the universe, that were
to put irregularities in the place Of
uniformity, to introduce anarchy and
make confusion worse confounded
We are to remember, too, that we are
inclined to mistake the part for the
whole, and in the matter of pain our
standard of measurement is apt to be
false. The actual amount of pain in
the world is only as great as that
borne by any single human being
A partial answer to this problem Is
found in the present uses of pain.
Pain may be a punishment, but not
always, for pain would seem quite as
often punishment for weakness as
for wickedness. Great pain purifes.
AS the psalmist says: 1T was good
for me that I was afflicted"
Pain is power. Pain stimulates us
to do our best. 1t is a goad and spur
that discovers our best PAGES. We
often say we learn by experience, but
If We stop to think of it the expert
ences to which we refer are mostly
painful. 1t takes fire TO temper steel
and the sword blade never yet took
and held its temper without 1t. A
California apple is large and beau
tiful, but tasteless like cork; 1t needs
the frost OF New England to ripen the
Baldwin and pippin. We none of us
want to live over again the difficult
crises of our lives, yet not one of US
would be willing to part with the ex-
periences those crises gave us. Great
pain warns us. A wounded dog holds
up its foot and so keeps out the dirt.
Pain told it to do that.
The cross of Christ sheds the
strongest light on the mysteries Of
pain. Jesus never seemed to be per
picked at the existence of pain. How
great part of his ministry consisted
in banishing pain. yet Jesus and Chris
tianity have done much to increase
the pain of the world. Gethsemane
and Calvary show us that in our lives
as well as his the best and truest in
human life comes from pain The
cross is the appeal of suffering.
The vicarious suffering Of Christ is
said to conflict with our sense Of
Justice. 1t does not do it. We inter
pref it by the old view of theology,
but rightly viewed 1t is the climax
and complete expiration of the forces
TO which we owe entire evolution Of
our race. We must not confuse
vicarious suffering with vicarious pun
ishment When life is seen at its
deepest and truest It seems as though
there were nothing else but vicarious
suffering through which the world
was saved.
Pain is incidental 1t does not last
Pain is unnatural. Jesus came to heal
and Danish it. Pain is not eternal,
and God shall wipe all tears from
their eyes and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow nor crime,
neither shall there be any more pain.
for the former things are passed
away"