Year: 1875

SERMON BY REV. DR. HUGH MILLER THOMPSON.


At the morning service Dr. Thompson chose as his
the sixty verse of the 10th Psam-'Be-
fore | afflicted went astray but now have kept
thy word.n The Psalms record the experiences the
trials the sunerngs and the complanlngs of the men
who wrote them. The writer Of this evidently in
deep alicton; he speaks Of himself humble as one
whom his enemies had triumphed. Still, he has
clung throughout his distress his faith in God Be-
fore his trouble he went astray; when all seemed desc
late be turned to the only Of consolation Pros
pery and adyerslty tempt men according to their
We think that adversity is harder to bear and
that the face Of who has been sorey afflicted IS
more to be looked for than that Of one with
whom all has gone we'll mans business
or profession goes wrong. To retrieve his losses
he thinks himself justified in doing what he would
have done bad he continued prosperous In his
desperation and with n hope to tide over the time
until affairs take happier turn he the money Of
others, intending to replace It, without the knowledge
Of those to whom rightuly belongs If his schemes
prosper he has no less committed a crime but he has
hidden 1t from the eyes OF men and thinks himself
justified IN his III doing More frequently he fails and
the fall Of another great merchant house strikes the
country with CONSERVATION. The daily journals give US


instances OF this but too often These men have hith-
led toleraby honest lives but adyorsity has over
come them; they defraud and detected Varying
little IN circumstances this story is repeated from time
TO time, and each instance seems " starte the
world In truth, II would be strange were il
otherwise The lesson cannot be too often repeated that
faschood and fraud will inevitably be found out and
will certainly betTay those who trust 10 them Should
such men be pitied2 Some them, because they
were in trouble and were sorely tempted; but instead
Of turning TO the Lord in their Affections they
10 the devil and deserted by him In their need


Statesmen trust to expediency too often, history
warns US To achieve a temporary popularity TO
defeat rival nulfy hts schemes they destroy
the name aud credit Of great people and drag It's repu


tation IN the dust They virtually say that the
cannot afford 10 be honest aud greeted by the ap


plause Of those who dishonest in soul In all
troubles personal and national there but one course
10 pursue, and that Is the right Trials and Affections
are Intended 10 develop tho strength Of Trouble may


be received as by the prophet jeremiah prostrae and
with his lace in the dust querulousy and with com
planning Just as one takes II is It's value Affections
should be accepted with humility and as benedictons
bestowed upon US they more unnatural than Is
the rain OF today or the sunshine Of yesterday they
the ends Of long chain Of order and their grand
purpose the training and development of our moral


character They tell US that there Is trouble in the
land and that IL is increasing There dcspondencv al
the Of affairs, and TOO many will try TO get out
Of their difficulties by appealing the devil for aid by
defrauding and embeZzng other mems money When
they have violated Gods just laws and by their In
evitabe workings retrbution is come upon them they
will cry out be spared In national well as in pr-
vate obligations there Is but path 10 be pursued
and that Is the path Of perfect integrity There Is no
course TO be taken that be accepted Of God that
Of underwriting right and by taking that We shall come
Of trials silver purified from the Gre