Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-12-28

rulers opprcssors; and 10 call them To atise.
to shake off their civil bonds and to be free
Such 'graces" are worth the finding, when
sought for, even in wilderness.
II Columbia il ''the gem of the ocean. "
it is also the Canaan of lands. With all her
faults, as seen in foolish and wicked men.
who can help but love her still--for her
honey and milk are freer, fresher, swceter
and richer than ever flowed in the world
famed land of Israel What did David or
Solomon, or Isaiah, or jeremiah, or any or
blessedness Of good government: or what
did they ever personally see of true national
greatness, in comparison with ". the free
born citizens of this western world?
But, let US look little closer land with
brevi;yl to the text aud parallel our condi
ton and blessings with those Of the Jews.
aud learn that we have greater reasons to
render thanks to the God Of gods than
they.
j5y people left Of the sword We are to
understand the prophet as meaning such
jews as escaped the pcrils Of death anterior
to their exodus from Egypt. There they
had been endangered by excessive toll be-
ing punished for not doing impos.ibilities.
\ most cruel edict had gone forth from the
throne against the lives oftheir unborn sons
and when they departed the land under
the lead Of Moses, Pharaoh followed with
his six hundred chariots of iron, either to
destroy them. or to bring them back, bound
into hi- dominions, But, God hand shield
ed them, and brought them into "a wilder
ness, it is true, but one in which they
found grace.
This grace" was not indigenous to the
wids of Arabia, but it was an exotic. bro
Il. 4 I -
path Of Gods people; so that they are said
to have found it. Or, in other words. it
was the Divine Presence that was with
them agrccably to the petition of Noses
'Ifthy pREsEN 60 not with me, carry Us
notup hence"
|. This presence was to Israel proidence
It ANTICIPATED their wishes and supnlicd
their wants. So it has been to us as indi
viduals, as Church. and as a nation
Personally the cups of most Of Won have
been running over-vou have enioyed all
that heart could wish Think Of The many
thousands Of dollars YOU have given in late
years to sustain the GOSPEL at home and
abroad-of the thousands YOU have ex-
pended in the recent erection of this noble
church elifce-otthe thousands upon thou
sands you helped to raise for the defense of
your country-and yet all thi; time YOU
have been building grand houses for vour
selves. adding farm to farm. increasing and
improving your focks. educating vonr chill.
dren at great expense in first class institu-
tions-in IA word. qro,ei0g rich-so that this
day you have far more wealth than you had
when these expenses began. Who has Civ,
en- YOU all this? Like the ,lnwastinr barrel
| find YOUR resources. You have always had
enough and to spare. In God's providence
with YOU, YOU have found grace in the
wilderness. -
. This presence was preservation. God
not only provides for, but ireSerceS his peo-
pie. Israel found it So He that miracu-
lousy fed and clad them, kept them care
! fully as his jewels, or tcnlerly as the apple
of his eye. Their enemes-our enemies,
superior to US in numbers, and in power
aud in wisdom, he has kept from harming
US, although led on by the old lion that goes
around seeking whom he may devour. The
God of Jacob has been on our side; He
! helped, he delivered, he preserved us -
Blessed be his name for the grace Of his
protecting power.
g. 1t was also guidance. God was to
Israel Il breaker up of their way" All
! their varied lourneyings in the lone wilder
| noss Uorn dptarniual nv hv tho pill,r nf
| Il - l. LI ~ T. G. 10
ciouu by uiE 10 Snauc tteln' ana oi nre ny
night to illume them Onward they went
utter this till they reached the rest for which
they set out. Need this be applied? Has
he not been to us a most blessed Guide
even from our youth up? O, that we had
followed more implicitly the teachings of hi,
word as the only rule to direct us how We
are to glorify and enjoy him. and thus Sc
cure the great end for which he gave us be-
ing. 1T is not in man to direct his own
! steps" How ignorant, self wiled, short
sighted and prone to err are we! How of
ten do we seek to escape events that prove
blessings. and to obtain supposed blessings
that prove banes o. the embarrassments
into which we fall by leaning to our own un-
derstandings:
! This is the great sin of the day. in both
church and State. Thus Bible and Consti,
tutions are laid aside, ignored, rejected
thought to he ''plaved out" and men Judge
of what is right or wrong from fecIing rath.
er than from conscience. being governed
from passion. rather than from principle
and thus dash themselves and Others to ru
in under the impulses of an animal, o,
fendish nhrcnzvl Woe to virtue and orde
when madness rules the hour! Then truly
"The times are out of ioint-
Liberty pluclls Justice by the nose;
he na91 a dcor ocots ,he nurse ana quiet "'hw"f
How well our late condition as a nation
yerifes this. From such IA state of diaboli
cal f,n,ticism 'srood Lord daliver ns"-hv