The New York herald., 1875-11-08


removed and went behind themD
The circumstances of change and the appearance
Of Gods dealings change but human nature is ever the
same the discipline OF tho Divine Providence has al
ways the same end and the distinct dealings or God
with any people In any age have lessons by
all peoples in all subsequent The intent Of tho
sermon TO set forth somo OF those lessons The
first that the judgment Of God ~ often unlike
mans Men Judge by appearances. Man says
Napoleon said-"Providence Is always on the
side or the heaviest artillery IL Is not al
ways 80. This story presents two armiea One was
large well appointed, accustomed 70 ar led by the
sovereign OF one Of tho Oldest civilizations
upon earth The other horde OF men,
women children and vagabonds Their mum
bers were against them. They were unarmed,
they had no discipline, they did not know the way they
had been bondmen through generations. They were
retreaiing The Egyptians were pursuing. Napoleon
and Won Motke would say that all the chances were on
the side OF the Egyptians, that tho destruction or re-
capture OF the Israeltes was sure Did God think soY
Another lesson was that Gods generalship - uniikc
MANS Even Moses knew better than 70 take his people
down TO place where Phahiroth would shut them In
side and Migool another, while the Red Sea
would confront them and Pharaoh could swoop down
upon them in the II was leading them into the
laws OF death The famous 'charge OF the light
brigade one or the most pieces foolery
in modern warfare, was wisdom TO this God knew
what Pharaoh would say. The Egyptians would now
know that the Israelites were cntangcd and shut IN
from the wilderness which they were striving TO gain,
and Pharaoh would be certain Of his prey just so tho
providence Of God sometimes leads US down into an
entangDg place and all enemies cry, Aha we
have them nowl" Well, do not let US stuitify our
selves by going into such straits but II God order us
His resources. He that takes 10 the sea
between Pihahiroth and Migool Ia bound 70 bring
us back, sweep the mount or the sea aside.
Again. 1t IS always mistake not to take God into the
account Is He my sideY Is He on my cnemy's
sidcY II Hc be with my foes, though ! tramplc
them the dust for a season. they viii and sing
victory over me. When powerful and rich people
dcrtakc 10 oppress the poor and weak, IL may be we
TO pause and ask if God may not be on the side OF the
apparently forlorn wrctchcs When majoritics think
that mnorites have rights which they are bound to
respect perhaps God ls with the minority One man
with God on his side is overmatch for all the mil
lions who do not side with God.
Moreover being in trouble Is proof that the suf
fercr Is wrong Tho lsrneltes had been bondmen.
Now they go out to form nationality. All Gods
promises with them They go under His direction
and yet here they in great trouble description
TERRIBLE AvxErrEs DOUBTS AND
in the Hebrew camp and the boisterous JOY among the
| Egyptian host that night Just now IN Christian
experience. man forsakes sln obeys every word Of
\ God which he can learn and loses place and money
and pleasure Everything begins to fail Now what
! must that Christian dor Must he conclude that 1t is
better TO abandon the lead of God and back to the
| mesh pots Of EgyptY Not a bit oft Let him stand
still and the salvation Of God. We not called
TO seek to avoid suffering but to do the will Of God
even If 1t minister pleasure to our foes and the Egyp
tlans
| Here is powerful illustration OF the superiority of
faith to numbers Moses stood alone. He was leading
that whole rcbnllious OF Israelites He had TO
contend against their weakness and Pharaohs strength
III they had been brave and trained they could have
wheeled about and thrashed the Egyptians like the
grain on the threshing floor. But they whined and
cried and chded and rebcled and did all they could
to break Moses down, while Pharaoh pursued him with
rage How sublimely faith lifts Moses now. He had
no chariots, nor horses, arms; but he had faith.
HIS general orders werc 'stand still" What gran
deur there often in merely standing STILL trusting
God When Christian has anything TO do let him do
IL with all his power, magnincently well If no can;
when there Is nothing he can do Let him stand still.
grandly waiting for God, for the only safety
Is in the implicit following OF Cod Let us
be sure that He Is leader. That is the
first thing TO setc-tha am in the army of the Lord.
Then have nothing to do with studying tactics The
soldier is not responsible for the orders the general Is
IL Is not my business TO command that Is Gods great
prero ative IL IS mine to obey NO matter what
Of my obeyng God He is bound TO make the end
good abandon the command of the armies Of heaven
and earth. TO obey Is better than sacrifice Gods
movements are seemingly adverse. The Lord had led
tho lsraotes by pillar OF cloud and fire. When that
rose they moved when that paused they stopped
But now what sight appears Here description was
given of the uprising OF the pillar and the
dreadful effects on the minds of the people Was God
going clean away2 Had He brought them down here
and left them to be destroyed Then they felt their
need of God as Jehovah seemed about to depart The
pillar IL left The sea in view. But IL did not go
sheer up TO heaven. With majestic pomp IL walked
along the edge OF Pihahroh, treading the mountains
crest and slowly round and settled down between
Israel aud Pharaoh That which appeared TO be deser
tion Gods method Of putting defence between
His people and their foes such as Pharaohs host could
on WHICH siDR or THE cLouD2
That pillar darkness to party and light to the
other all night long How men are perpexed by these
double Appearances Of God And yet that double APP
pcarance proof of real unity. God seems all
smcs-Cod seems all frowna. To some, everything in
earth and heaven Is thrcat-to others everything
promise The Bible full Of the anger and the love OF
God Nature stands in the contradictions OF vol
canic lava and paradsaic eilorcscence To some tho
grave Is humantys subette through which IL drops
into everlasting forgetfulness-to Others il Is the portal
into immortal blessedness. Ood Is consuming hro TO
some God is love to others. How is this My friend,
II all depends upon which side the cloud we are on II
we prefer Egyptian luxury and Egyptian hatred Of
Gods people, God Is darkness to us. IL prefer TO
be with Moses God shines all night on us. He is one
God the same God; everlastingiy frowning on tho
wrong, everlastingy smiling ON tho right Ny dear
friends, the most important question Tor US Is, On
which side OF the cloud arc we2
HANSON PLACE BAPTIST CHURCH.
DR. FULTON READS LETTER IN WHICH HE
wITHpRAws HIS REsIGNATIoN-'LET THE
PAST DEAD BURY IT'S DEAD"
The latest phase tho troubles OF the Hanson Place