The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-09-07
RELIGIOUS COLUMN.


RELIGIOUS COLUMN.
Edited BY the Rev. T. J. Hough.
"The harvest is past, the Summer is
ended and we are not saved"-
Jeremiah $50.
For eighteen months the multitude
nous and well disciplined army Of Chal-
dea had lain close seigc to the beautiful
but doomed city of Jerusalem gaunt
hunger and white want was depicted on
the faces of the besieged, scores of them
clamored to ground arms and surrender.
smear and shield to the Chaldeans, and
petition amicable terms Of peace But
false prophets speaking in the interest of
the King, and pretending that they had
communication with God, spurred the
soldiers up to further acts ofbravery and
sacrifice, by announcing that the Egyp-
ans were coming to their rescue with
troops and munitions of war. Thus these
brave men struggled on in opposition to
the prophesy OF that good and great
man Jeremiah, losing opportunities for
compromise, and witnessing their COM
panions in arms fall day after day, i'll the
din of battle.
Harvest time was In early Summer, it
came and past, and no relief was afford
Cd either of mon or means or hope, the
long dry hot Summer days dragged their
weary lengths al"ng-and the Autumn
was upon them, and they now fully r.
allied that sinners and false prophets
bad been the cause Of their utter dis
! truction, and the ritling Of their beant'
full city, with sad hearts they joined
Jeremiah the true Prophet in the lamen
table words of tho text, The H,rves,
| is past, the Summer is ended, and we art
not saved" The glory of Israel was de
parting, her beauty was being trailed ii
the dust, the hour Of her trouble was a
hand, the Harvest Of her opportunities
was past, the Summer of her beauty an(
strength was ended, and they were no
saved.
Our text, we see, was OCcasiOned b!
the departure of the glory Of the Jews
out announced on this first autumna
Sabbath Of the year, awakens in on
minds many serious and sober thoughts
During the year now so rapidly gliding
away, Satan has besieged many pre-
cious soul, the war has been fierce, th
enemy has been brave, watchmen upol
tho towers of Zion have sounded out tn
warning voice, you have been told Il
Neo from tho wrath to come and be savo<
from your sins, but the enemy has gon
along tho limo whispering time enough
yet, don't be alarmed, tomorrow, mex
month, next year will be time enough It
call on the Lord for help thus man,
have been deluded, many have procras
tinated, and it is feared some have los
the Harvest, past the Summer, aud gon
down to the second death and fallen int
the hands of the dread enemy.
| But say many, II have no fear tina
death will como and find me still UMPIRE
pared" The very fact that you have n
fear is tho greatest cause of danger-a
long as Satan can keep you from fear, b
is sure of your obstruction. He urge
nothing stronger than that you shout
cast away fear. He exults in your CON
posure. and rejoices day after day as h
sees the Harvest is drawing to close
the Summer is nearly ended, and 20
have no concern about your salvation
He is as much pleased at destroying
soul by lulling it to sleep as BY urgin
you on to open violation of Gods law.
The Simmer is the perfection of til
year, the trees are in full foliage
thel rose Goods fayorite fower) fc
he has made nearly five hundred "
rioties of it, flames out with divin
beauty-you have during the past Sun
mer whiled away many hours in Al
tistically arranging them into beautift
boquets and rejoicing to place them o
mantle and centre table, that they migt
fill the room with their sweet odors an
gladden. the hearts of family friends
Our Summers are also the season {
malarial poisons and death-many ca
forbidden fruit, the sin of our first ps
rents, and dle-disease that had its roo
in some cold or cough of the past Win
ter, in Summer puts forth the white bio
som of death. But that Summer wav
of beauty is receeding, the sap of tt
tree is halting in its upward current, th
night is fast conquering the day, Ii
glory of Summer is past, the loiterin
sun rises later every morning, and like
weary traveller passes earlier to his ever
ing rest.
The hidden and mysterious vitality
nature declines slowly from the big
noon of its strength and fervor, and pas
es away with the sweet and solemn dira
of signing winds, and tho melanchol
, murmer Of fallen leaves to tho cold gray
Of winter.
Every year God clothes tho forest an
, tho fields in all the splendors Of exh'
bersnt life, and then lays their glorio'
beauty in tho du't, and 90 every thir
, that lives and dies in the whole kim
dom of nature is appointed to teach
that We must die.
We tread leaf and flower under o.
r feet, Just Is future generations will wa
, over our dust without knowing We o.
had an existence every change throui
which We are swept in the varied oour
Of the growing and dying year, repea
to man tho ssnt~nce pronounced At &
gate Of tho forfeited Paradise. Dust tn
, srt aud unto dust shall thou return"
i. Mrs. Felicia Hermans beautifully i
termingled the idea of leaves flowe
: | stars and death, when she said:
Leaves have their time to fall,
T And flowers to wither at the North win
h breath,
And stars to set, bnt all
D rhou hast all seasons for thine own,
Il Death.
d, How true, there is a season for eve
thing says death-we know the seas''
in which to look for tho falling Leaf
when tho cold breath Of winter fans q
checks, we remember it is time for
. led howers-we have learned from /
It, :ropomy the time for the different eta
. 10 set-aud whilo learning al this,
aave AIS learned that death claims
,easons for his own. 1884,
Il When Spring with merry laughte4, a
= .urstipg buds, and carrpling birds en-
o res frDln Winter, Death takes the