Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-02-15
ChriStianity.

If we want to gather a cluster Of
beautiful thoughts to carry through the
world with us. or, if we feel the need Of
good teachers to instruct us the way
to true life, or if we are in want of
beautiful SMILES, all we have to do is to
take the Bible, turn over it's pages and
carefully read, and you will find some
thing so beautiful you may wonder that
you have never seen it before. The ILL.,
les of the valley, the birds of the air, the
sun that shines, the salt that is of COM
mon use in every family, these are all
used, and many more that we are famil-
lar with. He takes these things that
all may understand The little child,
the poor and ignorant that are every
where, the rich and proud, and each one
will find something applicable to them
and adapted to their wants. He knows
the wants of all, and knows also sure
cure for every pain, every sorrow, ev-
cry affliction and disappointment. The
very hairs of our head are numbered.
The thoughts Of the heart lie open for
His inspection. If any doubt his pow
er let them look in the evening at the
blue expanse of heaven dotted with in
Vulnerable stars; or at the sun that
shines by day, that has performed it's
journey around the earth ever since it
was first spoken into existence He
laid the depths of the ocean on a solid
foundation and said, Thus far shalt
thou go, and the great tide Of waters
has obeyed the command. He has
builded the rock bound mountain, and
with His power has fastened them in
their places. Some of them He has fill
ed with fire that leaps out at times like
angry tiends; on others He has placed
wreaths of snow that resemble the great
white throne of the eternal God in their
purely and grandeur.
He has set the sources of rivers in
secret places, fed them with His unseen
hand and babe them to flow on and on
that future generations should see and
admire. He has piled huge rocks on
some of these rivers and caused the
waters to leap and bound over them, to
make the beautiful and wonderful wat
erfalls that for ages have been telling in
changeful murmurs that there is God.
He has placed the many beautiful is
lands of the sea on the restless bosom
of the waters, clothing them with rich
verdure and lofty trees, that are both
for use and beauty, bright flowers paint
ed with artistic skill. surrounded with
trailing MOSES and vines that reach
from the ground to the tops of the tall
est trees, then drop down again, laden
ed with trumpet shaped flowers that
quiver with joy in the bright sunshine.
Then there are all the lakes lying in qui-
ct, shady places, skirted with small hills
and pleasant valleys, covered with green
and dotted with lovely flowers All
these represent the life of man, and all
have grand meaning if rightly read.
He shows His power in the convulsions
of the earth. The earthquake, like a
Gagged lion, shakes and lashes the ground
in its anger makes fearful the heart of
man, dashes cities out of existence
stroying the work of ages-lashes the
sea into fury and sends large ships far
beneath the boiling waters. He brings
the whirlwind from its hiding place, and
it rushes with fearful speed, leaving
devastation and ruin in its track. He
sends the storm and tempest on sea and
land. The floods and tongues of fire
start at His command, and He holds the
balance in His hand He, by His power
keeps the earth in motion that it main
tain it's equilibrium. He never wearies,
never loses sight of His children, but
guards them with his tender love. For
their sakes He causes summer and win
ter, seed time and harvest, sends the
early and later rains to gcrminate the
seed and bring to perfection the grain
the fruit and vegetable that has been
hidden in the ground. He has clothed
man with His glory. made him in His
own image, given him large intellect,
the power of thought, the gift of knowl-
edge, and all the ways and means to
make his life happy and useful. With
all these proofs of His power, His good
ness, His loving kindness in giving His
life for their redemption from sin, open
ed a way to a glorious immortality when
the fitful dream of this life is over
many deny His existence, and think
when this life is ended they will lie
down like brutes, and like brutes perish
Many laugh Him to scorn as they die
while He was on earth. Many scofi
about Bible history, talk grandly abou,
missing links in the great chain OF
events, bring geology in as proof, an(
not only turn up the soil of the past
but are trying their skill to undermine
the fundamental principles of the gos
pei, that in strains as sweet as angel.
use, Whispers peace" to man.
Upon the gospels sacred page.
The gathered beams of ages shine;
And, us it hastens, every age
But makes its brightness more divine"
Christianity bring to man all the rea
good of life, points the way to heaven
and bridgs man into harmony with God
and, working with Him, scatters ligh
and truth for others to gather. Infidel
ity is antagonistic to christianity, ant
tries to blot out as much as it can in it
weakness all the beautiful teachings o
the Bible, SCOTS at goodness and purity
tramples every growth of thought tha
rises in the heart, makes life like tn
great desert of Sahara, wide waste 0
sand on which no flowers of hope bios
som, no springs of pure water gush u
to cool its arid thirst, nor tree grow
to cast a leasy shade where the wear
Traveller gan sit in neacefnl rost Inf