National Republican., 1883-05-21

the scene of Moses in Horeb, whore he re.
mained for forty days and then came back to
the children Of Israel with the ten command
ments only to find them engaged in idolatrous
worship. He spoke of his wrath, during
which he destroyed the idols and broke the
stones containing the commandments; of the
reaction that set in, and of his yearning to
again commune with God; and the sign that
had once stood to him for the very presence
of God, but there was no vision and the
clouds seemed TO hide God away.
He likened the feelings of Moses to our own
experiences when we are cast down by sor-
row and tribulation, and we feel the need of
Gods presence to lean upon; and as in the
case of Moses when all seems darkest God is
then nearest ta us, and afterward we see His i
hand in the events which follow He spoke
of the differences which had been held be-
tween the pulpit teachings and those Of
sciences and cloquently showed how these
had melted away until now there
was but one man in the Chris
tian pulpit, who denies the conclusions
of Galiileo, and one doubts if he is in his
right mind. He referred TO the Darwinian
theory of the origin of man, and said that to
his mind il was unspeakably more glorious to
believe that this human creature sprang from
monad that held its own and then struck
for something better, and so kept on striking
for the best, growing from tho monad to the
very Christ, than II Is to believe in one
who was set in the beginning on
the very summit of Gods creation
and then not only fell himself but dragged
innumerable millions of unborn humans
down to hell. Between such man and q
monad for my ancestor, prefer to begin with
the IN onad Man is not yet on the topmost
step of the ladder, but very little way from
the bottom, and he is still climbing, and eye
hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath 1t
entered into the heart to conceive
what God hath laid up for those that
love Him, If IL should turn out
in tho end that Darwin is right,
then there has been not grander commentary
written on Romans viii, and 1S to 49, than
his book. This is tho truth then of the
cleft in the rock, and tho overshadowing
hand as it appears to the human race. Solo
mon means man hath no pre-eminence over
tho beast, for all is vanity. Solomon was ut
terly mistaken. Man has this pre-emnence
over the beast that he must climb that ladder
whose top reaches to heaven.
Mr.. Collyer spoke of Napoleons devasta-
tion OF Germany, and the German subjugation
of France, and used them as illustrations,
showing how tho darkness and desolation
had moulded a better manhood. SO it has
bean again, he said, with our own nation, from
the days when the people went after cotton
calf, and had to swallow its bitter ashes in
shame and tears. Did we not cry with Moses
Let us see Thy face" and was it not so hid
dcu that we were ready sometimes TO
say there is no God, and did not
our good President stand there with
the black rocks and darkness about him,
and wonder in his patient heart when and
how 1t would end, and did not the end come
with the real beginning when hemade his
grand proclamation for freedom, and the ma
ton began to deserve victory, not so much
| through fighting the foe without as the foe
within. And when the flag meant freedom,
as well as nationality we came to our rest
Not so surely did God put the man Moses
into cleft in the rock as he put the man Lin
coin there. And not more nearly did God stand
to his servant in the old time when
he said, "Get thee up into Pisgah," and
showed him the land he must not enter
standing in the sun than he was with our
father Abraham, when he stood for that
moment Looking at the new life he must not
share, and was then swept away into his rest
what time the pistol of the assassin was
transformed into chariot of fire.
Moses saw God afterward. So shall u,
for you must believe me this is no thistle
down of legend to be blown to the winds by
breath Of criticism. 1t is chapter in our
human life linking it into the life of God,
and is as true to-day to your life and mine
as it was to the life Of this man 1000 years
ago, and so we can sing: ~,
| l cannot find thee still on restless pinion
My spirit beats thespace where Thou dost dwell.
| / wait and watch through all Thy vast dominion,
Yet darkness is Thy Light ineffable. {, =, S}v'
| | cannot find Thee; even when most adoring
Before Thy face bend in lowliest prayer.
Beyond the bounds of thought my thought up.
| soaring
From longing quest comes back-Thou art not
| there.
| Yet high above the limits OF my seeing,
| And folded far within each faithful heart
| And deep below the deep of all my being, 81.
Thy presence stayeih-there, o God Thou art.
/ cannot lose Thee STILL In Thee abiding,
The end is clear how far soe'er roam.
| The law that holds the worlds my feet is guiding;
And shall rest at last in Thee. my homel