The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-05-21

When Moses fled into the land of Mid
ian and sat down by well, his idea-the
one uppermost and prevailing in his mind,
was the escape from the wrath of Phar-
aoh, who had vowed to seek his destruc-
ton. Moses at this time was what the
world would call a victim of circum-
stances. He was going anywhere to avoid
pressing danger. But the hand which
parted the waters of the Red Sea was
leading Moses now. In the house of the
priest of Midian-whose daughters he
had assisted in drawing water-Moses
found warm welcome, and seemingly
he was happily situated. Such was not
the case however. Hearing of the
death of the Egyptian King, his
heart became burdened for his people who
were in bondage. While tending the
fiocks of his father-in-law, he led them to
the far side of the desert, until he came
to Mount Horeb
Here the Angelof the Lord appeared to
him in burning bush. Moses was down
cast, and while alone, with his f1ocks and
brooding over the ills of his people, they
looked dark indeed to him. But there,
in the desert the gloom was dispelled by
the light which accompanied the divine
presence. There, speaking from the
f1ame-which Moses observed did not
consume the bush-the Lord assured
Moses that He had heard the cries of his
people, and would bring them safely out
of their bondage.
Who can estimate the jov with which
the fugitive Moses received this Divine
assurance? Who that has not tasted the
bitterness of bondage, can know of the
sweet joys of freedom. We were once
upon time upon plantation where a
number of bond-men and bOnd-women
were employed. AT our approach. the
Oppressors of these, body of men armed
to. perpetuate their wickedness, fled.
The bond-men and bond-women began to
manifest their gratitude in various ways,
| illustrative of the wild ecstatic emotions
the thought of the word Freedom arous-
ed We recall to mind one who, far down
in the shadows of eternity, almost a gen
Grafton beyond the usual time allotted to
mortals, had long before been released
from the usual burdens of her race.
With noDppressive duties, with but little
of the real responsiveness of servitude at
taching to her, one who had long since
passed her ninetieth birthday, yet who
FASTENED about quite spryly in making
ready to leave and go into an unknown
country, among strangers. A friend of
ours said "Why, Auntie, you are not going
| TO tho old plantation and coo
strangers, are you?"
With look of supreme disgust, she re-
piled: What? Dye think Pm goin' to
wait all these yeahs fo' freedom, den
throw de blessed thing away wen it
comes, bress de Lord" And that old
soul packed up her scant store Of earthly
possessions in an old cotton handkerchief
and went away, forever, from the scene
of her long and laborious service. In the
flash of our bayonets she saw the blessed
fire of the burning bush of Freedom
She recognized the voice of the Angel of
the Lord in the braZen blare of the old
copper bugle. The things had all worked
around as part of the Divine plan for
bringing her race out of bondage, and
though the Moses who had secured this
sweet state to them had only been per-
mitted to view, with scarcely more than
prophetic vision, the blessed state OF
promise for this people, yet the race still
live to revere his memory.
Why should the human heart become
despondent? Have we not the Divine
assurance "Lo. am with you always"
The shadows must come upon the eartf
in the natural order Of things. So. also
the shadows may be temporarily thrown
across our spiritual sky, but the plan o.
the universe never becomes so disOrdere(
that the soul is in danger of perpetual
darkness, unless that soul voluntarily
banishes itself to some dark cell of sorrow
and despair. In the darkest. glOomies
moments the Divine presence may ever
then be near at hand, ready to appear in tn
burning bush of Gods glory, to speal
peace to the troubled and weary soul.
We were riding upon a railway train
The sun was shining brightly, the tree
danced merrily by, the engine puffed gail
along, and seemed laughing out its breatl
of steam and smoke. Those on boar
who are unaccustomed to the plan of tn
highway, think not of the long, dark tun
mel Just ahead. Suddenly there is
hoarse shrek from the engine, the be-
clangs out an alarm. the train rushes or
though at slackened pace, and all is /
darkness. A little child shrieks out it
terror, and older ones cannot repress