Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-09-17

world four thousand years ago, that
"secd time and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, shall not ccase,"
we see continually verified. The God
who holds the bal;mcinss of the clouds
in hls hand IS faithful to his word. If
particular countries have at times felt
the distresscs of famine, yet of seed time
and harvest there has never been such
a general failure us looked like an in
fraction on the truth Of this ancient
promise.
Every harvest is a new instance Of
God 5 talthtulneas. a new performance
Of his promise and new encourage
ment to our faith in his goodness
The apostle in the text not only as
scrts that God is the yjycr of rain, the
author Of fruitful seasons, but that hpr-
vest is ii season Of gratitude and Joy
He did good, and gave US rain from
heaven, and fruitful seasons, illng our
hearts with food nnl ylad,1c5$'
70 express the happiness of mankind
under the kingdom OF the messiah the
prophet says, "They shall joy before
thee as the joy Of harvest By an al
lusion to lhe same the Psalmist de-
scrbes the felicity of the Jews i'll the
event of their national dcIvrrancr from
captivity. "They that SOW in tears,
shall reap in joy. lie that gocth forth
and weepeth, bearing precious seed shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his shcavrs with him. Par
tcuar festivals were instituted in the
divine law TO be observed as tc5timo-
MES of gratitude for the blessing Of
harvest. "Thou shalt keep the feast Of
harvest, the first fruits Of thy Iabors,
which thou hast sown in thy field, and
the feast Of lngathcring in the end of
the year, when thou hast gathered in
thy labors out of the field, none shall
appear before ne empty. The first
fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into
The house of God. -
We arc daily loaded with benefits,
which cAli for daly return Of graft
tude. Bat harvest is such rich and
plentiful blessing rs we cannot every
day receive. This is given only in the
appointed weeks. If it should then
tan, famine, distress and death will en-
sne; for according to the settled course
Of nature it can 40 more be secured un-
til the stated period returns. No wis
dom or power OF man can hasten IT.
Such blessing so evidently from the
divine hand, 50 necessary to human
support, and 50 absolutely beyond our
co!nmand, ought to be received with
frryeut sentiments and lively express
sons of gratitude and joy. Indeed
there is no life SO conducive to praise
us the life Of the farmer. The laborer.
tradesmal., clerk, and professional man
after receiving the remuneration Of his
labor feels that he has laborel for it
and it is his. He is under no obliga-
ton to any one, for has he not earned
it, given its equivalent in return? But
the farmer, who receives his harvest direct
from the hand of God, feels himself under ol-
legation to Him. As he gathers The shcavcs
from the field into his barn, although they
are in a sense the fruit of his own labor, he
feels that they are the Gift Of God, who gave
knows that ne is in direct communication
with heaven, whence all his blessings come,
and hence his heart goes out in glad cXprtS-
sons Of thanktuln"Ss and joy toward the
fountain and source of that which he re
ccivcs.
All arc equally under obligations TO GoC!
for the gitt Of harvest. Various are the cir
cumstanccs under which Cod places man,
kind; but in regard to His blessing on their
prudent labor, he treats them with an equal
hand. No man can cnEross this to the prcI-
ulicc of anothcr but ali may alike enjoy it.
There are some less important things which
God permits men to appropriate, One may
possess more extensive tract of soil than
his ncghhors he may call distant lands his
own, which he has never seen, and which
his children after him may never see he
may claim more numerous herds aud hochs,
or count off larger rolls Of bank notes, than
most others can acquire or than he himSeitis
able to use But the grand things on which
life and happiness depend God has not en-
trusted to human disposal. lie keeps them
in his own hand, and distributes them with
equal bounty. Rain, air and sunshine are
alike free to all. The rain falls in as bounti-
full showers and the sunshine with aS emily
cning beams on the poor mans garden as on
the rich mans plantation. The air as sweet
" rcfrcshes and the winds as kindly fan the
peasant as the prince. However poor one
may be in the triilcs, in which property con-
ssts, he has as ample share in the great
bounics of providence, as sure prospect OF
Gods blessing on his labnrs, as much en-
enlargement to industry in his calling as the
l,;,ct p,.spu.or in thp NnTll
As God is the author of the physical SO is