The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-08-20
fARMING7A AG0SPEL TYPE
Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage Prenches
q Sermon to Farmers.
A CLASS rhat is IN Need Of sympathy
Thorough Piowing, Sowing, Harrow
ing and ThreshiRg Necessary to
Get Good Crops.

resentatives Of the great farmers asso-
Citations from all parts of the country
were at the encampment and the sur
rounding densely populated counties Of
Pennsylvania we're also fully repre-
sented. The services were held in the
open air, and an immense choir from
the churches Of Lebanon led the music.
The subject was one peculiarly suited to
the audience, being on Farming Cos
pei Type" l. Kings, xix, 10: elisha,
the son Of Shaphst, who was plowing
with twelve oxen before him, and he
with the twelfth" Following is the
sermon:
Farmers Of America! Accept my salu-
tation. Our text puts us down into the
piow's furrow, where many Of us have
been before. My boyhood passed on
farm, and my father farmer, your
style Of life is familiar to me. One Of
my earliest recollections is that Of my
father coming in from the bot harvest
field exhausted, the perspiration stream
ing from his forehead and chin, and
fainting on the doorsill, and my mother
resuscitating him, until seeing the
alarm Of the household he, said, Don't
be frightened. Igot "a little tired and
tie sun was hot but i am all right
now" And remember mother seated
ct the table, often saying, "Well, I am
too tired to eatl" The fact is that l do
not think the old folks got thoroughly
rested until they lay down In the grave
yard back OF Somerville to take the last
sleep.
0filce-seekers 90 through the land and
they stand on political platforms and
they tell the farmers the story about
the independent life Of farmer, giving
fattery where they ought to give SYM
pathy. Independent Of what? No class
Of people in this country have 1t harder
than farmers. Independent Of what?
OF the curculio that stings the peach
trees9 of the rust in the wheat? Of the
long rain with the rye down? Independ-
ent of the grasshopper? Of the locustp
Of the army worm? Of the potato bug?
Independent Of the drought that burns
up the harvest2 Independent Of the
COW with the hollow horn? or the sheep
with the footrot? or the pet horse with
q nail in his hoof2 Independent OF the
cold that freezes out the winter grain?
Independent Of the snowbank out Of
which he must shovel himself? lnde-
pendent Of the cold weather when he
stands threshing his numbed fingers
around his body TO keep them from boz
ing frosted9 Independent Of the frozen
ears and the frozen feet? Independent
Of what? Fancy farmers who have made
their fortunes in the city and 60 out In
the country 10 build houses with all the
modern improvements, and mako farm
ing luxury, may not need any solace;
but the yeonanry who get their living
out of the soil. and who that way have
TO clothe their families and educate their
eAildren, and pay their taxes and meet the
interest on mortgaged farms such men
hnd terrific struggle. And my hope
Ii that this National Farmers Encamp-
ment may do something toward lifting
the burdens Of the agriculturists. Yes,
we were nearly all Of us born in the
country. We dropped corn in the hill,
and went on Saturday TO the mill, tying
the grist in the center Of the sack so
that the contents on either side the
horse balanced each other; and drove
the cattle afeld, our bare feet wet with
the dew, and rode the horses with the
halter TO the brook until we fell of, and
hunted the NOW for nests until the
feathered occupants went cackling away.
So wc all understand rustic illusions.
The Bible Is full OF them. In Christ's
sermon on the mount you see the full
blown lilies and the glossy back OF the
crows wing as II flies over Mount 0iiyet
David and John, Paul and Isaiah find in
country life source Of frequent illus
tration, while Christ takes the RESPONSE
bility Of calling God q farmer, declar-
ing: my father Is the husbandman."
Noah was the first farmer. We say
nothing about Cain, the tiller Of the
soil. Adam was gardener on q large
scale, but TO Noah was given all the
acres OF the earth. Elisha was IN agri-
cuiturist, not culturing . ten-acre lot
for in my text you hnd, him -plowing
with twelve yoke Of qSep before him,
and.hs With, tbp twel n Bible times
ths land wAss6 plenty and che inhabi-
tants 90 few that Noah was right whom
he gave 10 every inhabitsnt q certain
portion OF land; that land. II cultured.
ever after 10 be- his own, possession. q Z
They were NOT small crops raised In
those times, for though the arts were
rude, the pillow turned up very rich soil,
and barley, and cotton. and FAX. and all
kinds OF grain came up at the call Of the
harvesters Pliny tells Of one stalk Of
grain that had on IL between three and
four hundred ears. Tho rivers and the
brooks, through artifcial channels, were
brought down 70 the foots Of tho corn,
and 70 this habit 81 turhihg ariyer
wherever II was wanted, solomon refers
when he says: Tho kings heart is in
the hands OF the Lord, and He turneth
IL as the rivers OF water are turned,
whithersoever He will"
The Wild beasts were caught, and
then hook was put into their nose, and
then they we're led over the field, and
70 that God refers when he says "a
wicked Scnnacherib; II will put hook
in thy nose and will bring thee back
by tho way which thou .camest." And
God has hook in every, mans nose,
whether It be Nebuchadn dnczzar, or Anal
or Herod. He may think himself very
independent but somo time In his life
or in tho hour OF his death no will hnd
that the lord Almighty has q hook In
his nose. 49,, ar 49,,