Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-05-09


ures OF the halls" In the Psalmist's writings
| hear the voices Of the sea: Deep caIleth
uutO deep and the roar OF forests: The
Lord shaketh the wilderness of kadesh;" and
the loud peal of the black tempest: The
God of glory thun1ereth:" and the rustic of
the long silk on the we'll filled husks The
valleys are covered with corn" and the cry
of wild beasts: The young lions roar after
their prey the hum Of palm trees and
dars: The righteous shall flourish like a
palm tree: he snail grow like cedar in Leb-
anon the sough Of wings and the swirl OF
fins: Dominion over the fowl Of the air and
the fish of the sea
The truths of the Gospel might have been
presented in technical terms, and by the
means of drv definitions but under these the
world wouldn have listened or felt. How
could the safety Of trusting upon Christ have
been presented were II not the figure OF n
rock How could the gardening effect OF
the Gospel have been set forth. had hot
Zacharias thought OF the dawn of the morn
ing, exclaiming, The day spring from on
high hath visited Us TO give light. TO them
that sit i'll darkness" How could the souls
intense longing for Christ have been pre-
sented So well as by the emblem Of natural
hunger and natural thirst. AS the lake
gathers into its bosom the shadow of hills
around, and the CLEAN OF stars above, so, in
these great deeps of divine truth, all objects
in nature are grandly reflected. We walk
forth in the spring time and everything
Dreathes of the Resurrection. Bright bios
sOm and sDringing grass speak TO us OF the
coming up of those whom. we have loved,
when in the white robes of their JOY and COR
OnatiOn they shall appear.
And when in the autumn Of the year ma
ture breaches thousands Of funeral sermons
from the text I'VE al do fade as a leaf"
and scatters her elegies in our path, we can
not help but think of sickness and the tomo.
Even winter being dead, yet speaketh."
The world will not be argued into the right.
1t will be tenderly illustrated into the right.
Tell them what religion Is like. hen the
mother tried to tell her dying child what
heaven was, she compared it to light But
that hurts my eyes" said the dying girl.
Then the mother compared heaven to music.
But any sound hurts me; am so weak,
said the dying child. Then she was told that
heaven was like mothers arms. "Oh, take
pae therem she said. If it is like mothers
arms take me there" The appropriate
smile had been found at last.
Another contribution which the natural
world is making to the kingdom Of Christ Is
the defense and aid which the elements are
compelled to give to the Christian personal
w. There is no law in nature but Is sworn
for the Christians defense In JOB this
thought is presented bargain made be-
tween the inanimate creation and the right
eous man: Thou shalt be in league with
the stones Of the field" What grand
thought that the ightnings, and the tenn
pests and the hail, and the frOsts, which are
the enemies Of righteousness, are all mar
shaded as the Christians bodySuard. They
fight for him. They strike with an arm Of
fire or clutch with their fingers of ice. Ever
lasting peace is declared between the tiercest
elements of nature and the good man. They
may in their fury seem to be indlscrlmlnate,
shifting down the righteous with the wicked,
yet they cannot damage the Chris
tian's soul, although they may shlvel
his body. The wintry blast that howls
about your dwelling you may call
your brother, and the south wind COM
ing up on June day by way Of a flower gar
den, you may call your sister. Though SO
mighty in circumference and diameter, the
sun and the moon have special charge con-
corning you. The sun shall not unite thee
by day, nor the moon by night" Elements
and forces hidden in the earth are now har-
messed and at work in producing for you food
and clothing. Some grain field that you
never saw presented you this day with your
morning meal. The great earth and the
heavens are the busy loom at work for you;
and shooting light and silvery stream, and
sharp lightning are only woven threads IN
the great loom, with Gods foot on the shut
tie. The same spirit that converted your soul
has also converted the elements from enulty
toward you into inviOlable friendship, and
furthest star and deepest cavern, regions of
everlasting cold as we'll as climeS of eternal
summer all have mission of good, director
indirect, for your spirit.
natural objects will increase our religious
knowledge. If David and Job and John and
Paul could not afford to let go without Obser-
walton one passing cloud, or rift Of snow, or
spring blossom. you cannot afford to let them
go without study. Men and women Of God
most eminent in all ages for faith and zeal
INDUCED in such observation-disclosures and
Baxter and Doddridge and Hannah More.
That man is not worthy the name OF Chris
tlan who saunters lstlessly among these
magnificent disclosures of divine power
around, beneath and above us, stupid and
uninStruCted.
They are not worthy to live in desert, for
that has its fountains and palm trees; nor in
regions of everlasting ice, for even there he
stars kindle their lights and auroras fash,
and huge ceoerSs ShlVer in the morning
light, and Gods power sits upon them as
upon a great white throne. Yet there are
Christians in the church VINO look upon all
such tendencies Of mind and heart as soft
sentimentalities, and because they believe
this printed revelation of God are content to
be inhdels in regard to all that has been
written in this great book Of the universe,
written in letters OF stars. if paragraphs Of
consultations. and illustrated with sunset
and thunder cloud and spring morning.
inter. also, the transcendent Importance
of Christ's religion. Nothing is 50 far down,
and nothing is so hign up, and nothing so far
out but God makes 1t pay tax 10 the Chris
tian religion II snow and tempest and
dragon az expected to praise God, suppose
you He expects no homage from your soul?
When God has written His truth upon every
thing around you, suppose you He did not
mean you to open your eyes and readit?
Finally, learn from this subject what an
honorable position the Christian occupies
when nothing is SO great and glorious in ma
ture but it is made to edify. defend and in
Struct him. Hold up you" heads sons and
daughters of the Lord Almighty that I may
see how you bear your honors. Though now