The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-08-28
SERMON TO FARMERS.
DR.. TALMAGE ADDRESSES THE EN-
CAMPMENT AT MT. GRETNA.

phat, Who Was Flowing with Twelve
Oxen.
LEBANON, PA, August l7.--Thc
American Farmers Encampmcnt al
Mount Grctna, near this city, to-day
listened attcntivcly to remarkable dis
course by the great Brooklyn preacher,
Rev. II. Dewitt Talmagc, who arrived
here yesterday from the ChautauQua, at
Piedmont, Ca. where he spoke Wcdncs-
day last. The subject was one peculiarly
suited TO the vast audience, being on
Farming a Gospel Type" l Kings, xix,
10: "Elisha, the son ofShaphat, who was
plowing with twelve oxen before him,
and he with the twelfth"
Representatives ofthc great Farmers
associations from all parts of the country
arc at the cncampmcnt, preparations for
which have been going on months In
advance. The surrounding dcnscly-pop-
ulatcd counties Of Pennsylvania arc also
fully represented. To-day's services
were held i'll the open air. An immense
choir, from the churches Of Lebanon, led
the music. Rev. DR.. Talmagc spoke us
follows:
Farmers Of America! Accept my salu-
utIlVn' N"r text puts us down into the
ploW's turrow, where miuy Of ns have
been before. My boyhood passed on a
farm, and my father, Il farmer, your style
OF liic is familiar to me. One OF my
earliest rccollcctions is that Ofmy father
coming in from the hot harvest t-icld cX-
hausted. the pcrspiration streaming from
his forehead and chin, and iainting on
the door-sill, and my mother rcsuscitat-
ing him. until seeing the alarm of the
household, he said, "Don't be frightened
got little tired, and the sun was hot
but am all right now" And | rcmcm.
bcr mother seated at tho table, often say.
ing, "Well, | am too tired to cat!" Tho
fact is, that do not think the old folk,
got thoroughly rested until they la,
down in the graveyard back of ,iomcr
vile, to take tho last sleep.
Cficc.scckcrs go through tn" land anl
they stand on political pie and
they tell the farmers the Ilory about the
independent lite of tilc farmer, giving
fat.tcry where they ought to give SYM
pathy. independent olwhat? No class
of people in this country have it harder
than farmers. Independent of what?
OF the curculio that stings the peach
trees? Of the rust IN tho wheat? of the
long rain with the rye down? nGc-
pendent Of the grasshoppcr? Of the
locust? OF the army worm of the pOtato-
bug? independent of the drought that
burns up the harvest! independent Of
the cow with the hollow horn: or the
sheep with the foO.-rot2 or the net
horse with u nail in his hoof? mdc-
pendent of the cold that freezes out the
winter grain? Independent of the snow
""nk ""t "' which, he r>"st shovel him.
sell? independent of the cold weather
when be stands thcshing his numbcd
lnSers around his body to keep them
from being frosted? independent of the
lrozcn cars and frozen feet? Indcpcn-
dent OF what! Eancy-iArmcrs who have
made their fortunes in the city and 90
out i'll the country to build houses with
all the modern improvements, and make
farming luxury, may not need any
solace; but the ycomanry who get their
living out of the soil. and who that way
have to clothc their families and cIucatc
their children, and pay their taxes and
meet the interest on mOrtyagcd farms
such men find a terrific struggle. And
my hope Is that this great National
FARMERS encampmcnt may do some
thing towards lifting the burdens of the
aSflculturlStS. Yes, we were nearly all
OF us horn III the country. We droppcd
corn III The hill, and went on Saturday
TO tho mill. tying the grist in the centre
OF the sack so that the contents on either
side the horse balanced each other; an(
drove the cattle alicld, our bare feet wet
with the dew, and rode the horses will
the halter to the brook until we fell of,
and hunted the NOW for nests until the
tcathcrcd occupants went caclllnc
away. So we all understand rustic all
luslons. The Bible is full of them. In
Christs sermon on the Mount. You sec
the inll-hlown lilies and the glossy
black of the crows wing as it flies over
Mount Olivct. David and John, Paul
and Isaiah find III country life a source
Of frequent illustration, while Christ
takes the responsibility Of calling God ;
farmer, declaring: 'My Father is tn,
husbandman.
Noah was the first farmer. We sa,
nothing about Cain, the tillcr ofthc soil
Adam was Il gardener on large scale
but to Noah was given all the acres o
inc earth. Elisha was an agriculturiSt
not Culturing n tcn-acrc lot. for in my
text you find him plowing with twelve
yoke of oxen before him, and he with the
twelfth. In Bible times the land was so
plenty, and the inhabitants so few, that
Noah was right when he gave to every
inhabitant q certain portion of land;
that land, If cultured, ever after to be
his own possession.
They were not small crops raised In
those times, for though the arts were
rude, the plow turned up very rich soil,
and barley, and cotton. and flax. and all
kinds of grain came up at the call of the
harvesters. Pliny tells of one stalk OF
grain that had on it between 300 and 100
ears. The rivers and the brooks, through
artificial channels, were brought down
10 inc roots OF the corn, and to this
baolt OF turning river wherever it was
- wanted Solomon refers when he says:
'Ihe Kings heart is in the hands Of the
Lord. and He turNpth IL 90 tho r;,,ore ,>r