The Forrest City times., 1890-05-03

text "ws all do fade as leaf," and scat tors her elegios in our path, we cannot heir but think of sickness and the tomb Even winter, s'beIng dead, yet spcaketh. j Tho world will not be argued into tho right n will be tsnderly illustrated Into the right Tell thsm what religion Is like. Whom the mother tried to tell her dy- ing child what heaven was, she compared 1t to light "But that hurts my eyes" said the dying girl. Then the mother com pared heaven tc music. "But any sound hurts me; am so weak," said the dying child. Then she was told that hoavcn was like mothers arms. "Oh, tako me therer' she said ''If 1t is like mothers arms, take mo therew The appropriate simile had been found at last
 Another contribution which the natural world IS making to the kingdom of Christ, is the defence and aid which the elements are compelled to give to the Christian per sonally. There is no law in nature but Is sworn for the Christians defence In Job this thought is presented as bargain made between the inanimate creation and tho righteous man; "rhou shalt be in league with the stones or the fleld.n What grand thought that the lightnings, and the tempests, and the hail. and the!frosts which are the enemies of unrighieousness, arc all marshalled as the Christians body guard. They fight for him They strike with an arm of fire, or clutch with their fingers of ice. Everlasting peae is declared between the fercesi clements of nature and the eood man. They may in their fury seom to be indiscriminate, smiting down the right eous with the wicked, yet they cannot dam age the Christians soul, although they may shrlvel his body. The wintry blast that howls about your dwelling, you may call your brother, and the south wind com ing up ou Juno day by way of a flower. garden, you may call your sister. Though so mighty in circum ference and diamet CT, the sun and the moon have a special charge concerning you. "The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by nightn Ele- ments and forces h dden in the earth arc now harnes sed 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 light ming arc only woven threads in the great loom, with Gods foot on the shuttle, The same Spirit that converted your soul has also converted the elements from enmity toward you into inviolabio friendship, and furtherost star and deepest cavern, regions Of everlasting cold us well us clinics of eternal summer. all have a mission of good, direct or indirect for your spirit.
 Now I infer from this taat the study of natural objects will increase our religious knowledge. If David and lob and John and Paul could not afford to let 20 without observation one passing cloud, or rift of snow, or spring blossom. you cannot afford to lot them go without study, Men and women of God most eminent in all ages for faith and zeal, iuduiged in such ohserva. tions- Payson and Baxter and BoddrIdse and Hannah Moro That man is not worthy tho name Of Christian who saun. ters listlossly among thass magnificent lis- closures of divine power around, beneath, and above US, stupid and unnstructed. They arc not worthy to live in desert, for that has its fountains and palm, trees; nor in regions or everlasting ice, for even there the stars kindle their lights and auroras Hash, and hugs iceberes shiver in the morning light and Gods power sits upon them as upon great white throne Yet there are Christians in tho Church who look upon all such tendencies of mind and heart as soft sentimcntalities, and be cause they believed this printed Revela ton Of God are con eut to be intldels in re- gard to all that has been written in this great Book Of the universe, writton in letters Of stars, in paragraphs Of constella- tions and illustrated with sunset and thunder-cloud and spring morning.
 infer also, tho trausccndent importance of Christ's religion. Nothing i, so far down, and nothing is 30 high up and noth. ing so far out but God mnses it pay K to Christian ratirfAn Tf aud Tam n est and dragon arc expected to praise God, suppose you lIe expects no homage from your souls hen God has written His truth upon everything around you, sup pose you He did not moan you to open your eyes and read 1t.
 Finally, l learn from this subject what an honorable position the Christian occu. pies when nothing ia so great aui glorious in nature but Il is made to edify, defend, and instruct him. Hold up yogr heads sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, that may see how yoa bear your honors Though now you may think yourself unbe friended, this spring soft wind, m next summers harvest of barley. and next autumns glowing fruits, and next winters storms, all seasons, all ele ments, zephyr and euroclydon. roses breath and thundercload, sleaming liEtlt Htn tHiCk uafAncSS. are sworn 10 ue- fend you, and cohorts Of angels would fly to deliver you from peril, aud the great God would unshoatho His swori and arm the universe in yo.r cause rather than that harm should touch you with one Of its lightest fingers. "As the mountains around about Jerusalem 50 tho Lord Is around about His people from this time forth for overmore.
 Oh for more sympathy with the natural world, and then we should always have q Bible open before us. and we could take . lesson from the most iieeting geireumstanees, as when storm came down upon England Charles Wesley sat u a room watching 1t through an open window, and frightened by the lightning and thunder a little bird flew in, and nestled In tho bosom of the sacred poet and as he gently strokod | and felt tho wild boating oE it's heart he turned to his desk and wrote that hymn which will be sung while the world lasts:
 Jesus, lover of my soul,
 Let me to thy bosom tiy
 While the pillows near me roll
 While the tempest sill Is high
 Hide me, O my Savior hide,
 Till the storm Of fife bc past
 Safe into tho haven guide,
 O receive my soul at last