The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-08-29
SERMON TO FARMERS.
DR.. TALMAGE ADDRESSES THE EN-
cAMPMENT AT MT. GRETNA.

phat, Who Was Flowing with Twelve
Oxen.
LEBANON, Pa, August 1.-THE
American Farmers Encampment at
Mount Gretna, near this city, to-day
listened attentively to remarkable dis
course by the great Brooklyn preacher,
Rev. Il. Dewitt Talmage, who arrived
here yesterday from the Chautau qua, at
Piedmont, Ca, where he spoke Wednes-
day last. The subject was one peculiarly
suited to the vast audience, being Oh
Farming Gospel Type" 1 Kings, xix,
19: Elisha, the son ofShaphat, who was
plowing with twelve oxen before him,
and he with the twelfth"
Representatives of the great Farmers
associations from all parts of the country
are at the encampment, preparations for
which have been going on months In
advance. The surrounding densely-pop-
ulated counties of Pennsylvania arc also
fully represented. To-day's services
were held in the open air. Animmense
choir, from the churches of Lebanon, led
the music. Rev. DIR. Talmage spoke rs
follows:
Farmers of America! Accept my salu-
tation. Our text puts us down into the
plow's furrow, where many of us have
been before. My boyhood passed on a
farm, and my father, a farmer, your style
of life is familiar to me. One of my
earliest recollections is that ofmy father
coming in from the hot harvest-tield eX-
hausted. the perspiration streaming from
his forehead and chin, and fainting on
the door-sill, and my mother resuscitat-
ing him, until seeing the alarm of the
household, he said, Don't be frightened.
1 got a little tired, and the sun was hot,
but am all right now." And remem-
ber mother seated at the table, often say
ing, "Well, L am too tired to cat!" The
fact is, that do not think the old folks
got thoroughly rested until they lay
down in the graveyard back of Somer-
vile, to take the last sleep.
Office-seekers 90 through the land and
they stand on political platforms, and
they tell the farmers the story about the
independent lite of tho farmer, giving
tatteEv where they ought to give SYM
Qfpeople in this country have it harder
OF the curculio that stinagSsS inf BlhaaetG2l BlhaaetGl
trees? of the rust in the wheat? of the
long rain with the rye down? Inde-
pendent of the grasshopper? 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.-rotp or the pet
horse with a nail in his hoof? Inde-
pendent of the cold that freezes out the
winter grain? Independent of the snow
bank out of which he must shovel him.
self? Independent of the cold weather
when he stands theshing ffs humbed
fingers around his body TO- feepx them
from being frosted? MISUNDERSTANDING
frozen ears and frozen .teG6f fbeH
dent Ofwhat? Faan&4 s6f I2seSS 5
made their fortuneA a.sen
out in the country &6IE4SfE6
all the modern impS ll8
farming luxury Ssd I1y
solace; but the yed zasMyaslW get rtAHf;
s haVe to o"S eiofhe g se families sa dnah eduS
their children, and pay their taxes and
meet the interest qh;mortgaged FARMS
such men find terrific struggle. And
my hope Is that this great National
Farmers encampment may do some-
thing towards lifting the btir&ens Of the
agriculturists. Yes, we wass nearly nil
of us born in the country. We dropped
corn in the hill, and went on Saturday
to the mill, tying the gristip the centre
of the sack so that the cot396 IN either
side the horse balanced eanh$H4Ar; and
drove the cattle afield, our barSteet wet
with the dew, and rode the horses with
the halter to the brook until we fell off,
and hunted the NOW for nests uptp the
feathered occupants went oackling
away. So we all understand rustic al
lusions. The Bible is full of them. In
Christ's sermon on the Mount, you see
the fnll-blown lilies and the glossy
black of the crows wingas it flies over
Mount Olivet. David and John. Paul
and Isaiah find in country life a source
of frequent illustration, while Christ
takes the responsibility Of calling God n
farmer, declaring: ''My Father is the
husbandman."
Noah was the first farmer. We say
nothing about Cain, the tiller of the soil.
Adam was gardener on large scale,
but to Noah was given all the acres of
the earth. Elisha was an agriculturlst,
not culturing ten-acre 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 certain portion of land;
that land, If cultured, ever after to be
his own possession.
They were not small crops raised In
those timea, for though the arts were
rude, the plCw turned up very rich soil,
and barley, anu 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 800 and 400
ears. The rivers and the brooks, through
artificial channels, were brought down
to the roots Of the corn, and to this
babit of turning river wherever it was
wanted Solomon refers when he says:
1.-The Kings heart is in the hands of the
Lord, and He turneth it as the rivers of
water are turned, withersoever He will"
The wild beasts were caught, and then
hook was put into their nose, and then
they were led over the field, and to that
God refers when he says to wicked Sen
nacherib: II will put hook in thy nose
and will bring thee back by the way
aI> = nl ho.