The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-08-27
SERMON TO FARMERS.
DR.. TALMAGE ADDRESSES THE EN-,
CAMPMENT AT MT. GRETNA.

phat, Who Mas Plow;nS with Twelve
Oxen.
LEBANON. PA. August l1--Tht
American Farmers Encampmcnt al
Mount Grctna, near this city, to-i!a.;
listened attentivcly to q remarkable dis
course by the great Brooklyn preacher
Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmase. who arrived
here yesterday from the Chautauqua, a
Piedmont, Ga. where he spoke Wedncs'
day last. The subject was one peculiarly
suited to the vast audience. being ell
Farming a Gospel Type" | Kings. Mn
10: ELISHA. the son otShaphat. who was
blowing with twelve oxen before him,
and he with the twelfth"
Representative ofthe great Farmers
associations from all parts otthe country
are at the encampment. preparations toi
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. DR.. Talmage spoke as
follows:
Farmers ofAmerica! 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 4
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 harrest.tield eN-
hausted, the perspiration streaming from
his forehead and chin, and fainting on
the door-sill, and my mother reSuscltat-
inc him. until seeing the alarm OF the
household, he said, Don't be frightened.
got little tired, and the sun was hot,
but I am all right now" And remem-
ber mother seated at the table. often say
inc, well. am too tired to eat!" The
fact is. that I do not think the old folks
cot thoroughly rested until they lay
down in the graveyard back Of Somer-
vile, to take the last sleep.
Ofice-seekers go through the land and
they stand on political platforms, and
they tell the farmers the story about the
independent lite of the farmer, giving
dattery where they ought to give SYM
pathy. Independent ofwhat: No class
Of fpeople in this country have it harder
than farmers. Independent Of what:
Of the curculio that stings the peach
treess of the rust N the wheat? ofthe
long rain with the rye down? Inde-
pendent Of the grasshopper? Of the
locust9 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
sheen wiz. the foo:-rot9 or the pet
horse with nail in his hoof? Inde-
pendent of the cold that freezes out the
winter grain: Independent ofthe snow
bank out Of which he must shovel HIM
self? Independent Of the cold weather
when he stands theshing his numbed
fingers around his body to keep them
from being frosted? Independent Of the
frozen ears and frozen feet: Indepen-
dent ofwhat2 Faucy-farmers who have
made their fortunes in the city and 90
out in the country to build houses with
all the modern improvements, and make
farming a luxury, may not need any
solace; but the yeomanry who get their
living out of the soil. and who that way
! have to clothe their families and educate
their children. and pay their taxes and
meet the interest on mortgaged farms
such men find terrific struggle. And
my hope is that this great National
Farmers encampment may do some
thing towards 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 grlst in the centre
of the sack so that the contents on either
side the horse balanced each other; and
drove the cattle atield. our bare feet wet
with the dew, and rode the horses with
the halter to the brook until we fell off,
and hunted the NOW for nests until the
teathered occupants went cackllnS
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 wing as 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 cf calling God a
farmer, declaring: My Father is the
husbandman."
Noah was the first farmer. We say
nothing about Cain, the tiller ofthe soil.
Adam was a gardener on large scale.
but to Noah was given all the acres Of
the earth. Elisha was an agrIcuiturist.
not culturins a ten-acre lot. for IN my
text you find him blowing 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 a 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 800 and 400
ears. The rivers and the brooks, through
artificial channels, were brought down
to the roots OF the corn. and to this
batit OF turning river wherever 1t 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
a. hook was put into theirnose, and then
they were led over the field, and to that
God refers when he says to wicked Sen
nacherib: Il will put hook in thy nose
and 1 will bring thee back by the way
which thou camest." And God has q
hook IN every mans nose, whether 1t be
Northumberland or Ahab or Herod. He
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