Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-21
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
"FARMINo A GOSPEL TyfE."
THE SUBJECT OF THE TEXT.

He Preaches Before the American Farm
ers Escampmsnt At Mount Gretna-His
words1 TO Christian Workers "Pfow
DespfS-Ths Reward of Perseverance,"
The American Farmers Encampment
at Mount Gretna, near Lebanon, Pa,
on Sunday, Aug. II, listened attentively
to q remarkable discourse BY the great
Brooklyn preacher, Rev. I. De Witt
Talmage. The subject was one pecu-
liarly suited to the vast audience, being
on "Farming Gospel Type" / Kings
xix, 10: Elisha, the son of Shaphat,s who
was plowing with twelve yoke Of oxen
before him, and he with the twelfth.
Representatives OF the great farmers
associations from all parts Of the coun-
try are at the encampment, preparations
for which have been going on for months
in advance. The surrounding densely
populated counties Of Pennsylyanis are
also fully represented. To-day's services
were held in the open air. An immense
choir from the churches Of Lebanon led
the music.
Rev. DIR. Talmage spoke as follows:
Farmers of. Americal Accept my
salutation. Our text puts us down into
the plow's furrow, where many of US
have been before. My boyhood passed
on farm and my father farmer, your
style of life is familiar to me. One OF
my earliest recollections Is that Of my
father coming in from the hot harvest
field exhausted, the perspiration stream
ing from his forehead and chin, and
fainting on the doorsill, and my mother
resuscitating him, until seeing the alarm
of the household he said: "Don't be
frightened. L got little tired and the
sun was hot, but am all right now"
And remember mother seated at the
table, often saying, "Well, am too tired
to eat!" The fact is that ! do not think
the old folks got thoroughly rested until
they lay down in the graveyard back Of
Somerville to take the last sleep.
Office seekers go through the land and
they stand on political platforms, and
they tell the farmers the story about the
independent life Of farmer, giving
fiattery where they ought to give SYM
pathy. Independent of what? No class
of people In this country have 1t harder
than farmers. independent OF what?
OF the curculio that stings the peach
trees? of the rust in the wheat? of the
long rain with the rye down? Independ-
ent of the grasshopper? OF the locust?
Independent Of the drought that burns
up the harvest? Independent Of the cow
with the hollow horn? or the sheep with
the foot rot? or the pet horse with nail
in his hoof? Independent Of the cold
that freezes out the winter grain? In
dependent of the snowbank out Of which
he must shovel himself? Independent Of
the cold weather when he stands thresh-
ing his numbed fingers around his body
to keep them from being frosted? Inde-
pendent of the frozen ears and frozen
feet? Independent OF what? Fancy
farmers who have made their fortunes in
the city and go out in the country to
build houses with all the modern inn
provements, and make farming luxury,
may not need any solace; but the yeo-
manry 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 their in
terest on mortgaged farms-such men
find a terrific struggle. And my hope is
that this great National Farmers En-
campment may do something toward
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 grist in the center of the sack so
that the contents on either side of the
horse balanced each other, and drove the
cattle afield, our bare feet wet with the
dew, and rode the horses with the halter
to the brook until we fell off, and hunted
the NOV for nests until the feathered
occupants went cackling away. So we all
understand rustic allusions. The Bible
is full of them. In Christ's sermon on
the mount you see the full blown lilies
and the glossy back of the crows wing
as it flies over Mount Olivet. David and
John, Paul and Isaiah find in country
life source of frequent illustration,
while Christ takes the responsibility OF
calling God farmer, declaring, My
Father is the husbandman."
Noah was the first farmer. We say
nothing about Cain, the tiller Of the soil.
Adam was a gardener on large scale,
but to Noah was given all the acres Of
the earth. Elisha was an agriculturfst,
not culturing a 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 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
haryesters. Pliny tells of one stalk Oi
grain that had on it between three and
four hund red cars. The rivers and the
brooks, through artificial channels, were
brought down to the roots Of the corn,
and to this habit of turning river
wherever it was wanted Solomon refers
when he says: s.The kings heart is in
the hand of the Lord, and He turneth Il
as the rivers of water are turned
whithersoever He will"
The wild beasts were caught, and ther
q hook was put into their nose, and ther
they were led over the field, and to tina
God refers when He says to wicked Sen
nacherib, 81 wiz put a hook in thy nos
and win bring thee back by the wa,
which thou camest." And God has |
hook in every mans nose, whether it b
Nebuchadnezzar or Ahab or Herod. HI
may think himself very independent, bu
sometime in his life or in the hour Of hi
death he will find that tho Lord Almfght,
has q hook in his nose.