The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-07-08
GOSPEL OF THE WEATHER
Rev. DR.. Talmage breaches on the
Parentage of the Rain.
God Makes the weather and Human Beings
Have No Right to Complain-The
- Rain Of Tears that Will Yet
Deluge the Earth Be-
cause of Sin.

of complaint and fault-fnding, but DIR.
Talmage finds a gospel in it, which he
proclaims from the text, Hath the rain
q fatherp" Job xxxviii, 2s. The ser
mon follows:
This book Of Job has been the sub
iect of unbounded theological wrangle.
Men have made It the ring in which to
display their ecclesiastical pugilism.
Some say that the book of Job is true
history; others, that 1t is an allegory;
others, that II is an epic poem; others,
that It is drama. Some say that Job |
lived eighteen hundred years before
Christ, others say that he never lived at |
all. Some say that the author OF this
book was Job; others, David; others,
Solomon. The discussion has landed
some in blank infidelity. Now, / have
no trouble with the books OF Job or
Revelation-the most mysterious books
In the Bible-because of a rule adopt
ed some years ago. l wade down into
a Scripture passage as long as can
touch bottom, and when can not then
wade out. / used to wade in until 1t
was over my head, and then got
drowned study passage OF Scrip
ture 80 long as II is comfort and help
to my soul; but when 1t becomes per-
plexity and spiritual upturning, quit.
In other words, we ought to wade in up
to our heart, but never wade In until 1t
is over our head. No man should ever
expect TO swim across this great ocean
OF divine truth. I go down into that
ocean as 90 down into the Atlantic
ocean at East Hampton, Long Island,
Just far enough TO bathe; then / came
out. never had any idea that with my
weak hand and foot could strike my
way clear over TO Liverpool
suppose you understand your family
Renealogy. You know something about
your parents, your grandparents, your
greatgrandparents Perhaps you know
where they were born, or where they
died. Have you ever studied the par
entage Of the shower: "Hath the rain
fatherP" This question Is not asked
by poetaster or scientist, but by the
head Of the universe. To humble and
to save Job, God asks him fourteen
questions; about the worlds architec-
ture, about the refraction Of the suns
rays, about the tides, about the snow
crystal, about the lightnings, and then
He arraigns him with the interrogation
Of the text. Hath the rain father?"
With the scientific wonders Of the rain
have nothing to do. A minister gets
through with that kind Of sermons
within the first three years, and II he
has piety enough he gets through
with It in the first three months
A sermon has come TO me tc
mean one word Of four letters; 'Helpr
You all know that the rain Is not an or
phan. You know 1t is not cast out oi
the gates Of heaven a founding Yor
would answer the question Of my text
In the affirmative. Safely housed dur
Ing the storm, you hear the rain beat
ing against the window pane, and yor
and It searching all the crevices Of the
window sill. 1t first comes down in sol
itary drops, pattering the dust, and ther
II deluges the fields and angers thu
mountain torrents, and makes the trav
eler implore shelter. You know tina
The rain is not an accident OF the world
economy. You know twas born Of tn
,loud. You know II was rocked in tn
,radle Of the wind. You know II wa
sang TO sleep by the storm. You know
that II is flying evangel from HEAVIER
10 earth. You know II is the gospel o
NE weather You know that God is II
iather.
II this be true, then, how wicked
our murmuring about climatic changes
The first eleven Sabbaths after er
tered the ministry It stormed. Throug
The week II was clear weather, but o
The Sabbaths the old country meetin
house looked like Noah's ark before
landed. A few drenched people sat b
lore drenched pastor; but most Of tn
farmers stayed at home and thanke
God that what was bad for the churc
was good for the crops committed
rood deal Of sin In those days in denour
sing the weather. Ministers Of the GO
pei sometimes fret about stormy Sal
baths, or hot Sabbaths, or inclemer
Babbaths. They forget the fact that Ii
.Iame God who ordained the Sabbat
and set forth his ministers TO announ,
salvation also ordained the weathe
Hath the rain father?"
Merchants, also, with their stor,
allied with new goods and their clerl
hanging idly around the counters, con
init the same transgression. There hay
been seasons when the whole sprir
and fall trade has been ruined by pr
tracted wet weather The inerchan
Ehen examined the weather probabil
ties" with more interest than they res
their Bibles They watched for apatc
Of blue sky. They went complainir
10 the store, and came complainir
home again. In all that season Of "
teet, and dripping garments, and IL
passable streets, they never once ask
the question: Hath the rain father
So agriculturalists commit this 81
There Is nothing more annoying thi
10 have planted corn rot In the groui
because Of too much moisture, or HI
all ready for the NOW dashed Of
shower, or wheat already for the sicl.
spoiled with the rust How hard II
10 bear the agricultural -disappoii
ments. God has infinite resources, b
~ do not think he has capacity TO ma
weather 10 please all the farmers. Son
times II is too hot, or II Is too cold; Il
too wet, or II is too dry; II 10 too ear
or II Ia TOO late. They forget that I
A