Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-10-29

udDlLS depressing auu TuluouS. utio
are wrong things about US all which
make me think that one hundred and
fifty years ago there was some terrible
crank in orr ancestral line. Realize
that and it will lie relief semi-infinite.
Let us take ourselves rs we are this mo-
ment, and then ask (which way:" Get
all the direction you can from careful
and constant study of the Bible, and
then look up and look out and look
around and see if yon CAN find the finger
of God.
LINcoLN's WISE DELAY.
1t is ~ remarkable thing that some
times no one can see that finger but
yourself. A year before Abraham Lin
coin signed the proclamation of cmanci-
patton the White House was thronged
with committees and associations. minis
tiers and laymcn, advising the president
to make th;: proclamation. Buthe wait
cd and waited, amid scott and anathema,
because he did not himself see the finger
of Cod. After awhile, and justsShe
time q
and signed sfhe proc li;1hatio n.s The sGis:;
tinguished Confederates, Mason and
slidell, were taken off an English vessel
'hy the United States government. Don't
give them up" shouted all the northern
states. "Let:us have war with England
rather than surrender them, was the al
most unanimous CRY of the north. But
William II. Seward saw the finger of
God leading in Just the opposite direc-
ton, and the Confederates were given
up and we avoided a war with England,
which at that time would have been the
demolition of the United States govern.
ment. In other words, the finger Of God
rs it directs you may be invisible to
everybody else. Follow the divine point
irg as you see it. although the world may
call you fool There has never: been
man or Il woman who amounted to any
thing that has rot Sometimes been called
q fool. Nearly all the mistakes that You
and have made have come from our
following pointing of some other fin
ger instead of the fingerTof God. But,
now, suppose all forms of disaster close
in upon ran. Suppose his business
collapses. Suppose he buys goods and
cannot sell them. Suppose bya new IT.
vention others can furnish the same
goods at less price. Suppose cold
spring or late autumn or the coming
Of an epidemic corners man, and hls
notes come due and he cannot meet
them, and his rent must be paid and
there is nothing with which to pay it,
rnl the wages of the employees are due
and there is nothing with which tomeet
that Obligation, and the bank will not
discount, and the business friends to
whom he goes for accommodation are in.
the same pretlicament, and he bears ur
and struggles on until, after awhile.
crash goes the whole concern.
BETTER TREASURES THAN MONEY.
He stands wandering and saying: 81
do not see the meaning of all this. !
have done the best could. God knows
would pay my debts if | could, but
here am hedged in and stopped"
What should that man do in tlsssS case?
Go to the Scriptures ar read the
promise about all things working to-
gether for good and kindred passages?
That is we'll. But he needs TODD some
thing besides read the Scriptures. lie
leeds to look for the finger. Of God that
is pointing toward better Treasures; that
is pointing toward eternal release; that's
urging him to higher realms. No human
finger ever pointed to the east or wesi
or north or south so certainly as the
finger of God is pointing that troubled
man to higher and better spiritual re-
sources thai lie has ever enjoyed. There
are mon of vast wealth who are as rich
for heaven as they are for this world,
but they are exceptions. Ii a man
grows in grace, it is generally before he
gets 100000 or after he loses it. 1t Il
man he's plenty of railroad securi les
and has applied to his banker for more;
if the lots he bought have gone up fifty
per cent. in value; If he had hard work
to get the door of his fireproof safe shut
because of Il new roll of securities he
put in there Just before locking up at
night; if he he specializing in falling
market or IL rising market and things
take for him - right turn, he does not
grow in grace very much that week. Do
You know what made the great revival
of 1857, when more people We're con-
verted to God, probably, than in any
year since Christ was born? 1t was the
defalcaiions and bankruptcy that swept
American prosperity SO fat that it could
fall no fiiltter. am speaking of whole
souled men. Such mel arc so broken
by calamity that they are humbled and
Av 10 C1od for relief. Men who have no
spirit ard never expect anything are not
.rluch affected by financial changes.
They are as apt to go into the kingdom
under one set Of circumstances as an.
other. They arc deadlcats wherever
they are. The OILY way 10 get rid Of
then is to lend them adollar and you
will never see them again. have tried
that plan and it works well. Dut | am
speaking Of t!,eeGtce CT misfortune on
high spirited men, Nothing but trial
viii turn sucn men from eaf.il toheaven.
Ii is cniJ trough clouds and darkness
untl wEirlvii:tl Of disaster such i man
can sec the f:igeG OF God.
SIEIc.Es NOT ACCIDENTS.
A most interesting as well rs a most
useful study is 10 wa.cn tho pointing OF
the finger of God. In the Seventeenth
century South Carolina was yielding
-osin end turpentine and tar rs her chief
productions. BatTkoinas Saith noticed
That the ground near his house in
Charleston was very much like the places
III Madagascar where he had raised rice,
and some of the Madagascar rice was
sown there and grew so rapidly that
South Carolina was led to mako rice her
chief production. Can you not see the
finger of God in that incident? Rev.