Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-11-04


But William II. Seward saw the finger OF
COZ leading in just the opposite direction
and the Con sederateS were given up, ana we
avoided a war with England which at that
time would have been the demoiitloa OF Ins
United States Government
In other woris. the nager or bo1 as IL oil"
reefs Won NAV oe Invisible to everybody
else Follow the divine pointlng As you
sac il although thu world may call you
fool There has never been man or
woman who amounted 70 anything that
has not sometimes been called 1901;
Nearly all the mistakes that you ana |
have made have coma from our following
the p0inting OF sone other fuger, instead
of the finger OF Col But, now, suppose
all forms OF disaster close IN upon man.
SupDosa his business collapses. Suppose
he BUYS goods and cannot sell them. SuD-
pose by a new invention others can furnish
the same goods at less price. Suppose cola
spring or late autumn or the coming OK an
epidemic corners man. AMI his notes come
due and he cannot meet them, ana MS rent
must be paid and there Is nothing with
to pay if, and the wages OF the employees are
due and there is nothing with wnlcn % meet
that Obligation. and the bank VIII not as
count, and the business friends to whom he
goeS for accommodation ara in the same
predcament, and he bears up and struggles
on, until after awhile crash goes the whole
concern.
He stands wondering AMI saying, 81 do
the hest could. Col knows | would pay
my debts if could but here am hedged in
and stopped" What should that man do in
that case-3o to the Scriptures and read the
promise about all things working together
for good and kindred passages? That is
well But he needs to do something
beside reading the Scriptures. He needs
to look for the finger OF God that is
pointing toward better treasures; that is
pointing toward eternal release; that is
urging him to higher realms. No human
finger ever pointed t. the east or west or
north or south so certainly the finger OF
God is pointing that troubled man to higher
and better spiritual resources than be has
ever enjoyed There are men of vast wealth
who ar. as rich for heaven SO they are for
this world but they are exceptions.
If a man grows in grace it is generally
before he gets 800, 900 or after he loses 1t.
If man has plenty OF railroad securities
and has applied to his banker for more: if
the lots he bought have gous up fifty per
cent. in value; if be had hard work t. get
the door of his fireproof safe shut because
Of a new roll Of securities he put in there
just before locking up at night; II he be
speculating into falling market or 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
were converted to God probably than in
any year since Christ was born! It was the
American prosperity so fat tnat it could fall
no fiatter.
| am speaking of whole soulei men, Such
men as are so broken by calamity that they
are humbled and fly to God for relief. Men
who have no spirit and never expect any
thing are not muca aft .c5ed by financial
changes. They are as apt to go into the
kingdom under one set OF circumstances
another. They ara deadbeats wherever they
are. The only way to get rid of them is to
lend them dollar and you will never see
them again [ have tried that plan and it
works well. But [ am speaking Of the effect
OF misfortune high spirited men. Moth
ing but trial will turn sucn men from earth
to heaven. It is only through clouds and
darkness and whirlwind of disaster such a
man can see the finger Of God.
A most interesting well most use
full study is to watch the pointing of the
finger of God. In the seventeenth century
South Carolina was yielding rosin and tur-
pentine and tar her chief productions.
But Thomas Smith noticed that the ground
near his house in Charleston very much
like the places in 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 make rice her
cn1eI prouucTon. Gan you not see Cne finger
OF God in that incident?
Rev. John Fletcher OF England, many
will know, was one Of the most useful min
listers Of the Gospel who ever preached. Be-
fora conversion he joined the army aud hal
bought mis- ticket on the ship for South
America. The morning he was to sail soma
one spilled on him kettle OF water, aud he
was 50 scalded he could not go. He was
very much disappointed, but the ship ne was
going to sail on went out and was never
heard OF again. Who can douot that God
was arranging the life Of Johu Fletcher?
Was it merely accidental that Richard
Rodda, a Cornish miuer, who was on his
knees praying, remained unhurt, though
heavy stones fell befora him and benin
him and on either side of him and another
fell on the top OF these so to make a roof
over him?
A missionary in Jamaica lost his way anil
in the night was wandering about when a
FREELY flashed and revealed a precipics over
which in moment moro he would have been
dashed. F. W. Robertson, the great
preacher of Brighton, England, had his life
work decided by the barking OF his dog. A
neighbor, whose daughter was i'll, was dis
tTr5ed by thu ksE1inc Of that dog one night.
This brought the neighbor into cJmnunlca-
ton with Robertson. That acquaintance.
ship kept him from joining the dragons and
going to India and spen ding his lite in mill
tary service, aud reserved him for q pulpit
the influence Of which for Gosp eliz 3tion will
resouud for all time and all eternity
Why did not Columbus sink when in early
manhood he was aAoAt six miles from the
beach with nothing to sustain him till he
could swim to land but boats oar? I Won
der if his preservation had an ything to do
with America. Had the storm tdat diverted
the Mayhower from the mouth OF the Hui
son, for which it was sailing and senC it
ashore at Cape Cod, no divine supervisai?
Does anarchy rule this world, or God?
st. Felix escaped martyrdom by crawling
through hole in the wall across which toe
spiders immediately afterward wova a yyah