Democratic messenger., 1892-10-29

of God.
LISCoLSS WISE DELAY.
Ii is Il remarkable thing that some
times no one can see that finger but
yourself. A year before Abraham Lin
J coin signed the proclamation of emanci-
patton the White House was thronged
with committees and associations. minis
ters and laymen. advising the president
To make that proclamation. But he wait
ed and waited. amid scoF and anathema.
because he did not himself see the finger
of God. After awhile, and at Just the
right time. he saw the divine pointing
and signed the proclamation. The dis
tinguished Confederates, Mason and
Slidell. We're taken off nm English vessel
by the United States government. Don't
give tiIein 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 III. Seward saw the finger of
God leading III just the opposite direc
tion. and the Confedcrates We're given
mp and we avoided Il war with England.
which ut 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
ing as you see it, although the world may
call you Il fool. There has never been a
man or a woman who amounted to any
thing that has not sometimes been called
ii fool. Nearly all the mistakes that you
and have made have come from our
following the pointing of some other fin
ger instead of the finger of God. But,
now. suppose all forms of disaster clos"
in upon "A man. Suppose his busines,
collapses. Suppose he buys goods and
cannot sell them. Suppose by "A new in
vention others can furnish the same
goods ut less price. Suppose cold
spring or Il late autumn or the coming
of an epidemic corners Il man. and his
notes come due and he cannot meet
them, and his rent must be paid and
there is nothing with which to pay it.
and the wages of the employees are due
and there is nothing with which to NEE:
that obligation, and the bank will Lot
discount. and the business friends to
whom he goes for accommodation are IN
the same predicament. and he bears ~.
and struggles on until. after awhile,
crash goes the whole concern.
BETTER TREASURES THAN MONEY.
He stands wandering and saying: 81
do not soe the meaning of all this.
have done 81 he best could. God knows
| would pay my debts if l could, but
here am hedged in and stopped"
What shu'ild that man do in that case:
Go To the Scriptures and read the
promise about all things working to-
gether for good and kindred passages:
That is well. But he needs TO do some
thing besides read the Scriptures. He
needs Ia 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 TO the east or west
or north or south so certainly as the
| finger of God is pointing that troubled
man to higher and better spiritual re-
sources than he has ever enjoyed. There
are men of vast wealth who are as rich
for heaven as they are for this world,
but they are exceptions. If man
grows i'll grace. it is generally before he
gets $lOOCO0 or after he loses it. IL n
man has 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 freproof safe shut
because of new roll of securities he
put in there just before locking up at
night; if he be specializing in a falling
market or IA 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 i'll any
year since Christ was born: Ii was the
defalcations and bankruptcy that swept
American prosperity so fiat that it could
fall no fiatter. am speaking of whole
souied men. Such men are so broken
by calamity that they are humbled and
fly TO God for relief Men who have no
spirit and never expect anything are not
much affected by financial changes.
| They are as apt 10 20 into the kingdom
under one sci Of circumstances as an
| other hey are deadbcais wherever
they are. The only way TO get rid of
them is To lend them u dollar and YOU
| will never see them again. hare tried
that plan ard il works well. But | am
speaking Of the eifec; IF misfortune on
high spirited men. Nothing hut trial
will turn such Eicn from earth to heaven.
Ii is only Though clouds and darkness
and whiriwiud IF t.i.as,cr such man
can see The finger of God.
:EEciES SOT ACCIDENTS.
4 most interesting rs well as Il most
useful study Is 10 watch the pointing Of
the finger of God. II the Seventeenth
century South Carolina was WELDING
rosin and turpe:tine ami tar is her c!i!1
productions Bat Thomas Smith no:icv,.
that the ground near hls house il
CIarlesio:. was very much like the places
III Madagascar where he had raised rice.
and Some of the Madagascar rice W:
sown there and grew so rapidly tn
South Carolina was led to make rice he
chief production. Can yon not see ini
finger Of God in that incident: Res
John Fletcher. of England. many VII
know, was one of the useful ministc~-
of the Gospel who ever preached. L.
fore conversion he joined the army ANA
had bought his ticket on the ship fo,
South America. The morning lie WIS
10 sail some one spilled on him kc;il
of water. and he was SO scalded he co,i.i
not 80. He was very much disappoinl
ed, bat the ship he was going to sail an
went ont and was never heard Of again.
the life uf John Fletcher? Was j;
merely accidental that Richard Rodda.
Cornish miner, who was on his knees
praying. remained unhurt. though heavy
stones fell before him and behind him.
and on either side of him. and another
fcl, on top of these So as to make roof
ovcr him:
y missionary in jamaica lost his way.
AMI i'll TIE night was wandering about.
when Il FREELY flashed and revealed II