The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-10-26

ana ruinouS. There are wrong Things
about us all, which makes me think
that 160 years ago there was some ter.
rible crank In our ancestral line. Real
ixe that, and II will be a relief semi-in-
finite. Let US take ourselves as we are
this morning, 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 II you can find
the finger Of God.
1t is remarkable thing that some
times no one can see the finger but
yourself. year before Abraham Lin
coin signed the proclamation Of eman.
cipation, the White House was thronged
with committees and associations, min
listers and laymen, advising the presi
dent to make that proclamation. But
he waited and waited, amid scoff 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 distinguished Confederates Mason
and Slidell, were taken off an English
vessel by the United States govern.
ment Don't give them up" shouted
all the northern states. "Let us have
war with England rather than sur
render Them" was the almost unani-
nous cry Of the north. But William
Seward saw the finger of God leading
in just the opposite direction, and the
Confederates were given up, and we
avoided war with England, which at
that time would have been the demoli-
tion of the United States government.
In other words, the finger of God as 1t
directs you may be invisible to every
body else. Follow the divine pointing,
as you see 1t, although the world may
call you fool. There has never been
man or woman who amounted to
anything that has not sometimes been
called fool. Nearly all the mistakes
that you and have made have come
from our following the pointing Of
some other finger, instead of the finger
of God. But, now, suppose all forms OF
disaster close in upon a man. Suppose
his business collapses. Suppose he
buys goods and cannot sell them. Sup
pose by a new invention others can fur
nish the same goods at less price. Sup
pose cold spring or late autumn or
the coming of an epidemic corners a
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 1t, and the wages Of the employees
are due and there is nothing with which
to meet that obligation, and the bank
will not discount, and the business
friends to whom he goes for accommo-
dation are in the same predicament, and
he bears up and struggles on, until,
after a while, crash goes the whole con-
Germ. He stands wondering and saying:
~ do not see the meaning Of all this
have done tho best could. God knows
l would pay my debts II 1 could,
but here l am hedged in and
stopped" What should that man
do in that case? Go to the Scrip
lures and read the promise about
all things working together for good
and kindred passages? Tha. Is well
But he needs to do something besides
reading the Scriptures. He needs K
look for the finger Of God that Is point
ing toward better treasures, that ID
pointing toward eternal release, that Il
urging him TO higher realms Nohumar
, finger ever pointed TO the east, or west
| or north, or south, so certainly as thu
, finger of God Is pointing that troubleC
man to higher and better spiritual re
sources than he has ever enjoyed. Their,
| are men of vast wealth who are as ricl
} for Heaven as they are for this world
, but they are exceptions II 4 maj
grows in grace IL s generally before h
gets 100000 or after ho loses It II
man have plenty Of railroad securitie
and has applied TO his banker for more
II the lots he bought have gone up 8
l per cent In value; II he had hard worl
r 70 get the door Of his Areproof safe shu
3 because of new roll Of securities he pu
y In there Just before locking up ut night
' II he be speculating in falling marhe
Y or rising market and things take 70
Q him right turn, he does not grow 1
. grace very much that week. Do yo
r know what made the great revival G
, 1857, when more people were converte
y TO God, probably, than in any yea
) since Christ was born2 1t was the d.
0 falcations and bankruptcy that swer
4 American prosperity so fat that II coul
g fall no Aatter. am speaking Of whole
= souled men. Such men are so broke
0 by calamity that they are humbled
2 fly TO God for relief Men who have n
a spirit and never expect anything AZ
I not much affected by financial changes
I They are as apt TO go into the lsingdoI
0 under one set Of circumstances as al
4 other. They are dead-beats wherevC
, they are. The only way TO get rid {
Q them is TO lend them dollar and yo
n will never see them again. l have trie
Q that plan and II works well But al
n speaking Of the effect Of misfortune o
l. high spirited men. Nothing but trii
r will turn such men from earth
I Heaven. II is only through clouds an
l. darkness and whirlwind Of disaster sue
o q man can SEQ the finger Of God.
d A most interesting, as we'll as mo-
= useful, study Is TO watch the pointin
Of the finger Of God. In the sever
% teenth century South Carolina WI
70 yielding resin and turpentine and b
q as her chief productions. But Thomi
II Smith noticed that the ground near h
r. house In Charleston was very mud
" like the plaoes In Madagascar where
u had raised rico, and some Of the Mad
g. gascar rico was sown there and grew |
r, rapidly that South Carolina was led
4 ~