The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-12-07

Next speak OF the frost as a physician
Standing at the gates of New York harbor
autumn before last, the frost dove back
the cholera, saying. Thus far shalt thou
New Orleans and Jacksonville he smote the
fever plague till II reeled back and departed
The frost is a physician that doctors cities,
Nations and continents He medicines the
world. Quinine for malaria, anti-febriie for
typhoids, sulphonal for sleeplessness. anti
spasmodic for disturbed nerves. but In all
therapeutics there Is no remedy like the
small pellets prepared by the cold, and no
physician so skilful or so mighty as the frost
Scotland has had great physicians. but her
greatest doctors have been the Abernethies
and Abercrombies that have come down
over the highlands horsed on the north wind
England has had her great physicians, but
her greatest doctors have been the Andrew
Clarkes and the Mackenzles who appeared
the first night the fields Of England were
trimmed with white. America has had its
great physicians. but her greatest doctors
have been the Willard Parkers and Valentine
| Motts who landed from bleak skies while
our fingers were benumbed aud our ears
tingled with tho cold. oh. II IL high time
that you add another line to your liturgy !
II IL high time that you make An addendum
to your prayers. II Is high time that you
enlarge the catalogue OF your blessings.
Thank God for frost. II Is tho best OF all
| germicides. II Is the only hope In bacteriol-
ogy. II Is the medicament OF continents. II
/ IL the salvation Of our temperate zone II II
the beet tonic that God ever gave the human
race. II Is tho only strong stimulant watch
I has no reaction The best commentary on
/ IL had while walking near here one cool
morning with my brother john who spent
the most OF his life ns = missionary In China.
/ and In that part OF IL whore ther, are no
frosts. He said there was tinsiing glad
! ness in his nerves indescribabe. an an almost
/ intoXtcation otdelight from the fact that II
! was the first timn for years he had felt the
sensation OF frost. We complain OF II, we
scold 1t. we trowa upon 1t. when W. ought
to be stirred by 1t to gratitude and hoist 1t on
| a doXology.
But must go farther AMI speak OF the
| frost as n jeweler. A the snow Is frozen
rain, so the frost Is frozen dew. God trans
forms II from a liquid into y crystal. II IL
| the dew glorifed In thsthirty eighth chap
ter OF that inspired drama, the book ot Job.
God says 10 the inspired dramatist with
ecstatic Interrogation. The hoary frost OF
heaven, who hath gendered it, God there
asks Job II he knows the parentage Of
the frost. He inquiries about Its pedigree.
He suggests that job study up the frost's
genealogical line. A minute before God had
asked about the parentage Ola raindrop In
\ words that years ago gave mo suggestive
text for n sermon. Hath the rain father"
But now the Lord Almighty Is catcchising
Job about the frost. He practically says
mother In what cradle Of the leaves did
| the wind rock II? The hoary frost OF heaven,
/ who hath genderc1 IT,"
IIc is stupid Christian who thinks SO
much OF the printed AMI bound Bible that
/ he neglects the Old Testament Of tho fields
nor reads the wisdom and kindness and
beauty OF God written in blossoms on the
orchard, In sparkles on the lake, In stars on
| tho sky, in frost on the meadows The
greatest jeweer OF all the earth is the frost.
! There is nothing more wonderful In all
| crystallography. Some morning In Dscem-
ber whole continent is found besprant with
diamonds, the result OF one nights work by
! this jewelcr
Do you make the depreciatory re mark that
the frost Is impermanent and will last only
two or three hours What OF that2 We go
| Into London tower and look at the crown
jewels OF England, but weare in a procession
that the guards keep moving on, and M
minutes or less are your only opportunity OF
looking at those crown jewels. but at the
crown jewels bestarred OF the frost in parks
and fields you may stand to look deliberately
and for hours, and no oneto tell you TO move
on.
Oh, these regalias and diadems OF beauty
| flung out of heaven Kings and queens on
| celebrative days have come riding through
the streets throwing handfuls of silver and
/ gold among the people but the queen ot the
winter morning Is the only queen rich enough
/ 10 throw pearls, anu rue klls Ot IrOst tne
| only king rich enough to throw opals and
| sapphires aud diamonds. Homer describes
| n necklace OF amber given To Penelope, but
/ the frost necklaces a continent. The carcanet
/ OF precious stones given to Harmonia had
| pinions Of orange jasper and white moon
stone and Indian agate. but 1t was n mistor-
tunc to any one who owned or inherited II.
and its history, generation after generation,
was "a history Of disaster, but the regalia OF
frost Is the good fortune oil every morning
| that owns t..
The imperial household OF Louis XVI
could not afford the diamond necklace which
had been ordered for Queen Marie Antoinette,
and IL was stolen and taken apart and lost,
but the necklace that the frost puts on the
wintry morning, though made Of rs many
brlliants ~ the withered glass blades, il
easily afforded BY divine opulenee and IL
never lost but after its use Ia the coronation
| OF the fields Is taken back TO heaven. D men
and women, accustomed to go into ecstasy
| when In foreign travel you come upon tho
historical gems OF Nations. whether the jewel
be called she Mountain OF Glory. or tho Sea
| OF Light, or the Crown OF the Moon or the
Eye OF Allah. or the star OF Sarawak or the
Koh-i-noor impleai you study the jewels
strewn all round your wintry home and rea-
iize that "by the breath OF God frost Is
given"
But go a step farther aud speak OF the
| frost IA an evangelist. and a text OF Scripture
the gospel In it. The Israeites in the will
derness breakfasted on something that
looked like frozen dew, and the dew evapor-
ated and left apulverized material, white and
| looking like frost, but II was mama, and OF
that they ate SO now this morning. mixed
with the frozen dew OF my text, there Is
mama on which we can breakfast our souls
| You say the frost kills. Yes, II kills some
| things but we have already seen that II gives
health and life to others. This gospel is the
SAVIOR OF life unto life or OF death unto death.
As the frost Is mighty, the gospel is mighty.
As the frost descends from heaven. the gospel
descends from heaven. BY the breath OF
God frostis given. BY the breath OF Godthe
gospel is given. As the frost puriies, so tho
! grace OF God purltes. As the frost bestars
the earth, so grace bejewels the soul As the
frost prepares for food many things that
otherwise would beinedible so the frost OF
trials ripens and prepares food for the soul. In
the tight grip Of the frost the hard shells OF
walnut and chestnut and hickory open, and
| the luxuries OF the wood, come into our laps
or upon our tables so tho frost Of trial takes
| "a ha rd and nri,.klN. .shall aru h.s