The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-10-02

'Jne garden Will De very Deautl1ul!
But the gardener comes and cuts the
vine here and there with his knife.
I The twigs begin to fall, and the
grapevine cries out, Murder! what
are you cutting me for?" "Ah," says
the gardener, II don't mean to kill
you. If did not do this you would be
the laughing-stock of all the other
vines before the season is over"
Months GO on, and one day the gar
dener comes under the trellis, where
great clusters of grapes hang, and the
grapevine says, THANK you, sir, you
could not have done anything so kind
as to have cut me with that knife.
Whom the Lord loveth He chasten-
eth" No pruning, no grapes; no grind
ing-mill, no -four; no battle, no vic
tory; no cross, no crown.
So Gods way in the redemption of
the world is different from ours. If we
had our way we would. have had Jesus
stand in the door of Heaven and beckon
the nations up to light or we would
have had angels flying around the
earth proclaiming the unsearchable
riches of Christ Why is it that the
cause goes on SO slowly? Why is it
that the chains stay on, when God
could knock them off? Why do thrones
of depotism stand, when God could
easily demolish them? 1t is His way,
in order that all generations may CO.
operate, and that all men may know
they cannot do the work themselves
Just in proportion as these pyramids
of sin go up in height will they come
down in ghastlincss of ruin.
Oh, thou father of all iniquity If
-hou canst hear my voice above the
cracking Of the flames, drive on thy
projects, dispatch thy nissaries, build
thy temples, and forge thy chains;
but know that thy fall from heaven
was not greater than thy final over
throw shall be when thou shalt be
driven disarmed into the fiery den; and
for every lie thou hast framed upon
earth thou shalt have an additional
hell of fury poured into thine anguish
by the vengeance OF our Gol; and all
| Heaven shall shout at the overthrow,
as from the ransomcd earth the song
breaks through the side, 'Halleluiah!
,f?r The Lord Cod Onnipotent reigneth!
Hallelujah! for the kingdoms of this
world have become the Kingdoms Of
our Lord Jesus Christi Gods way in
the composition of the Bible, Gods
way in the Christians life, Gods way
in the redemption of the world, Gods
way IN cverything-ditferent from
mans way, but the best
/ learn from this subject that the
overthrow of Gods enemies will be sud-
den and terrific. There is the army of
the Midianites down in the valley of
Jezreel. l suppose their mighty men
are dreaming of victory. Mount Gilboa
never stood sentinel for so large host.
The spears and the shields of the Midi
antics CLEAN in the moonlight and
glance on the eye of the Israelites who
hover like battle of eagles, ready to
swoop from the cliff. Sleep on, 0 army
of the Midianites. With the night tc
hide them, and the mountain to guard
them, and strong arms to defend them
let no slumbering foeman dream of dis
aster! Peace to the captains and the
spearmcn!
Crash 60 the pitchers! Up fare the
lamps. 70 the mountains fly! fly
Troop running against troop, thou
sands trampling upon thousands. Harh
to the scream and groan of the routed
foe, with the Lord God Almighty after
them! How sudden the onset, how wilt
the CONSERVATION, how utter the defeat
do not care so much what is agains
me, if God is not. You want better
sword or carbine than | have ever seer
to go out and fight against the Lore
omnipotent. Give me God for my ally
and you may have all the battlement
and battalions.
] saw the defrauder in his splendiC
house. 1t seemed rs if he had con
quered God as he stood amidst tht
blaze of chandeliers and pier mirrors
la the diamonds of the wardrobe | saw
the tears of the widows whom he hat
robbed and in the snowy satin tn,
pallor of the white-chcelied orphan
whom he had wronged. The blood o
the oppressed glowcd in the deep Grim
son of the imported chair. The mus
trembled with the sorrow of unrc
Quilted toll. But the wave of mirtl
dashed higher on reefs of coral anC
pearl. The days and the nights wen
mcrrily. No sick child dared pull tina
silver door bell, No beggar dared 81
ON that marble step. No voice o
prayer foated amidst that tapestry
No shadow of a judgment day dark
ened that fresco. No tear of human
sympathy dropped upon that u2hol
stery. Pomp strutted the hall, anc
dissipation filled her cup, and al
seemed safe as the Medianites in th
valley of Jezreel. But God came. Ca
lGmity smote the money market Th
partridge left its eggs unmatched
Crash went all the porcelain pitchers
Ruin, rout, dismay, and woe in th'
valley of Jezreel
Alas for those who fight against God
Only two sides. Man immortal, whicl
side are you on? Woman immortal
which side are you on? Do you belong
to the three hundred that are goSlg t,
win the day. or to the great host o
Midianites asleep in the valley only tt
be reused up in CONSERVATION anC
ruin? Suddenly the golden bowl of lifC
will be broken, and the trumpet blowr
that will startle our soul into eternity
The day of the Lord cometh as THE
in the night, and as the God-arlned Is
raelites upon the sleeping foe. Ha
Cunst thou pluck up courage for tn,
day when the trumpet which hatl