Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-10-05
Gods Way the Best.

such great hots OF Midlanitcsi' Ii was
the best way. What sword, spear or can
non ever accomplished such victory as
the lamp, pitcher and trumpctf
Gods Way the Best.
Gods way Is different from mans way,
hut Il Is always best. Take, for instance,
the composition of the Bible. II we had
had the writing of the Bible, we would
have said: Let one man write II. II you
have 90 or 30 men Ia write IA poem, or
make a statute. or write u history. or make
an argument, there will be flaws and con-
tradictions.' But God says, Let not one
man do il, hut 10 men shall do It," And
they did differing enough To show there
had been no collusion between them, but
not contradi, ting each other ON any i'm
portant point. while they all wrote from
their own standpoint and temperament.
So that the matter of fact man has his
Moses: the romantic nature his Ezekiel;
the epigrammatic his Solomon: the war
rior his Joshua; the sailor his Jonah: the
loving his John; the logician his Paul.
Instead of this Bible, which now can
lift In my hand-instcad Of the Bible the
child can carry To Sunday school, instead
OF the little Bible the sailor can put In his
jacket when he goes 60 sea-s IL had been
left TO men to write IL would have been
thousand volumes. Judging from the
amount Of ecclesiastical c. controversy which
has arisen. Gods way III different from
mans. but IL Is best. infinitely best.
So 1t Is In regard 20 this Chri,tsan's lie
II we had had the planning 4 Chris
tinn's life. we would have said: Let him
have so years Of sunshine, "A fire house 10
live In. Let his surroundings all be agree
able. Let him have sound health. Let no
chill shiver through his limbs, no pain
ache his brow or trouble shadow his
soul" enjoy the prosperity Of others so
much / would let every man have rs
much money as he wants and roses for
his childrcn's checks and fountains 81
elaincss CHANGING in their large round
eyes. But that Is not Gods way.
II seems rs II man must be cut and hit
and pounded Just in proportion rs he Is
useful. His child falls from n third story
window and has its life dashed out. His
most confident investment tumblcs him
into bankruptcy. His friends, on whom he
depended. aid the natural force Of gravita-
ton In taking him down. His life Is Bull
Run defeat. Instead OF 80, 900 advantages
he has only 1000. Aye, only 300-aye
none Mt all. How many good people there
hood. about their reputation. But they
will find out II Is the best way after
awhile. God will show them that he de-
plctes their advantages just for the same
reason he depleted the army Of Gideon
that they may be induced to throw them
selves on his mercy.
The Grapevine and the Gardener.
A grapevine says in the early spring:
"How glad am to get through the win
ter! i shall have no more trouble nowi
Summer weather will come and the gar
den will be very beautiful But the gar
dencr comes and cuts the vine here and
there with his knife. The twigs begin 10
fall, and the grapevine cries out: "Mur-
der! What are you cutting me for!'' All"
says the gardener, II don't mean TO kill
you. II / 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 gardener comes under the
trcllis, where great cluscrs 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 lovcth he chasteneth."
No pruning, no grapes; no grinding mill,
no -four; no battle. no victory; no cross.
no crown.
So Gods way, in the redemption Of tho
world, is different from ours. II we had
our way, we would have had Jesus stand
In the door of heaven and beckon the ma
tions mp to light. or we would have had
angels flying around the earth proclaim
ing the unsearchable riches Of Christ. Why
Is Il that the cause goes ON 81 slowly Why
Is 1t that the chains stay on when God
could knock them OFF, Why do thrones af
despotism stand when God could so easily
demolish them? Ii is his way In order that
all generations may cooperate. 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 I'm ghastliness Of ruin.
o thou father Of all iniquity, II thou
canst hear my voice above the cracking OF
the flames, drive on thy projects, dispatch
thy emissarics, build thy temples and forge
thy chains, but know that thy fall from
heaven was not greater than thy final over
throw shall bc when thou shalt he driven
disarmed into thy fiery den, and for every
Ito thou hast framed upon earth thou shalt
have an additional hell Of fury poured into
thine anguish by the vengeance Of our
God, and all heaven shall shout at the over
throw as from the ransomcd earth the song
breaks through the skies: "Hallcluiahi
for the Lord God Omnipotent rcigneth,
dalleluiahi for the kingdoms Of this world
Savc become the kingdoms Of our Lord
Jesus Christi" Gods way In the compo-
tition Of the Bible. Gods way in the
Christians life. Gods way In the redemp-
ton OF the world, Gods way In everything
different from mans way, but the best.
God the Great Ally.
learn from this subject that the over
throw OF Gods enemies will be sudden and
terrific. There Is the army Of the INDIAN
ties down In the valley Of Jezrecl. sup
pose their mighty men are dreaming OF
victory. Mount Gilboa never stood sem
tinel for SO large host. The spears and
the shields Of the Midianites CLEAN in the
moonlight and glance ON the eye Of the
Israelites, who hover like n battle OF
eagles, ready 10 swoop from the cliff. Sleep
on, o army Of the Mldianitesi With the
night 90 hide them, and the mountain to
guard them, and strong arms 10 defend
them, let no slumbcring focman dream Of
disaster, Pence Co the captains and the
spearmen!
Crash go the pitchers! Up flare the
lamps! To the mountainsl Flyl Fly!
Troop running against troop, thousands
trampling upon thousands. Hark 10 the
scream and groan Of the routed foe, with
the Lord God Almighty after theml How
sudden the onset, how wild the constcrna.
ton, how utter the defeat do not fear
so much what Is against me IL God Is not
You want u better sword or carbinc than
have ever seen TO go out and fight against
the Lord Omnipotent. Give me God for
my ally, and you may have all the battle
ments and battalions.
saw the defraudcr In his splendid
house. II seemed rs II he had conquered
God as he stood amid the blaze Of chan
deliers and pier mirrors. In the diamonds
OF the wardrobe saw the tears Of the
widows whom he had robbed, and In the
snowy satin the pallor of the white checked
orphans whom he had wrunged The
blood Of the oppressed glowed In the deep
crimson Of the imported chair. Tho music
trembled with the SORROW Of unrequiied
toll. But the wave ~ mirth dashed higher
on resets Of coral and pearl The days and
the nights went mcrrily. No sick child
dared pull that silver doOrbcll. No beg
gar dared sit ON that marble step. No
voice Of prayer iioatcd amid that tapestry.
No shadow Of IA judgment day darkcncd
that fresco. No tear Of human sympathy
dropped upon that upholstery. Pomp
strutted the ball. and dissipation filled her
cup, and all seemed safe rs the Midianites
In the valley of Iczrccl But God came