The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1895-12-05

have the greatest cause for Thanksgiving
and praise. Look into the deep intent Of
rich and bountiful nature. The Eternal
Power at the heart Of it has designed and
ordered it to benefcently provide for
every living creature in it, But not on
the coddling plan of partial, tickle,
Providence that would heap blessings on
such as grovel before him; but that Of
yielding them to those that stand erect in
their integrity before him, and work with
him i'll harmony with natures laws. tits
the ground plan Of this universe that man
be lord Of nature The bounty of nature
is increased ten fold, fifty fold, hundred
fold by the intelligent and industrious
CO. working of man. The Eternal Power
works, not only in the heart Of nature,
! but in the powers and faculties Of man.
In spite Of storm and flood and blighting
drouth and frost, nature steadfastly re-
tains her infinite resources of production,
awaiting and soliciting man S co operative
effort to adjust himself to their conditions,
and develop their possibilities She hour
~ offers her rich bounties, enough for all
her children. Somewhere the earth pro-
duces, or may be made to produce,
enough for every creature that lives upon
it. lit seems as if everywhere the power
|
man, Learn how to use me, and see how
| will bless YOU
The fact that there are SO many in the
world who experience lack and suffering,
furnishes no evidence of limitation to the
| abundant store of natures power and
willingness. 1t only shows that man has
not 50 learned to adjust himself to her
| provisions and laws as to get at the heart
OF her bounty, and on the one hand to re-
frain from taking a great deal more than
his share, and on the other to come short
OF getting enough to keep him from pov-
erty and woe.
In the Psalm we have taken for our
text we have a parable of the shepherding
care Of the Eternal. Safety, shelter, com
fort, protection from deadly perls; and
lastly. in the figure Of Oriental hospital
ity, plenty to overlooking. SThou pre-
parest table before me in the presence
Of mine enemies. Thou anointest my
head with oil, my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me al the days of my life, and | will
dwell in the house Of the Lord forever"
| This Psalm was a song of exalted re-
| ligous patriotism intended to inspire the
Hottest hope, courage, and confidence in
the God Of Israel, and in righteousness as
the basis Of national prosperity. Jehovah
was the refuge of his people. To him
they might flee from all the dangers that
threatened, all the foes that harrassed
From him they might confidently expect
a hospitality which was unstinted in liber-
allty. and untainted by distrust The
language Of this closing part Of the Psalm
displays in detail the character Of Oriental
hospitality. The Law of Moses babe the
| Hebrew host to treat the stranger even as
brother, and though hunted, if once he
took refuge within the gates of the He
| brew, the sentiments of humanity and
honor were his protectors. Ii it was a
| time Of feastng the refugee was made a
guest. The amounting Of the head with
perfumed oil was an eastern custom,
which, as mark of special consideration,
the host himself might perform.
| Every Hebrew would comprehend the
poets theme. Jehovah, the Infinite Host,
Protector, Provider: the refuge from per
ills, and the supTHer of all wants. Not
| only to the extent of mans actual needs
but to lavishness This bountifulness Of
Jehovah is once and again set forth in the
Psalms. He is said to make the earth re-
oice: to crown the year with goodness; to
make the valleys to stand SO thick with
corn that they shout and sing for joy: to
make the ground soft with showers: and
| to bless the increase of it, His very steps
dropped richness. and the fields Of the
wood rejoiced before him. reioiced be-
cause he cometh to judge the people with
truth Thus confidently did the Hebrew
poets sing in their highest religious moods
May not we, with as confident trust.
declare the wealth of the Infinite bounty
and care, and the might Of the eternal
protection? The earth is lavish Of her
bounty. Seed time and harvest fail not
That the human race does not in each in
divdual case enjoy an equal share of this
bounty IS not because of the insut1icicacv,
but because of the inequality of adjust
ment to the great world forces which pro
duce and distribute it. As to the welfare
Of humanity as whole there can be NJ
question. We have no right to look for
miraculous distribution of nature bounty
which would leave out of the problem all
Of mans powers and limitations and give
to the idle and thriftless an equal share
with the industrious and thrifty. lit
is not the fault of Nature that some
men get more than an equal share
and others less. The sandy desert is not
as productive as the rich valley Natures
bounty, though scanty in the desert over
flows in the valley. The man in the desert
may 60 hungry, while the man in the val
ley feasts. 1t is in one mans power to
make the desert blossom and bear fruit in
abundance: another may lack both wit
and skill to do it. 1t is also in man
power through the culture Of his soul to
reclaim the moral deserts Of society. Ma
terial poverty is the token Of man $ ignor-
ance, :ncapacity, cupidity, sin. Only by
the spread Of enlightenment, justice, in
tegrity and kindness, can prosperity be
equitably adjusted and the Infinite bounty
be enjoyed by all. Nothing short Of the
prevalence of moral civilization can in
sure an adequate measure Of material
benefit and happiness to all.
Meanwhile mankind is in process of
moral development, staggering under the
difficulties which burden him; painfully
battling with the enemies Of his prospect
ty and peace without and within; all the
while aware that the Infinite bounty, the
resources of nature, are ample, and await
ing and soliciting his adjusting effort to
equitably share them. In one place the
principles and graces of Christianity pre-
vail; in another the inhuman atrocities of
barbarism desolate the land, and menace
and destroy human beings, as in Armenia
to-day. 1t might seem to those Armenian
Christians WHO are at the mercy Of the
cruel Turk, as if the Lord s arm was short
ened that it could not save. But even in
their case, terrible as it is, the enlighten-