The Penn's Grove record., 1895-10-04
NUMBER II.

l~anitesl" 1t was the best way. What sword.
spear or annon ever accomplished such q
victory rs the lamp, pitcher and trumpet
Gods way is different from mans way,
but it is always best. fake, for instance,
the composition OF The Bible. II we had had
the writing of the Bible. We would have said:
'Let one mar write it. II you have twenty
or thirty men to write a poem, or make a
statute, or write a history, or make an argu-
ment, there will be flaws aud contra lie
tions." But God says: "Let not one man do
1t but forty men shall do It," Andfhey
did, differing enough to slowthere hal been
40 collision between them, but not contra
dieting each other on any important POINT,
while they all wrote from their own stand
point and temperament, 50 that the matter
Of fact man has his Moses. the romantic ma
ture his Ezekiel, the erisranmatic his Solo
mon, the warrior 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 instead 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 to sea-if it had
been left to men to write il would have been
a thousand volumes. judging from the
amount of ecclesiastical controversy which
has arisen. Gods way is different from
mans. but it is best, infinitely best.
So it is in regari to the Christian life.
4 VI ifAAA a NAF 4 A|tAAtAAR - "
life. we would have said: "Let him have
slightly years of sunshine, a fine house to live
n. Let his surroundings all be agreeable
Let him have sound health. Let no chill
SILVER through his limbs, no pain ache his
GROW or trouble shadow his soul"
enjoy the prosperity OF others 50 mu'h
would let every man have as much
money as he wants and roses for his
children's cheeks and fountains of gladness
glancing in their large round eyes. But
that is not Gods way. II seems IS it man
must be cut, hit ami pounded Justin pr7por-
ton as he is useful. HIS child fails frona
third story window and has its life dashed
out. His most confident investment
tumbles him into bankruptcy. His friends,
on whom he depended, aid the natural
force of gravitatiou in taking him nowp.
His life is n Bull Run defeat. Instead OF
so, 900 advantages he has only 1000. Aye,
only 306-aye, none at all. How many good
people there are at their wits end about
their livelihood, about their reputation2 But
they will find out it Is the best way after
awhile. God will show them that He de-
oletes their advantages Just for the samN
reason He depleted the army Of Gideon
hat they may be indVcei to throw them
selves on His mercy.
A grapevine says in tho early spring.
How glad | am to get through the winter!
[ shall have no more trouble now. Summer
weather will come, aud the garden will be
very beautiful" But the gardener comes
and cuts the vine here and there with his
knife. The twigs begin to fall. and the
grapevine cries out Murder! What are
you cutting me for?" ''Ai," says the garden
er, 81 don't mean TO kill you. If l did
not do this, you would be the laughing
stock OF all the other vines before the season
is over" Months 30 on, and one day the
gardener m under the t~rellis, where great
clusters of grapes hang, and the grape vine
says: ''Thank you. sir. You could not a
done anything so kind as to have cut me
with that knife "Whom the Lord loVeth
He chasteneth." No pruning, no grapes; no
grinding 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. Ii we had our
way, we would have had Jesus stand in the
door OF heaven and bcckon the Nations up
to light, or we would have had angels flying
around the earth prociaimjng the unsearch-
able riches of Christ. Why is it that the cause
goes on 50 slowly? Why is it that the chains
stay ON when Col conld knock them
off? Why do thrones of despotism stan
when God could so easily demolish them?
It 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 in ghast.
illness of ruin.
LEARN from this subject that the overthrow
Of Gods enemies will be sudden and terrific.
There is the army Of the Midianites down in
the valley of Jezreel. [ suppose their
mighty men are dreaming of victory. Mount
Gilboa never stool sentinel for 80 large q
host. The spears and the shields of the
Midianites CLEAN in the moonlight and
glance on the eye of the Israelites, who
hover like q battle Of eagles, ready TO swoop
from the cliff. Sleep on, o army OF the
Midianites! With the night to hide them
and the mountain to guard them and strong
arms to defend them, let no slumberinS foe
man dream Of disaster. Peace TO the cap
.ains and the spearmen.
Crash go the pitchers! Up fare thel amusl
To the mountains! Fly, hyi TrooprunninS
against troop, thousands trampiing upon
thousands. Hark to the scream II groan
Of the routed foe, with the Lord God AT
mighty after theml How sudden the onset!
How wild the CONSERVATION! How utter the
1efeatl l do not care so much what IS
against me IL God is not. You want a better
sword or carbine than l have ever seen to go
put and fight against the Lord Omnipotent.
Give me God for my ally. and you may have
all the battlements and battalions.
| saw the Gefrauder In his splendid house.
It seemed as If he had conquered God as he
stood amid the blaze OF chandeliers and pier
mirrors, In the diamonds OF the wardrobe
[ saw the tears of the widows whom he had
robbed and in the snowy satins the pallor OF
the white checked orphans whom he had
wronged. The blood of the oppressed
glowed in the deep rimson of the inn
ported chair. The music trembled with
he sorrow OF ~unrequitted toll. But the
wave Of mirth dashed higher on reefs OF
soraI aud pearl. The days and the nights
went merrily. No sick child dared pull that
silver doorbell. No beGgar dared sit on that
marble step. No voice of prayer fioated
amid that tapestry. No shadow of a judgment
day darkened that fresco. No tear ofhuman
sympathy dropped upon that upholstery.
Pomp strutted the hall, and dissipation
aIIed her cup, and all seemed safe as the
Midianites In the valley ofJezreel. But God
came. Calamity smOte the money market.
The partridge left its eggs unmatched. Crash
went all the porcelain pitchers! Ruin, rout,
dismay and woe in tho valley OF Jezreel.
Alas for those who Fight against o only
two sides. Man immortal, which side are
you on? Woman immortal. which side are
you on? Do YOU belong to the 3O) that are
going to win the day or to the great host OF
Midianites asleep in the valley, only to be
reused up in CONSERVATION and ruinH Sud-
denly the golden bowl Of life will be broken
and the trumpet blown that will startle our
soul into eternity, The day of the Lord
eometh as a thief in the night AMI as
the God armed Israelites upon the sleeping
foe. Ha! Canst thou pluck up courage for
the day when the trumpet which hath never
been blown shall speak the roll call Of the
\ dead, and the earth, dashing against a lost
meteor, have its mountains scattered TO the
stars and oceans emptied in the arr Oh,
then, what will become OF you2 What will
become OF me2
II those Midiunites had only given up
heir swords the day before tho disaster, all
would have been we'll, and II you will now
surrender the sins with which yOu have been
lighting against God You will be safe. Oh,
make peace with HIN now, through Jesus
Christ the Lortl With the clutch Of u drown.
ing man seize the cross. Oh, surrender
Surrender Christ, with his hand on his
.ierced side. asks you to.
Sixty-four Paperless Counties.
mla--u-.-L-a-- L. .-rnn.An- in Taxa IL