The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-10-30

Bible without smelling tho Dreath OF new
mown hay and seeing the golden light Of tho
wheat field. Aud when open my Bible to
tnke my text, the Scripture leaf rustles like
the tassels OF the corn.
We were nearly all Of US born In the codn-
try. We dropped corn In the hill, and went
on Saturday to the mill. tying the grist In
the centre Of the sack 50 that the contents on
either side tho horse balanced each other;
and drove the cattle afield, our bare feet wet
with tho dew. and rode the horses with tho
halter to the brook until we fe! of, and
hunted the NOW for nests until tho feathered
occupants went cackling away. We were
nearly all Of US born In the country, and all
would have stayed there had not some ad-
venturous lad on his vacation come back
with better clothes aud softer hands and set
the whole village on fire with ambition for
city life. so we all understand rustic allus-
ions. The Bible is full OF them. In Christ's
Sermon on the Noun. you could see the full
blown lilies and the glossy back OF the crows
wings rs II flies over Mount Olivet. David
and John, Paul aud Isaiah find in country
life n source Of frequent illustration, while
Christ liz the text takes the responsibility OF
calling God a farmer, declaring: my Father
Is the husbaudman.
Noah WAS the first farmer. We say nothing
about Cain, the iller OF tho soil. Adam was
u gardener on n large scale, but to Noah was
given all the acres OF the earth. Elisha was
an agriculturist, not cultivat!nS ten-acro
lot, for we find him plowinS with twelve
yoke OF oxen. In Bible times the land was
so plenty and the Inhabitants 50 few that
Noah was right when he gave to every In
habtant u certain portion OF land, that land
II cultivated ever after to be his own posses
sion. q
They were not small crops raised in those
times for though tue arts wers rude, the
plow turned up very rich soil, and barley
and cotton and flax and all xmas OF grain
cane up at the call ofthe harveSters. Pliuy
tells of one stalk OF grain that had on 1t be-
tween three and four hundred ears. The
rivers and the brooks, through artificial
channels were brought down to the roots OF
the corn. and to this habit of turning river
wherever il was wanted. Solomon refers
when he says: The kings heart Is in the
hand Of the Lord. aud He turneth 1t ~ the
rivers OF water are turned. whithersoever He
will.
The will beasts we're caught. and then n
hook was put into their nose. and then they
were led over the field, and to that God re-
fers wien He says to wicked Sennacherib
"l will put u hook in thy nose aud l will
bring thee back by tho way which thou
camest." And God has n hook in every bad
mans nose. whether it be ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS or
Ahab or Herod. He may think himself very
Independent, but some time in his life, or in
the hour Of his death he will find that the
Lori Almighty has n hook in his nose
This was the rule in regard to the culture
OF the ground Thou shalt not plow with
an OK and an ass together illustrating the
folly of ever putting intelligent and useful
stubborn and unmanaCeatle. The vast mU-
iority Of troubles in the churches and in re-
formatory institutions comes from the disre-
gard OF this command OF the Lord, Thou
shalt not plow with an OK and an ass to-
Sether."
Th. re were large amounts OF property in
vested in cattle. The Moabites paid 100000
sheep as an annual tax Job bad 1000 sheep,
5000 camels 500 yoke OF oxen: The time OF
vintage was ushered in With ug gwiSessr, wier, n, nut :
The cluctprS. -
| get into the press and tramp!e out the juice
| from tn. grape until their garments were
| saturated with the wine and had become the
| emblems of slaughter. Christ himself.
wounded until covered with tho blood OF
cruciil xion, making use ot this aIIusion when
| the question was asked: 'Whcrcfore art
| Thou red in Thine apparel and Thy garments
like one who trradcth lhr win" vat!' lie r..
| sponded II have trOi!r the wine press
| alone.
In all ages there has been great honor paid
| to agriculture. Seven-eights OF the people
| in every country arc disciples o; the plow
| A government l. -lroac in proportion ~ it is
| supported by an athletic AMI industrious
l. yeomaury. Sc long ago q; before tho fall OF
| Carthage. StrabO wrote twrnty-ciGht books
| on agriculture; Hcsiod wrote a poem on the
| same subject -'.Ihc Weeks and Days" Cato
was prouder 81 his work on husbaniry than
! OF all his military conqueStS. But l must
| not he tempted into q discussion OF agricul
| tural conuursts. StandinGa mid the harvests
| and orchards and vineyards OF tho B!ble. ant
| standing amid the harvests and orchards and
vineyards Of our own country--iarSer har
| vests than have ever before been gathered
want to run out the analogy between tn,
| production OF crops and the growth OF grace
in tile soul all these sacred writer's making
| use of that analogy.
| In the first place. / remark. in grace rs il
| the fields there must be plow. That which
| theologianS call conviction Is only the plow
share turning up the sins that have beer
rooted and matted in the soul. A farmer
said &c his indoient son: "rhere are
hundred dollars buried deep in that field.
The son went to work and plowed the field
from fence to fence and he plowed it very
deep. and then complained that he had no
| found the money: but when the crop haC
been gathered and sold for hundred dollar;
more than any previous year, then the young
man took the hint as to what hi, fa, he!
meant when he said there were hundred
| dollars buried iOwn in that field. DecI
| plowing for n 'rop. Deep plowng for /.
soul. He who makes liYht OF sin will nevc,
| amount 10 anything in the churoh or in thu
world. If nan speaks 81 sin as though il
! wer" an inuccuru " or Z mistake. instead o
. the loa:Esont a1oH..E:.b.c ccaSulaiDg aHt
: tamrinr thing that C Goi ha.ns. that mla
! will n"Vyr WELD Il n;.rycst o. Gs-'lln. s..
Wnrn WAS boy | P!owNi l;Hd viii
! quickly. Once in a white | pissed ovri
. some oi In" 81 without turning H. tu: did
/ not Jerk hI,G the iiDw with IL gattln.: de-
! vices. Il" uGht II mas" no difference.
| After awhile my Iathcr c.;IG" alpu: ana said
. .'WhV. taiS will never DO: this isn't p!Owrn
! deep enough there ylU have MISE! ihi.
, aGj ypu haV" missed that. Ana hi DloWcl
, il owe: again. The difficulty with u prrat
many r"orlr Is tina, they are only scratcIcu
| with conviction wh"a the SubSoii plOw o.
God truth ought t" b" pat in up t" 'ho
Nv word * t. all Sabhath-school tcachcrs,