The Yale expositor., 1897-12-24

nations, and kindred. and people, ana
tongues the unsearchable riches of Je-
sus Christ are mightier than the shy
ing off of yoke of oxen.
How much the rocks have had to co
with the cause of God in all ages! IN
the wilderness Gods Israel were fed
with honey out of the rock. How the
rock of Horeb paid Moses back in
gushing, ripping. sparkling water for
the two stout strokes with which he
struck it, And there stands the rock
with name-I guess the longest word
in the Bible-sela-hamm and
1t was worthy of resounding, sesqul-
pedaiian nomenclature, for at that
rock Saul was compelled to quit his
pursuit of David and go home and look
after the Philistines, who were maxi
ing a flank movement. There were the
rocks of Bozez and Seneh, between
which Jonathan climbed up and sent
flying in retreat the garrison Of the
uncircumcised. And yonder see David
and his men hidden in the rock OF
Adullam and Engedil
Concerning all the vast things Of
Gods government of the universe, be
patient with the carrying out OF plans
beyond our measurement. Naturalists
tell us that there are insects that are
born and die within an hour, and that
there are several generations OF them
in one day; and if one of those July
Insects Of an hour should say, How
slow everything goes! l was told in
the chrysalis state by a wondrous in
stinct that | would find in this world
seasons of the year-spring, summer,
autumn and winter. But where are
the autumnal forests upholstered in
fire, and where are the glorious spring
times, with orchards waving their cen
sers of perfume before the affairs Of the
morning? l do not believe there are
any autumns or springtimes." If then
a golden eagle, many years old, in a
cage nearby, heard the hum of that
complaining insect, it might we'll an
swer: 20, summer insect of an hour.
though your life is so short you can
not see the magnificent turn of the
seasons, l can testify as to their real
ity, for l have seen them roll. When
/ was young, and before | was impris-
oned in this cage, | brushed their gor-
geous LEAKAGE and their fragrant bios
SONS with my own wing. You live an
hour; l have lived thirty years. But
in one of my flights high up, the gate
of heaven open for soul to go in or
a seraph to come out, | heard the
choirs chanting, From everlasting to
everlasting thou art God" And it was
an antiphonal in which all heaven re-
sponded From everlasting to ever
lasting thou art God" o, man! o, wo-
mani so far as your earthly existence
is concerned, only the insect of an
hour, be not impatient with the work
ings of the Omnipotent and the Eter-
nal.
And now, for your solace and your
safety, | ask you to come under the
shelter, and into the deep clefts, and
the almighty defense of Rock that
is higher than you, higher than any
Gibraltar, higher than the Himalayas
the Rock of Ages"-that will shell
ter you from the storm, that will hide
you from your enemies, that will stand
when the earthquakes Of the last day
get their pry under the mountains and
hurl them into seas boiling with the
fires which are already burning their
way out from red-hot centers toward
the surfaces which are already here
and there spouting with fire amid the
quaking of the mountains, under the
look and touch of him, of whom it is
said in the sublimest sentence ever
written: "He looketh upon the noun
tains. and they tremble: He toucheth
the hills and they smoker
HE you one and all to the Rock Of
Ages! And, now, as before this sermon
on the Rocks gave out the significant
and appropriate hymn, How firm a
foundation We saints of the Lord" l
will give out after this sermon on the
Rocks the significant and appropriate
hymn:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me.
Let me hide myself in thee!