St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-01-22

until they shrivel up in the 6nsl
fires, which biologists say arc al.
ready kindled aud glow hotter
than the furnaces Of an ocean
steamer as it puts out from New
York Narrows for Hamburg or South
ampton. 1 should not wonder If from
the crypt Of ancient cities the in.
spired manuscripts of Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John, in their own chirogra-
ply, would be taken, aud the epistles
which Paul dictated to his amanuensls,
as we'll as the one in the apostles own
handwriting. At the same ratio Of
archaeological and geological confir.
nation of the Scriptures, the time will
come when the truth of the Bible will
no more be doubted than the common
almanac, which tells you the days and
the months of the year, and the unbe-
levers will be accounted harmless
lunatics. Forward the telescope and
the spectroscope and the chemical bat
teries, and critically examine the os-
tracods Of the ocean depths and the
bones of the great mammals on the
gravelly hill tops! And the mightier,
and the grander, and the deeper and
the higher the explorations, the better
for our cause. As sure as the thunder
bolts OF the Almighty are stronger
than the steel pens Of agnostics, the
ark OF God will ride on unhurt, aud
Uzzah need not fear any disasters up
setting. The apocalyptic angel flying
through the midst of Heaven, pro-
claiming to all nations, and kindred,
and people, and tongues the unsearch-
able riches of Jesus Christ are might
Ter than the shying off of 3 yoke Of
oxen.
How much the rocks have had to do
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- hammahlekoth, and it was
worthy of q resembling, sesq uipeda-
liam nomenclature. for at that rock
OF David and go home and look after
the Philistlnes, who were making .
flank movement. There were the rocks
OF Bozez and Seueh, between which
Jonathan climbed up and sent flying in
retreat the garrison of the uncir-
cumcised. Aud yonder see David aud
his men hidden in the rock Of Adullam
and Engedi!
But while 60 on with my study of
the geology of the Bible, or, God among
the rocks, get q more intelligent and
helpful idea of divine elaboration.
These rocks. the growth Of thousands
of years. and. geology says. of millions
OF years, ought to show the prolonga-
ton of Gods plans and cure our i'm
patience because things are not done
in short order. Men, without seeing
it, becoming critical of the Almighty
and think, Why does lie not do this
and do that and do it right away?
We feel sometimes as if we
could not wait Well, l guess we
will have to wait. God is never in q
hurry, except about two things. His
plans, sweeping through eternity, are
beyond our comprehension. They
have such wide circle, such vastness Of
revolution, such infinitude. that we
can not compass them. Indeed, He
would not be much of q God whom we
could thoroughly understand. That
would not be much of a father who
had no thoughts or plans larger than
his babe of one year could compass.
II God takes millions Of years TO
make one rock. do not let rs become
critical if He takes 20 years, or u GEN.
tury, or several centuries, to do that
which we would Ii lie to have done i'm
mediately. Do not repeat the folly of
those who conclude there is no God, or
that He is not in sympathy with the
right and the good, because He does
not do certain things in the time we
set apart for their performance.
Do not let Us hold up our little
watch with its tiny hour hand and
minute hand. and by it try to COR
rect the clocks of the universe, its
pendulum taking 500 years to swing
this way, and 500 years to swing that
way. Do no: let US set up our little
spinning wheel beside the loom in
which God weaves sunrises and sun
sets and auroras. We have the best of
authority for saying that shat one
day with the Lord is as thousand
years, and thousand years as one
day." Do not expect that Uzzah's
oxen, even if they do not shy off, but
go straight ahead, can keep up with
the fre-shod lightnings-
But 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 iu-
sects of AN hour should say: "How
slow everything goes! was told in
the chrysalis state by wondrous in
stinct thatI would find in this world
seasons of the yesr--spring, sum-
mer, autumn aud winter. But where
are the autumnal forests upholstered
in fire. and where are the glorious
springtimes, with orchards waving
their censers of perfume before the
affairs of the morning? do not be-
lieve there are o1y autumns or spring
times" If then q golden eagle, many
years old, in cage nearby
heard the hum OF that complain.
ing insect, it might we'll answer;
20, summer insect of IN hour,
through your life is SO short you can
not see the magnificent turn of the sea-
sons, can testify rs to their reality.
for / have seem them roll. When /
was young, and before l was i,npris-
oned in this cage, l brushed their
glorious LEAKAGE and their fragrant
blossoms with my own wing. You
live an hour; have lived 81
years. But in one Of my fights
high up, the gate of Heaven
open for q soul to go in or seraph
to come out. heard the choirs chant
ing From everlasting to everlasting
Thou nrt God. And it was an anti