The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-12-02

puritanicaI whether aguustic or idoIatrous.
all have had ''their little day and ceased to
be- ana yet man continues on steadily pro
crossing in his destined career, assisted here,
retarded there, hut never retrograding from
the goal or destination or haven where he
would be.
In propOunding any ethical system for man
one of two lines of thought must be followed
10y the nature OF the case. Either the plan
suggested must be destructive Of things that
are, or it must be- constructive of things that
are to hr. Every man in his earthly career
is tearing down or building up: he is engaged
all the time in one or thc other OF these two
processes Such j. the natural outcome of
his activity. Among the lower animals we
llnd a- much--the birds build their nests. the
squirrels and rabbits and beavers and bees
provid" for winter. aud 50 construct for their
wrta'" as best they can. But man has some
thing more tnan mere instinct to guide his
activity ior whetrtr he destroys or constructs
his work must h" reasonable aud iudIcious,
as well IL simp Y nltioarious and convenient
He who takes It upon himself to suggest
for n!an bettrfment, must note nrst what
he destroys, ana to ponder over what he has
to replace
When Jesus "a )trd these words Of Moses.
h" uuG"ul trdIy ia! mans weIriir" clearly IN
mind, ,.l man d- lie was then, he lr.t the
h'a@s responsibility OF initiating lur man
what phitua" her OF statesman mad never
provided. Locus regard tar ~rtt.n ny OF these
words, and the circumstances that called
then 'trth on twO fNnoU~ o.'.-i,a-. The
~'eDe ul both occasions WAS the WILDERNESS:
the first time with Moses as ,hr speaker, the
second With our blessed Io.I tnmptcd of the
Devil.
Noses had called all I-raeI before him. and
rchearsod TO then the words VI the COM
mandm"Lt-, hnd also said To- tbom. he
humhic1 thee, and suffered three tu hunger,
and fed thee with manun. wllich thou knew
ct not. neither dill thy fathers know; that he
might make thee know. that man doth not
liv" y hrend only, but by every word that
pro""edcth out Of the mouth or the Lord
doth man live Moses here showed the
IrraeIites that jourheyIuc in Il wilderness
ontren and fruitless, that Notwithstanding
their transltory sojourn first IN one place and
then another, God provides for their necessi-
lies, but not unIv by bread, or the ordinary
means Of bodily sugteuanre that the earth
Yields in due season. but by u food whose
nGturc they know not: miraculOUslv given
10y Gods almighty word and will. Thus was
| the lesson taught that II is not nofure thet
| uuurshus man, but God the Crea,or nv and
through nature: and gcperallv that God il
/ not tied to tho particular channels through
whic8 he j. ordinarily pleased to work. He
teaches them their utter Deepen !cnce on God
in times Of need and trmpta,ion.
| On the .rrolH occasion ,yheg these wor =
were Vuylrl our Lord was in lhr wilderness
tempted of Satan. He had rc-ort,d thithcr
Immediately after Hi~ hantisn for fasting
and prayer ana meditation and rommur.ion
/ with God, preparatory TO The great work he
was about to undertake. for man, tettrrnlcut
His rvd". ptiou from sin. uld salvation to
eternal life
When thus cnga-cd in strcnptheniry hi.
| spirit. hc nrglcr.- tho bodily wants and an
| prti;cs, until 10 days lass by without food or
drink Then, "He was an Lunrred." lust d,
you and l would be. Then cometh the
trmpt"r and saith. 'If thou he the Son of
| God (and at YOUR Baptism. we have nil had
evidence OF IT. command that those stones be
made bread" But Jesus answered and said,
"It is written. Man shall not live by bread
aioue bat by every word that proroedetb out
Of the mouth of God" Here was the BEGIN
! ming Of that series of conflicts our Lord boI