The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-17

not passed this way before"
Yea, our entire world is on a new path
way. II may be swinging In the same old
orbit as when. by the hand of the Al
mighty immensely was sprinkled with
worlds, but it has been rocked with earth
quakes and scorched with volcanic fires
n whelmed with tidal waves and
wrought upon by climatic changes-cities
sunk, and islands lifted, and mountains
~aEalanched into valleys. So it is another
world than that WHICH was first started
In the solar system. Yet it is all the time
changing and will keep changing until the
hour of its demolition. OF this beautiful
world, this ~lustrous world, this glorious
world, it may be said, Eye have not
passed this way before"
What is the practical use Of this sub
ject? Instead of putting so much stress
upon human advice and instead Of asking
of the past what we ought to do, follow
the divine leading as the men OF Joshua
followed the golden lidded chest of aca-
cia, which was the symbol Of the divine
presence. Not human, but divine, leader
ship, Joshua not consulting with his colo
nels and lieutenants, but consulting with
God-the God of individuals, the God of
nations, the God of worlds.
The Lesson of Reverence.
That t~hree-quarters of a mile distance
between the ark or sacred box and the
front column of Joshua's troops nightly
impresses me. 1t was a ~forceful way of
teaching reverence for the Almighty.
They needed to learn that lesson of rev
erence, as we all need to learn it. Irrev-
erence has cursed all nations. and none
more than our own. Irreverence in the
use of Gods name. Hear you it not on
the streets and in social groups, and is
not a profane word sometimes thought
necessary to point jocosity? Irreverence
for the Scriptures, the phraseology of the
Bible often introduced into the most friv-
olous conversation and made mirth pro-
voking. Irreverence for the oath in court
room or custom house or legislative hall
by the conventional and mechanical mode
of its administration. Irreverence for tie
holy Sabbath by the way it is broken in
pleasurable excursion and carousal. 1r-
reverence on the part of children for their
parents, insolence being substituted for
obedience. Irreverence for rulers, which
induces vile cartoons and assassination.
Irreverence in church during prayer,
measuring off song and sermon by cold,
artistic or literary criticism, and in pray
er time neither bowling the head nor
bending the knee nor standing as one
does in the presence Of earthly ruler, thus
showing more respect for a man than to
the King of kings. We ask not for genu-
fexions or circumfexions or prostrations,
but when prayer is offered let us either
bow the head or bend the knee or let us
in some way prove that we are not indif-
ferent. In how man. places have pre-
sumption and foolhardiness taken the
place of reverence! That ~three-quarters
of a mile between the chest of acacia
covered with gold and mounted with
wings-a symbol of the divine presence
and the marching regiments of Joshua
suggests a reverence that is woefully
lacking in social life, in legislative hall
and religious assemblage. A farmer went
to the wheatield, taking his son with
him. The child said: "These stalks that
stand straight up must have the best
grain. Those stalks that bend over can
not be worth anything" Then the father
broke off two of the tops of the stalks
and said, "Child, that one that bends
clear over has the grain" 1t is the soul
that bows in deepest reverence which is
the best soul.
But though Joshua's host observed the
th~ree-quarters Of a mile command, they
followed the ark, and you will do well to
| follow the divine leading, as the path you
tread now has not yet been trodden. eye
have not passed this way before" Many
of you are suffering from just such an
noyances as have not occurred in all your
history. There have been meannesses
| practiced Upon you or you have received
Sights or you are the subject of misinter-
pretations or you are in the midst of sore
disappointments or there are demands
made upon your strength and time more
than you can meet or some physical all
ment is laying siege to you castle of
health or You are under embarraSSmentS
that you cannot mention even to nearest
friends. You say: We'll, | never saw
anything like this. | never expected u
treatment az this. | never thought it pos
sible to be placed in such circumstances"
And when you say all that you are only
translating the words of my text into
your own phraseology. If you had suffer
ed something like this before. you would
lave known what to do. but here is a
flank movement for which you are not
ready.
Ask Gods Help.
As you have had no experience of this
kind upon which TO draw for wisdom and
as you cannot fully state all the circum-
stances to any human ear, go to God and
tell him all about il. He knows already.
but it will relieve you and help you if you
tell him. That is what he has been doing
ever since the world got into trouble by
disobedient behavior on the banks OF the
Euphrates. IL in the first chapter of the
Bible we see the gate through which the
woes of the world entered. in the third
chapter of the Bible we see the opening
of the gate through which they are to be
driven out. Promises by the scores and
hundreds and thousands. Sacri6cial lambs
foretelling the Lamb of God. Rock strick-
en- into gushing floods. typical of the fact
that the worlds thirst is going to be
slaked. Pillar of fire hoisted above will
derness march. Star of hope over birth
place in a barn. Sepulchers rent open.
Trumpets of deliverance sounded. All
heaven to take part in the rescue Of our
planet. The Infinite God listening with
an ear in which a whisper 10000 miles
away is as audible as thunder.
Perhaps it is a bereavement You have
felt sorrow for those who lost children or
thought you did, but now that the sorrow