The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-30

Wuen an infant was abandoned by his
mother In the fields. Did it just happen
so that the chirping Of a grasshopper
brought a boy to the. spot where the
babe lay and his life was saved2 Not 50,
thought Sir Thomas Gresham, who. hav-
ing arrived at great wealth and power,
chose q grasshopper for his crest and had
the figure Of n g~rasshopper impressed on
the wall Of the Royal Exchange and had
at the top a weather vane in the figure of
a grasshopper. The Waldensian Chris
uans in the seventeenth century were ex-
PEELED from the valleys, n o their way
500 Of them were starving to death. Did
it just happen SO that one night the deep
snow suddenly thawed and showed a
large % Of wheat which had been
covered by the untimely snow and was
suddenly uncovered so that the hunger
was satisfied and the 500 lives were saw
ed! Did it just happen SO? Near Port
Royal, Jamaica, is a tomb with this in
scription: Here lieth the body of Louis
Caldy, Esq, a native of Montpelier, in
France, which, country he left on account
or the reyocations. He was swallowed
up by the earthquake which occurred at
this place in 1892, but, by the great prov
ldence Of God, was ny a second shock
Hung into the sea, where he continued
swimming till rescued by a boat and lived
40 years afterward." Was the release of
that man from The jaws of the earth
quake a "just happen SOL" When during
the plague in London, at the risk of his
life and under the protest of his friends,
Rev. Thomas Vincent spent his time
preaching the gospel to the sufferers and
6S,596 people persisted. seven fatalities in
the house where he lived. did it just hap
pen so that he came through unhurt?
In Fulton street prayer meeting. New
York. n young man rose and said: Il
have been an inhdel II years: ! had the
prayers of n pious mother. but | sparned
them. | have not seen her for II years.
| suppose she has given nne mp as lost. I
don't know where to End her. but !
w"Hil like In tel! her what The Lord has
don' for ne in aE<wer to her earnest
prayers" Did il just happen so that his
mother WIS present AMI cried out. "Oh.
my son. I:y SON." Ion know of the
glorious Christian work in Japan. but do
you know now ii began: A New Tesla
men; WIS drnppcd from an English ship
in the harlnr of ToXyo. The little book
came into the hands Of "A prominent Jap
anese. who read i, and was brought to
God and Immediately began to commend
Christ to the people. Did ell that merely
happen So? Tell that to those who do
not believe there is d God. but do not tell
it 10 at least a hundred Of us who have
had in our own lives providential rescues
as easily proved as that we have ever liv
ed at all.
All Under Gods Care.
But we live in times when there are so
many c~lashings. There seems almost
universal unrest. Large fortunes swal-
low up small fortunes. Civilized nations
trying to gobble up barbaric nations. Up
heaval of creeds and people who once be-
lieved everything now believing nothing.
The old book that Moses began and st.
John ended bombarded from scientific
observatories and college ciassrooms.
Amid all this disturbance and uncer-
tainty that which many good people need
is not q stimulus, but a sedative. and in
my text l find it-divine observation and
guidance of minutest affairs. And moth
ing is to God large or small-planet or
ant hill-the God who easily made the
worlds employing his infnity in the won
drous construction of a spiders foot.
Before we leave this subject let us
thank God for those who were willing to
endure the fatigues and self sacrifices nee.
essary to make revelation of the natural
world. so reinforcing the Scriptures. Ii
the microscope could speak, what a story
it could tell of hardship and poverty and
suffering and perseverance on the part of
those who employed it for important dis.
covery! 1t would tell Of the blinded eyes
Of NJ. Strauss. Of the Hubers and Of scores
Of those who, after inspecting the minute
objects of Gods creation, staggered out
from their cabinets with vision destroyed.
i Thso hnrvs ~ pnon~ N npofoocnpSc cf,1dv the
work Of putting eyesight on the altar OF
science is going on. And what greater
loss can one suffer thar the loss of eye
sight, unless it be loss Of reason? While
the telescope is reaching farther up and
the microscope is reaching farther down
both are exclaiming: There is a God
and he is infinitely wise and infinitely
good! Worship him and worship hin
foreyer!"
And now | bethink myself of the fact
that we are close to a season of the yea
which will allow us TO be more OCT ol
doors and to confront the lessons of the
natural world. and there are voices that
seem to say. Go to the ant: go TO The
bird: go TO the flowers: go TO the fields
go TO the waters" Listen to the canta
tas that drop from the gallery of the tree
tops Notice in the path where you wall
the lessons of industry and divine guild
ance. Make natural religion a common
tary on revealed religion. Put the glow
of sunrise and sunset into your spiritua
experiences Let every star speak of the
morning star OF the RedepIner. and ever,
aromatic bloom maxi" you think of hin
who is the Rose OF Sharon anI the IL!
of the Valley. and every overhanginc "!if
remind you of the Rock OF Ages. az,
every morning suggest the "i~aysprins
from on high. which giveth light Ia ta0s'
who are in darkness" and even the !it;!t
hillock built by the roadside or in III
fields reminds you of the wisdom Uf imi
tating in temporal and spiritual thing
the insectile forethought. which havini
no guide, overseer or ruler, provideth he
meat in the summer and gathereth he
food in the harvest"
Copyright. 1901, by Louis Klopsch. n. VI
Poetry Not In Demand
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