St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-06-14

| to what end the pleasure seekers are
| tending.
But the secret of true happiness is
found in the acceptance of Gods Gift.
No tarnish ever dims the luster OF
that presence. No aching head and
shattered nerves ever come in the wake
of the happiness of dwelling in the
presence of Jesus. No anguish of soul
which leads SO often to the suicides
grave ever brushes the soul with its
aftermath, when Christ is the salts
flying portion.
The potency of Gods Gift is felt in
every throb and being of life. Why
seek what the world can give when
Heaven was emptied that all earth,
and Heaven, too, might resound
throughout the ages with the praises
of the matchless Gift of God to men.
They,who, with David, have said: Il had
rather be a doorkeeper in the house
of my God, than dwell in the palaces
of the wicked" are to-day rejoicing IN
the realities of Heaven, while their
contemporaries who rejected the rule
of God over their hearts are awaiting
in darkness their eternal Punishment
from the Lord.
God has come down into the midst OF
men and is holding out, to whosoever
will take, this. Gift Of eternal life
through Christ Jesus. "What will you
do with Jesus, who is called the
Christ?'' Elbow shall we escape 1t We
neglect so great salvation?' "Now -
the accepted time, now is the day OF
Salvation" To-day, If you will hear
His voice, harden not your hearts.
I had occasion the other day to en-
ter the home where affection bad
come. The father had gone to his work
as usual one morning. He kissed his
wife and two little boys CHEEKY good
by and trudged off to work. With no
thought that terrible accident was
impending, while the sun shone and
the fresh air spoke of coming spring.
and the birds echoed in glad notes the
feelings of reviving nature all about,
suddenly came the crash of cars, and
"Papa lies over at the hospital" was
the story the sturdy little boy told
me in subdued tones when L called.
As I turned my way homeward pom
dering on the uncertainties of life and
repeating: "Yea, verify, while we are
in life we are in the midst of DEATH"
suddenly a tiny bird caught my eye
as he circled the tree higher and
higher seeking its food. Never
thought but for the moment. Seeking
it's complete joy and satisfaction In
lives was that of this little bird. Here
was life in all of its glad fullness. Not
cloud in the sky to darken the
warming rays of the sun. Could it be
possible that only a few steps back
from the way that had come sor-
rowing wife and tender children were
mourning the sudden accident to the
husband and father. All, friend, are
you counting on the morrow and the
morrows that follow? Are you put
ting of the acceptance of this Gift Of
fered you by God until more conve-
nient season. How dare we risk the
eternal welfare of the soul in the face
of life's uncertainties? Why should
we delay when we gain all through
the Gift, and have nothing without
it?
As I neared my own door on that
Lords day afternoon I saw my neigh
Dor standing in his doorway. slow
is the little girl?' asked. The re-
port in the morning was that she was
better, and as / made the present in
quiry it was with the expectancy of
good news of continued improvement,
but as looked into the drawn features
of the sorrowstricken father. read
his message, and "She is dead" need
not to have been spoken.
Dead! What dread sound that word
has to the human heart. How we
shrink from the grim reaper. Oh, the
anguish of that home. If the finger of
God had reached out and touched
those cold lips and made them warm
with life, had put the light into the
eve and strength into the little wasted
limbs, what joy, what mad joy, would
have shook the frames of the parents in
revulsive emotion. We reason thus
oftentimes in our childish maginings,
and fail to appreciate the sadder
scene: the death of soul. Why. what
we call death may be but the darkly
beautiful gateway which ushers into
the eternal life of which we have been
speaking. Gods Gift, His only Begot-
ten Son, makes of death but shadow,
and the soul can pass along the way
with David while he sings: "Though I
walk through the valley of the shadow
of death I will fear no evil, for Thou
art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff
they comfort me-
The potency Of Gods Gift is felt in
the present life as Jesus Christ be-
comes the ruling factor in the yield
ing will. Peter becomes the powerful
preacher, before whom the hearts of
thousands melt as the love of God is
made manifest to them. Paul, from the
raging lion of fleshly passion going
about in his mad zeal to fight against
God, becomes the great apostle to the
Gentiles and the revealer of the mys-
teries of the church, the body of Je-
sus Christ. What the Gift of God has
done for Peter and Paul can be real
lied in your life. Surely never was
other gift so potent as this whose
touch can transform the life and i'm
part the germ OF eternity where now
is the seed Of death.
20 Lord of Heaven and earth and sea,
To Thee all praise and glory be:
How shall we show our love to Thee,
Who givest all?
"Thou didst not spare Thine only Son.
But gav'st Him for world undone:
hot
Thou givest all