St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-08-16

torium which was to have been thu
scene of the GROWING is closed. Thu
powerful feet of majestic battleships
steals out of the harbor. The hotel
! men and the tradesmen and the in
surance companies face heavy loss
instead of the harvest of golden coins
London is left in her gloom. The
world reads the sad story, but will il
learn the lesson? As you read the
story, the shock of the distressing ca
lamity bears in upon your soul and
makes you think for the moment, but
will you learn the lesson? Listen to
the voice of God: eye know not what
shall be on the morrow. For what is
your life? It is even a vapor, that ap-
peareth for a little time, and then
vanisheth away"
All the kings power and all the
kings wealth, all his influence, all the
wisdom of his statesmen, all the skill
of his physicians, all the devotion OF
his subjects, all the strength of army
and navy, all the sympathy OF the ma
tions of the earth, cannot stay the
march of the disease that places the
monarch on bed instead of in the
waiting coronation chair. Can you be-
hold such spectacle, can you thus
stand before such impote1cy and weak
ness, and turn with untouched heart
from the message of GOD as He de-
clares that your life is but vapor
that appeareth for a little time
and then vanisheth away? Can you
stand before that silent ruin of St.
Pierre with it's crumbled walls and
buildings and its pail Of volcanic dust
covering the crushed and blackened
bodies of thousands upon thousands
of strong men, and fair women, and lit
tie children, and be unmoved by the
uncertainty of life? Again hear God
speak: "Boast not myself of to-mor-
row; for thou knowest not what day
may bring forth"
In this modern day in which you and
I live the island of the sea has thun-
dered forth message which has
echoed throughout the world, telling
the madly-rushing nations of the I'M
certainty of life. The nations repre-
sentatives have gathered while the
warning of Mont Pelee was still ring
ing in their ears and have stood bowed
before the sick bed of a king, instead
of paying him homage as he sat with
magnificent crown upon his head in
the coronation chair, and have turned
away realizing how powerless and
weak the human arm is, and that life
is indeed but vapor, that appeareth
for little time and then vanisheth
away. In the name of the Lord, who
loves you with love unspeakable,
learn the lesson of the hour before it
is too late, and link your life into the
latter thought of our text: III the
Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or
that"
Planning With God.-It is a blessed
thought full of inspiration and comfort
that in Christ Jesus we become linked
with God in copartnership relation
which it is our privilege to realize in
the everyday affairs of, the home, the
shop, the Office, the profession, every
where, and wherever God has set our
feet and called us to labor. If we are
kept by the power of God and realize
it, we can serve and plan with an eye
single to His glory and know that come
what may we are in the hollow of the
hand of the Almighty God and nothing
can remove us. Misfortune may rob
us of every earthly possession, but we
are still rich in Him and heir to the
wealth of Heaven. Calamity may come
and the fire of Mont Pelee may en-
wrap us, but it is only to be set free
from the prison house of this body and
to be forever with the Lord. Sickness
NAV come, or cruel accident, and lay
us low upon our beds, but again we can
sing that we are more than conquer
ors through Him that loved us and
gave Himself for us, and can make
the sick bed and the racked body sure
stepping stones to the carrying out of
the plans we have made with God. Oh!
it is blessed indeed, by the will of God,
to do this or that, if we live. 1t is a
weary struggle to plan and work alone.
No wonder we hear on every hand the
cry: "Is life worth liv-
ing?" Apart from God it is not. 1t is
a weary, uncertain struggle here and
darkness beyond the, grave. But with
God as the active ag ent ruling in and
over our lives the earthly walk becomes
one of victory, for 1--WE run, not as I'M
certainly; we fight, not as one that
beateth the air.
The pattern of life we weave as we
plan with God bears the impress of
Heaven, and we work not uncertainty,
as do those who work apart from
God. We may work in the dark some
times; we may not be able to see how
our feeble effort is to become part of
perfect whole.
But. looking above for the pattern, no
weaver mas need to fear:
Only let him look clear into Heaven-the
perfect Pattern is there,
II he keep the face of the Saviour forever
and always in sight,
His toll shall be sWeeter than honey and
his weaving sure to be right.
'And when his task is ended and the web is
turned and shown,
He shall hear the voice of the Master; 1t
shall say to him: Well done!
And the white-w1nged angels of Heaven to
And God shall give him for his hire, not
golden coin, but CROWN
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