St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-08-09

gan TO 90 IL away Oack III the garner
of Eden when he stole the fruit of tn
forbidden tree, and he has been doing
it ever since. If we render not unit
God the things which are Gods, ar
we not robbing Him? All, what sad
sad story it is! From the cradle to tn
grave man continues to rob God. II
every relation of life, in every direc
ton we see the tribute which belong!
to God being withheld. Again space
forbids us attempting to enumeratt
the ways in which man may rob God
We shall speak of but one. So-callet
| patriotism and devotion to country
may and does rob God Of a great dea
of the tribute that is due Him. The
man who puts country before he does
| the God who marked out the boun
daries of the continents, and estab
lished the nations, and set rulers over
them. is robbing God and paying un'
lawful tribute unto Caesar. The man
who says: "My country, right OF
wrong" and who means that he is go
ing to sustain that country in its
wrong-doing because Of a false con
ception of what true patriotism is. may
stir up vast deal Of enthusiasm at the
political gathering or patriotic mass
meeting and gain the reputation for
intense patriotism. but he is not moved
by the spirit which actuated the God
fearing patriots who, led by the Dir
vine purpose, established this nation
and ceased to pay unlawful tribute to
a Caesar across the sea. Blind, UNI
reasoning loyalty to nation, dictated
by intense partisanship, keeps po-
litical fires burning and sweeps the
country from end to end with strife
and fever of unrest. It pays, seem
ingly, magnificent tribute to Caesar,
but in the paying thereof God is
robbed and the nation must pay the
penalty some day. The true patriot
does not rob God to pay Caesar tribute.
He sees that what Cesar may count as
gain now will be strangely transferred
later to the debit side of the account,
and that the seeds sown in dishonest
disregard of the rights of God have
brought forth the certain fruit of ma
tional decay.
The true patriot. therefore. builds
for the future, and is not willing to
sacrifice principle or honesty for SEEM
ing present gain or advantage. IT VIC
tory or success must be won by means
of the questionable transaction and
sharp double-dealing he prefers de-
feat to the glamour of unlawful tri-
butte. Moses, the true patriot, with
the eve of faith fixed on the star of
promise shining away in the future,
'chose rather to suffer affection with
the people of God than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season. For
he had respect unto the recompe.nse
of the reward" Jonathan, son of King
Saul and lawful heir to the throne,
with clear vision into the future which
saw that David was the anointed one of
God, set aside his own claims and rec
ognized those of David, because he
was a true patriot, and was will
ing to pay tribute to whom tri-
butte was due. even to the sac
rificing of his kingdom. Daniel in the
heathen court of NebuchadneZZar
proved himself the true patriot to his
captive nation by submissively serving
the conquering king so that in brighter
DAYS to come he might serve his be-
loved nation. Not my nation, right or
wrong, in stubborn refusal to see the
iniquity his nation had committed. but
my nation during the wrong to help
from the wrong to the right in the
days to come. And so he prayed and he
waited, he studied and he served until
The time did come when his prayers for
The deliyerance of his nation were an
swered and the spirit of Cyrus was
stirred to send the Jewish people back
@ their land. The true patriot endures
during the present in order that the
future may feel the impress of his life
md deeds. True patriotism is not
measured by the volume of the shout,
,r by the brilliancy of the torch-light
The true patriot does |
shout sometimes, he may carry the |
lighted torch, he may wear the button
If his candidate, but that is not all, for
;hese are but the outward expression
If inward principle and purpose which
i'm to pay Caesar the tribute due
lin and to God the things which be-
ong to God.
On one of my rambles the other day
nv eye caught the fight Of feathery
ongster as he skinned through the
resh air and bright sunshine. With
graceful curve he dipped towards the
field and then shot
D again until in the topmost
ranches. of the swaying tree he set
led down and poured out his soul in
uneful song. Over and over again he
rilled the half-dozen melodious notes
t his song, and each time Of repetition
he song sounded as sweet and fresh
{ not sweeter than before. 1t is
eautiful song, indeed, and rare, which
ill stand continued repetition, and
ever grow old. Like the song of the
ird that day, whose melodious notes
ore in upon my soul new thought
rom God, our text is as fresh in its
pplication to the affairs of to-day as
!, was when the words fell from the
[aster's lips. As platform for the
rue patriot to stand upon it has never
allied and the eternal principles set
,rth have not yet nor ever will be
hanged.
AS our bird from its airy perch sent
,rth its song. so the words of our text
ound forth from the exalted pinnacle
{ Gods righteousness and go ringing
ound the earth and find their practical
pplication in every nation, cline and
2ndition. "Render, therefore, unto
cesar the things which are Caesars;
nd unto God the things that are
DDS"