St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-01-18

talents of their predecessors, attain
ments in knowledge that were i'm
possible in any decade but our own,
to depend on advice of men who
have been dead three-quarters of
century. In all other things the
world has advanced. Can it be that
in craftsmanship it has gone back
and that this opening of the TWEEN
tieth century must consult the open
ing of the nineteenth century? I'VE
have not passed this way before"
Yea, our entire world is on new
pathway. It may be swinging in the
same old orbit as when by the hand
of the Almighty immensely was
sprinkled with worlds, but it has
been rocked with earthquakes and
scorched with volcanic fires and
whelmed with tidal waves and
wrought upon by climatic changes
cities sunk, and islands lifted, and
mountains avalanched into valleys.
So it is another world than that
which was first started in the solar
system. Yet it is all the time chang
ing and will keep changing until the
hour of it's demolition. OF tais beau
tiful world, this lustrous world, this
glorious world, it may be said: I'VE
have not passed this way before"
What is the practical use of this
subject? Instead of putting so much
stress upon human advice and in
stead of asking of the past what we
ought to do, follow the divine lead
ing as the men of Joshua followed
the golden lidded chest OF acacia,
which was the symbol of the divine
presence. Not human, but divine,
leadership, Joshua not consulting
with his colonies and lieutenants.
but consulting with God-tle God OF
individuals, the God of nations, the
God of worlds.
That three-quarters of mile dis
lance between the ark or sacred box
and the front column of Joshua
troops nightly impresses me. 1t
was forceful way of teaching rever-
ence for the Almighty. They needed
to learn that lesson of reverence, as
we all need to learn it. Irreverence
has cursed all nations, and none
more than our own. 1rreverence 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 iocosity? Irreverence for the
Scriptures, the phraseology of the
Bible often introduced into the most
frivolous conversation and made
mirth provoking. Irreverence for
the oath in courtroom or custom
house or legislative hall by the con
ventional and mechanical mode of its
administration. Irreverence for the
holy Sabbath by the way it is broker
in pleasurable excursion and ca
rousal. Irreverence on the part Of
children for their parents, insolenct
being substituted for obedience. lr
reverence for rulers. which induce:
vile cartoons and assassination. Ir
| reverence in church during prayer
| measuring off song and sermon by
cold, artistic or literary criticism
and in prayer time neither bowling
the head nor bending the knee mol
standing as one does in the presence
| of earthly ruler. thus showing more
respect for man than to the King
1 of Kings. We ask not for genufex
ions or circumflexions or prostra
tons, but when prayer is offered lie
us either bow the head or bend tn
knee or let us in some way Prov
that we are not Indifferent. In how
many places have presumption ant
foolhardiness taken the place of rev
erence. That three-quarters of mil
between the chest of acacia covered
with gold and mounted with wings
a symbol of the divine presence
and the marching regiments of Josh
ia suggests a reverence that i
woefully lacking in social life, il
legislative hall and religious assem-
blage. A farmer went to the wheat
field, taking his son with him. TIL
child said: "These stalks that stan
straight up must have the best grai1
Those stalks that bend over canno
be worth anything" Then the ia
Their broke off two of the tops of tn
stalks and said: "Child, that on
that bends clear over has the grain.
It is the soul that bows in deepes
reverence which is the best soul.
But though Joshua's host observe
the three-quarters of a mile con
mand, they followed the ark, an
YOU will do well to follow the divin
leading, as the path you tread no.
has not yet been trodden. aye hav
not passed this way before" Man
of you are suffering from just sue
annoyances as have not occurred
all your history. There have bee
meannesses practiced upon you {
YOU have received Sights or you Al
the subject of neutrality-suspicious. {
YOU are in the midst of sore disal
pointments or there are demand
made upon your strength and tin
more than you can meet, or SON
physical ailment is laying siege
, your castle of health or you are u
der embarrassments that you came
:, mention even to nearest friend
You say: "Well, I never saw an
thing like this. never expecte
. such treatment as this. I new
thought it possible to be placed
such circumstances" And when yC
say all that you are only translatir
the words of my text into your ON
pi,raseology. If you had suffer<
something like this before, you wou
have known what to do, but here
:, a flank movement for which you a
not ready.
? As our sorrows are new, our 10.
, are new and all our experiences a
, new. Our life is one long discove!
of things that we did not know al
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