Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-06-18
LEADER AND REAR GUARD.

Isaiah, kill, IL.
There is somewhere the story of n
crystal stream whose waters forever
flow over rocks made red with human
blocd, and although this stream has
flowed on and on for ages 1t cannot
wash away the crimson stain, for
martyr here gave up his life and his
blood remains as an eternal witness
to the truth. And men approach this
stream, it is said, and clasp each 9th
er's hands above the blood-stained
rocks and renew their vows to heaven.
This strange story has its fulfillment
now in our Memorial Day, when re-
ligion and patriotism clasp hands
above the graves Of the departed
heroes, North and South, and renew
their vows to God and man. To-day
we place the garlands on the graves
of the soldiers who gave their lives
for our country, and 1t is well we do,
for there are throngs of people com
Ing daily to our shores from over the
seas who do not know the matchless
price paid for our liberty, and who do
not know the rule of this land to be
THE Lord will go before you"
We bow reverently at the graves Of
this silent army, whose lives still
speak to us of sacrifice and triumph
We come not to look for scars and
wounds. AS nature in this springtime
chastens to heal the blemishes Of win
ter, so. gentle time has covered the sor-
rows and sins of forty years ago, and
there rises over all the glory Of divine
leadership, for "the Lord will go be-
fore you and the God of Israel will be
your rear guard"
The man who examines the blade OF
grass will see the plan of God written
there. The man who studies history
of the past will see the divine plan I'M
folding with precision and grace, and
will never doubt God leads the indi-
vidual and the nation. Thank God,
our days of doubt are past, for we
have come to know that Christian
manhood rises triumphant over all.
How, then, will the Lord go before
you?
Not in visible form surely, for that
would discredit mans mission. God
does not come to earth to prepare
everything for man-plan, path and
all-and then lead him as though he
had neither sight nor sense. No, God
teaches man to use what He has given
him. God leads by the preparation of
the past. We travel the highways laid
out years ago by our forefathers. We
enjoy the liberty purchased for us by
the patriots of former days. We take
up the work prepared for us by those
who have finished their journey. We
possess the heritage of Christian citi-
zenship, purchased by the blood of
fallen heroes. We dig In one noun
tain, because there is in 1t the pre-
cious gold, and find the diamonds, for
God attracts us by His treasures
Now, these are all the leadings of the
Lord though they seem so natural
The Lord will go before you then
not in His dazzling form of majesty
nor by voice of thunder from the
sky. but by the beauty OF His truth
revealed in His word by His imme
often think is Of ourselves, by. the
grandeur of Christian manhood, by
the sweetness Of forgiveness, by the
infinity of His love, by all things good
and beautiful which can remind us Of
our Heavenly Father. He goes before
always If we love Him, unfolding
with unseen hands the map Of our
lives and seeing that we fill the parts
necessary to completeness. Yes, He
goes before us even in His death
Of sacrifice, as the soldiers whom we
honor to-day went before us preparing
the glorious way. Let us ever follow
Him as obedient children, saying:
The way that leads from Punishment,
We go the way our fathers went,
The kings highway Of holiness"
But we are told also that the God
Of Israel will be our reward" There
are dark deeds in the past of almost
very llfe-deeds which we fain would
forget, which, IL unforgiven, Will cast
their shadow across our path. The
future does not disturb us much: the
present conflicts are soon over, but out
Of the past come the monsters of other
days to wound and kill To know that
the everlasting God will be our rear
guard If we will permit Him, and that
lie will settle all the past, is a source
infinite comfort. To know that God
viii forgive the past II we will permit
lin. so that 1t will never come ND In
Judgment to condemn us, is enough to
bring the bloom of youth to the cheek
Of old age.
Now God works by human agency
whenever He can. He rearguards by
His power transferred to man. God ex-
poets each man to be the providence
# his own little sphere up to the limit
If his knowledge and ability. See how
well the Puritans guarded their past
by taking care OF the present; see how
william Penn left no enemy in his past
o take away his reputation when he
was gone. If then there is TO be a glo-
i0uS past, ~ family or in nation, fol
wing these days in which we live, we
19jt see that ire present is full of the
IT. A.