St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-02-14


of the blood upon the Intel and door
posts. There were just two kinds OF
people in the wilderness when the
fiery serpents came upon them:
Those who miserably persisted and
those who obtained life by lifting
diving gaze to the brazen serpent
which Moses held up. And the COM
ing of Jesus sharply marked the Inc
of separation, on one side OF which
are the souls that have found life
by look at the Crucified One, and
on the other side the souls that are
dead in trespasses and sins because
they will not look away from sell
and the mirage of false hope to the
One Who has been lifted up for the
salvation of the world. Only liv-
ing organism can hunger, and So IN
the consideration of our text, we nave
to do only with those who have found
life in Jesus.
Take your Bibles and read the first
two verses of the fifth chapter OF
Matthew. It is carefully and explicit
" stated that He separated himself
from the multitude and went up into
a mountain. And in the quietude OF
some retiring nook among the rocks
away from the surging and curious
multitudes. He sat Him down. and
His disciples came unto Him and he
taught them. It was not mes
sage for the multitudes; it was Tor
His true followers who were to be
instructed in the principles OF his
Kingdom. They were to become
preachers of salvation, and in prep
aration must come to know the right
eousness of God and the utter hope
lessness of any attempt of man to
attain that Righteousness by his
own efforts. Why, the Sermon on
the Mount is terrific Calling gun
Kidding man through and through.
Who is there who can stand up be-
fore it's declaration that whatsoever
is angry with his brother hath COM
mitted murder already in his heart?
What a terrible and sweeping lndict-
ment of man is the statement that
"whosoever looketh upon woman
to lust after her, hath committed
adultery with her already in his
heart" In this day of loose mar
riage and easy divorce observe Je-
sus' declaration of the one single
ground of divorce. Observe the
standards which rule in the world to-
day and then hear Jesus say: Glove
your enemies. bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you
and pray for them which despiteful
ly use you, and prosecute you
Every word and syllable of these
declarations is terrific judgment
upon the soul of the, natural man
It prostrates him in the dust anc
makes him realize his utter sinful
ness and need of Saviour. Man at
tempting to live out the Sermon or
the Mount! Preposterous! lmpos
sible! 1t would be an easier task
to search out Jacobs ladder ant
climb up by it into Heaven, than te
keep this perfect law of God. The
dead soul might cram itself full will
it. it might weave for itself beauti
full robe of covering, it might garland
it's brow with the sparkling gem:
of the beatitudes, but underneath i
all would still remain the specter o:
the dead soul. and no thrill Of Divine
life would be felt. But meet Jesus
at the cross with the filthy rags O.
your own righteousness and He vii
call your dead soul into life ant
clothe you with His Righteousness
and on the other side of the eros
with Jesus as your Guide and He1pe:
the Sermon on the Mount become
the beautiful and shining way alons
which you will walk. Then, and no
until then, "blessed are they which
do hunger and thirst after righteous
ness, for they shall be filed"
It is charming and beautiful
picture which Gods Word gives u
in the story of Ruth, the sweet, gen
tie Moabitish woman. From he
mother-in-law's lips she had heard o
the true God, and putting away tn
gods of her own people she came to be
| lieve in Him. And with His coming int
her heart came such hungering an
| thirsting after Him and His peopl
that she forsook all to have her sou
hunger satisfied. And how God file
her! Her cup of blessing overfowec
She became the great-grandmothe
of David, through whose line cam
| :,4 nj S11J1e
tration this is of our text. How pei
fectly precept and example in Cod
Word fit together. The hungering TO
God of a supplemented woman Q
Moab started a stream of blessin
which did not end until upon tn
food-tide of it's fullness the Son O
God was swept from Heaven t
earth and spoke the words: "Blesse
are they which do hunger and thirs
after righteousness, for they shall b
filled" Our text is a perfect cpl
ONE of the life of Ruth.
Notice the contrasts between Rut
and Naomi which strikingly emph;
size important spiritual truths. M
omi went out full from the pre-:
ence of the Lord and was brough
back empty. Ruth was found b
God empty and was brought into Hi
land and filled. Naomi did not hui
ger after God and was content t
abide in heather land away fro1
her God. Ruth, daughter of Moa1
learned of the true God, and was nc
content until she had gone into God
land and obtained Gods blessin,
And notice this in regard to Naom
God had to take away that in which he