St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-12-12


ia / scribes the way
MA of the natural man
WAT Is there less stub.
TX bornness in the
= human heart in
this twentieth century of the Christian
era than there was fourteen hundred
years before it's dawn? Are the people
of to-day ruled less by their own de-
sires and purposes and ambitions than
were the Israelites of old? And an
other question we want to ask: Is
stubbornness any less sin to-day, is II
less offensive to God than it was in the
days when 'tthe anger Of the Lord was
hot against Israel" because OF stub
bornness and when it cost Saul king
dom? Have the people of to-day Det'
ter right to do as they want to than did
the people of whom our text declares
'they ceased not from their own do
ings?" AS we read Gods warnings to
those people, as we follow their history
and see the evils aud calamities into
which their stubbornness plunged them,
we climb up into the judges chair
with God and condemn them, and
then, having passed judgment on
case over three thousand years old. we
rush off into the present of our own do
ing and our own stubbornness. In the
centuries which have passed since this
self-willed, stubborn people dwelt in the
land of Palestine, has Gods attitude to-
wards the self-will and stubbornness of
the human heart changed? Samuel, the
prophet of God, told Saul that stub
bornness was as iniquity and idolatry,
and to-day is it less iniquitous and less
dishonoring to God than it was then?
We have asked these questions that
they may set you to thinking. We want
to take some pages of history from Gods
sacred Book and let them shed their
light upon the pathway of the present.
for these things were our examples"
and have been recorded by God for our
instruction and warning.
! text are wonderful index to the
conditions which prevailed in the ma
ton of Israel. It is not necessary that
the historian should enter into lengthy
details to understand exactly what the
people were doing. When we are told
that they ceased not from their cwn
doings, nor from their stubborn way"
we know that every desire of the flesh
was INDUCED and every vanity and
Of the heart was given
full rein and scope. The natural way
ward tendencies were not checked, and
step by step they plunged farther and
into sin. The natural tendency
of man is always downward. God
placed man in the earth pure and spot
less Mans desire led to the act of
and succeeding genera
tions ceased not from their own
doings nor from their stubborn way"
until the elimination came in the
flood, and only one man was found
who would listen to God and yield
obedience to Him. But notwithstand-
ing the judgment of the flood the
tendency of man to seek his own way
and stubbornly resist God was not
cured, and the human race again
downward until the judg-
mcnt' thunders burst upon Babel's
tower and man was scattered and his
tongue confused Man ceased not
from his own doings nor from lis
stubborn way. Then came the call
of Abraham and the establishment of
a nation out of his loins, which was
to be peculiarly Gods people and to
do His will In the wilderness jour
neg ''they ceased not from their own
doings nor from their stubborn way"
and thousands were consumed by
pestilence and the sword. They cease
not from their own doings but re-
fuse to enter the promised land, and
wander other 40 years as penalty.
When finally they did take possession
of the promised land at the point of
their history where our text brings u.s.
wc find that "theJ ceased not from
their own doings nor from their stub
born way" The judgment of God
would fall, and under the stress of
the lash, temporary obedience would
be yielded to God, but soon the nat
ural tendency downward would assert
itself. and again God would have to
write: They ceased not from their
own doings nor from their stubborn
way" 1t was repeated failure urier
the judges; it was failure and ruin and
destruction of the nation under the
kings They ceased not from their
own doing. nor from their stubborn
way" And the indictment written by
God against the Jewish nation is one
which must be written against the
whole race of mankind. Natural de-
sire leads away from God, and stub
bornness of heart dulls the ear to
Gods voice of warning and blinds the
eye to the impending judgment.
KHAN likes to have his own way,
kv4 and it is long sad record of
sin which stands against him. God
said to Israel: This is the way,
walk We in it. But Israel said, This
il the way l want to walk, and the
people walked after the manner OF the
haathan nations about them. God says
to man to-day: This is the way,
walk We in it," But man says, want
to walk in my own way; / want to
be my own master; l want to go when
I please and come when please. The
pfodigal son liked to have his own
way. and so he bundled up his pos
sessions and left his fathers house for
the far country where there would be
no check upon his conduct, and during
all those mad days of pleasure he did