Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-07-17
LEADER AND REAR GUARD.
BY John Lloyd Lee. D. D.


BY John Lloyd Lee. d. d.
The Lord will go before you, and the
God Of Israel will be your rear guard.
Isaiah, kill, L.
There is somewhere the story of
crystal stream whose waters forever
flow over rocks made red with human
blood, and although this stream has
flowed on and on for ages it 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
ers hands above the blood-stained
rocks and renew their vows to heaven.
This strange story has it's 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 it 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 un-
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 dlscredit 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 it 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
date and divine influence, which we
often think is Of ourselves, by the
grandeur Of Christian manhood, by
the sweetness of forgiveness, by the
infnity of His love, by all things good
and beautiful which. can remind us OF
our Heavenly Father. He goes before
always II we love Him, unfolding
with unseen hands the map of on,
lives and seeing that we fill the part.
necessary to completeness. Yes, H,
goes before us even in His dealt
of sacrifice, as the soldiers whom W,
honor today 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 Cor
of Israel will be our reward" Their,
are dark deeds in the past of almos
every life-deeds which we fain woult
forget, which, If unforgiven, will cas-
their shadow across our path. Tn,
future does not disturb us much: th,
present conflicts are soon over, but on
of the past come the monsters of othe
days to wound and kill. To know tha
the everlasting God will be our rea
guard If we will permit Him, and tha
He will settle all the past, is a sourc
, OF infinite comfort. To know that Go,
VIII forgive the past If we will permi
Him, so that II will nernr nnn,n ,,.. L,