St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-02-06

NZ.Z ssssa o # 1,s;o1 Y
smZZ. Suffering and pri
Is; e; !: Is:
7Ej JOY! Wear:nes!
-= =.@--- of the journey
instead of res
anu peace OF home! Doubtings and
iears, instead of confidence and hope.
Ihls was the penalty which fell upon
israel because Of unbelief and rebel
non. To-day they might have gone
over into the Promised Land; to-mor.
row they must turn back into the
wilderness. To-day the door of op-
portunitys stands open before them
tomorrow it is shut ana barred
against them. To-day that which
.ney lett Egypt to obtain is within
their grasp; tomorrow that hope has
gone far down into the future
onpeiief and rebellion could rob the
children of Israel of the blessing OF
God, and unbelief and rebellion can
rob the children Of God to-day. And
not only do they rob of blessing, but
tney delay the realization of the
plans and purposes of God. Unbelief
ana the rebellion resulting therefrorn
pay the penalty of the wilderness jour-
ney. 1t Is weary discipline, the way
seems long and hard, but by and by,
when the discipline is complete, the
Lord leads out to the border of the
PROMISED Land again. In Israel we
nnd portrayed the experience of very
many of Gods children. They are
faithfully led by God to the border of
land Of great opportunities and pos
slDllities. 1t is the will and purpose
OF God that they should go up and
possess the land. God says: go
forward" But the walled cities look so
1mpregnable and the giants SO mighty
and terrible that the heart grows faint
Unbelief takes possession and urges
Hight back to the Egypt of former
bondage. Self is chosen captain in
stead of God, and while rebellion is
keeping the stubborn feet from going
on into the Promised Land, the op-
portunity is lost, and the command of
God Is then heard: Tomorrow turn
you, and get you into the wilderness. -
Then 1t is folly to attempt to rush on
into the Promised Land. Disaster lies
ahead; safety can only be found with
God in the wilderness behind. Let us
seek to learn with patience the lessons
God would there teach us.
First of all, let us consider the
necessity OF the wilderness disci-
pline. God had prepared the Children
of Israel for entrance into the Promised
Land. He had unified them and or
ganized them into a nation; He had
given them a code of laws, and in
structed them in the true religion,
and now He has led them to the bor-
der of the land He had promised to
give them as an inheritance. 1t was
Gods wish and purpose that they
should go up at once and possess the
land, but at the critical moment they
failed Him. The opportunity was lost.
They must turn back into the wilder
ness for discipline. God did not want
1t 50. The unbelieving hearts of the
people willed it SO. The wilderness
discipline was a necessity because of
their unbelief and rebellion. And it
is 80 with Gods children to-day; the
discipline follows failure to
60 forward and possess the land Of
promise Just ahead. God has fitted
and prepared you for certain service
You stand on the threshold of great
possibilities. The will OF God is to be
done and His Kingdom advanced by
your obeying His command: go for
ward" You send your spies ahead,
and soon they return with their sto-
ries of difficulties and dangers to be
The cities are walled
and the inhabitants are fierce and
strong. 1t seems foolish from a hui
man standpoint to hope to go up and
possess the land in the face of such
odds. But two faithful spies, Faith
and Hope, speak up. They see Gods
mighty arm Outstretched to sweep the
giants before them and to grind the
walled cities into the dust. They re-
the promises Of God that He
will give them the land for q possess
sion, and SO they boldly plead: Let
Us go up at once and possess it; for
we are well able to overcome it,
But the spies of unbelief and rebel
lion are loud in their protests. The
conflict Is on within the soul between
faith and duty and unbelief and re-
bellion. That was terrible night
which israel spent in weeping, and
It is a terrible night of anguish which
the soul spends when unbelief and
rebellion are struggling for the mas
tery. Every Christian comes face to
lace with such experiences. Some may
not be as well defined as others, some
may not be such important crises as
,thers. but all, l think, have such con-
aicts. If faith and duty win the VIC
.ory there is no need of the wilder
ness discipline, but the soul goes on
% occupy the place and do the work
a which it has been called by God.
3ut II, as Is SO often the case, I'M
relief stills the voice of faith and
,elf-will thrusts duty aside, then the
vilderness discipline becomes neces-
,ity. God cannot let the soul go for
yard. It must turn back and submit
q the Christening hand of the Lord.
The purpose of this discipline was
three fold: Punishment, purifica-
ION and preparation. And these are the
aasons why God to-day drives His chill
iran back into the wilderness. Their
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