Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-02-18
What the River Teaches.

1t.
What the River Teaches.
The pleading river, in the first place,
teaches us that the divine peace whicn
comes to man must come as the result
of natural law in the spiritual life. IL
is not the result Of haphazard. 1t IS
not a miracle as we in the broad sense
term q miracle. 1t does not come as
miraculous wind which might dig up a
seed in some Italian garden and in its
teeth lift it above Alpine crag ana
carry It over land and sea and without
human aid plant it as an exotic upon
the banks Of the Ohio or the MonOn-
gahela river. But the divine peace
comes to man as the result of a ration
al cause. 1t has a rational source, as
n river has natural source; it has q
natural flow, as the Jordan has nat
ural flow. and it has a rational outlet
as the Amazon empties itself into the
Atlantic or the Ganges finds resting
nlace in the huge reservoir OF the Ben
gal gulf.
A river cannot disobey natural law
A river cannot become a free lance
among rivers. A river cannot do any
thing that specific gravity says "thou
shalt not do" This fact is demonstrat
cd everywhere. l climb one of the tai
pvramids Of the Rocky mountains
There upon the highest peak hno
what is called a watershed. Then al
I stand upon this watershed l repeal
to myself the beautiful words OF tn
poet:
God sent his messenger, the raln' Y
Ard said INTO the mountain brook, n
"Rise up and from thy caverns look
And leap with naked, snow white tea
From the cool hills into the heart
OF the broad, arid plain
But. though the mountain brooks ma,
/ leap from the cool hills into the heat 2
| the broad, arid plain, 1t makes a grea
deal of difference into what plain tm
falling raindrop shall go, whethert
| falls one inch to the right or one INC
to the left of the Rocky mountain va
tershed One inch to the right it foSE
into the gulf of Mexico; one to the lei
It flows into the waters Of the Pacln'
The waters Of a river must ODE
natural law. Now, if Gods laws al
inexorable in regulating the sourc
and the course Of a river, are they NJ
equally inexorable in reference to y
source and the course Of his diYH
peace. which is like river? ~
The Conditions of Peace.
You must obey Gods laws before W
can enjoy Gods peace. To resist thep
to disobey him, is to set yourse
against omnipotent power and innnlp'
wisdom. 1t is not necessary that Ft
should punish you for it; you bring q
punishment on yourself in failure *
disappointment and eternal We
Your whole nature is given oy@tl
anarchy and lawlessness. OnlEraF W
Weld to his will do you put yours
in line with the eternal order eaM ellf
INTO peace. | do not care hoaIl mu'
you may think your way is beSMS thu
Gods ways, one fact you musEuAde
stand-you cannot get the divine1A
which is like a river, unless you p
yourself into harmony with Gods III
and obey Gods commandments. III
Naaman had to learn this LESSOR 4
fore he could be cured Of his lepfdS
His way was that the prophet sheli
come out to him and stand and calif
the name of the Lord and strike .
hand over the place. Gods way W
s that he dip seven times in the Jorda
When he took Gods way he was cup
but not until he took it. Gods wayN
cure you, o immortal, of your sinsttf
Won ready to welcome this divine pdf<