Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-02-25


After the children of Israel had been
for months living upon the mamma In
,he wilderness they began to crave
meat. They cried unto Moses: Give
us flesh TO eat, Give us flesh What
happened: The Bible says: There
went forth wind from the Lord and
brought quails from the sea and let
them fall by the camp - as 1t were
two cubits high upon the face of the
earth This does not mean, as Mr..
Hastings declares. that the Lord by
an east wind piled up dead quails
about the Israeite camp two cubits
high. But ii does mean that the east
wind blew the quails. against their
will. straight toward the Israelites.
The wind was so powerful that the
birds. heavy Of body and short OF
wing had to fly low on account OF the
tornado. And as they flew low the
men killed them. God answered the
the shrieking of winds.
Some Modern Miracles.
Bnt why go back In Biblical history
to ind how God has aided his children
In the voice of the winds? What about
the Spanish armada under the golden
duke" Admiral Sidonia, with its 100
ships. defeated from invading British
harbors not by the English cannon,
but by the tornado which swept the
English channel in 1888? What about
the storm which prevented Napoleon
attacking Wellington at Waterloo In
the early morning and which delay
was a great factor I'm the triumph of
the English? What about the dense
and impenetrable fog which settled in
New York harbor in the early morning
of the day on which Washington and
his troops escaped from Long Island
and made IL possible for the American
boats to row to safety under the very
guns of the British feet, which could
have annihilated them? What about
the frost which came In answer to
Americas prayer just at the right time
after a thaw which destroyed the 10
Gusts by the millions few years ago
in our western states, where they were
destroying the crops everywhere?
Were not those storms and those frosts
the voice of God in answer to prayer
coming to the aid of his children?
tell you we have to realize that there
are atmospheric answers to prayer as
well as astronomical answers to pray
err God speaks to us in times Of
drought when we pray as he answered
Elijah's prayer of old when Ahab fed
to JeZreel to escape the deluge-"Hath
not the rain father?" Gods rescu-
ing voice is heard in the growl Of the
storm: Gods smile is seen In the in
cubating sunshine, and II II is best
for us Gods storm and Gods sunshine
are seen and felt in answer to our be-
lieving prayers.
But I find the mighty forces not only
astronomical and atmospheric, but also
socialistic. subscribing Gods children.
use the word socialistic not in its
narrow sense. l allude to Ii In its
broad sense OF mans relationship to
man. In the triumphs and defeats of
nations. in the supremacy and the
overthrow of thrones. l find that the
great onward movements of the world
have been employed for the rescue and
salvation of Gods peoples for all time.
In the FuIlness of Time.
What is the meaning of that verse
Galatians iy. 4, When the fullness OF
time was come. God sent forth his Son.
made OF a woman. under the law to re-
deem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption Of
sons:" Was not one time in the sight
of God just as favorable as any other
time? Oh, no. There were certain
prophetic conditions which had to be
fulfilled. Not the least Of these was
that Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem
of Judaea. How was this TO be accom-
plished? After the whole civilized
world was brought under the domain
of the Roman scepter God prompts
Caesar to order that Jewish census
be taken. What was the result! In
order to obey that command. Joseph,
the carpenter. who was married to
Mary, had to take II trip to Bethlehem.
He was one of the descendants of
David, and all his family had to be
counted In the village where the royal
shepherd boy once lived. Then through
Joseph, through Caesar, through u for
eign command, Jesus was born where
prophecy said Christ should be born.
1t is folly for you and to say. God
might have fulfilled prophecy In diff
ferent way" Yes, he might. But
Gods way was a true way. And In
order to accomplish that way Caesar
must conquer and Rome must rule.
Can we not in the same way see the
finger of God in the discovery Of Amer
lea. in the birth of our constitution, In
the awful tragedy Of the civil war. in
the strange acquisitions Of Porto Rico
and Of the Sandwich and Philippine Is
lands? Can we not feel that the BOOM
ing guns ut Port Arthur and the sue
cess OF one political party over another
are the voice Of God heard In the same
words that Paul spake when he said
that God is working out his plans
through the movements of the nations?
Because with our nearsighted vision we
cannot see the end from the beginning