Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-12-30


toward the west, on through the farm
lands Of Ohio and Illinois and Indiana.
on to the rolling Mississippi. on and
on through the hostile Indian tribes.
on and on until he stood upon the ped.
estal Of the Rocky mountains with
new world spread under his feet. Eyes,
yes" can hear the great missionary
say. God has cared for me all through.
He has protected me. He has fed and
clothed me. | thank thee, o Father.
for what thou hast done for me and
mine during the journeying of many
months"
Backward, Turn backward.
II Is always natural for the travellers
up the mountain heights 10 look back
toward the land over which they have
come. DO you not suppose Balboa
turned his eyes toward Spain as well
as toward the occident when he saw
the Pacific ocean roll at his feet? DO
you not suppose DE Soto and Raleigh
and Sir Francis Drake and Captain
Cook and Marquette and In Sale and
Livingstone and Stanley and all the
modern as well rs ancient navigators
and discoveries have looked toward
their home lands as well as toward the
regions to which they were heading?
Thus the most natural place toward
which Moses turned his eyes after he
had climbed Pisgah's heights was to
the south and the east and the north as
rail Ns.xt ap.N tt. To. 4 20
ward the geographical scenes Of his
childhood and middle age and old age
as well as toward the future and the
promised land.
How good God has been TO Moses.
How good he has been TO us. Let us
for moment go back to the scenes Of
our infancy. as Moses thoughts turned
to the river Nile and to Egypt. Did we
not then have some one to love us and
provide for us during the days Of our
childhood? When Ellphalet Mott. the
great president Of Union college. be-
came very old man. he lapsed into
beautiful second childhood. Day by
day his faithful wife used TO sing the
same lullabics with which his mother
once sang him TO sleep. When the
white haired patriarch became restless
Mt night. she would gently place her
hand upon his wrInkled forehead and
softly sing Isaac Watts old hymn:
Hush. my dear: lie still and slumber:
Holy angels guard thy bed:
Heavenly blessings without number
Gently falling on thy head.
Then the old man would close his
eyes like n little babe. He continually
kept calling over the names OF his
mother and father and sisters and
brothers. And when he conducted fam
ily prayers for the last time he closed
with the simple evening prayer, Now
| lay me down to sleep; pray the
Lord my soul to keep" As he lived
over again the scenes OF childhood
strange peace came TO his soul. So with
Moses. SD with us. The associations of
childhood speak to us Of the infinite
love ana care that were about us then
and encourage US to hope that they
will be with us to the end.
Then, like Moses. we turn our eyes
from Egypt toward the wilderness
What Is the strange storm there In our
young manhood and middle life? Is II
q rainstorm? No. II looks more like u
snowstorm. And yet as we reach up
and gather a handful OF the falling
flakes they do not melt In cur hands.
though they are as white rs the driven
snow. No. my friends. that Is not n
snowstorm falling In the wilderness.
II IL shower OF mamma which we see
and feel. That Is the provision God
made for you In the years Of your Will
derncss wanderings. which has been
sufficient for you and your family TO
this day. Has there been n day In
your past life when that mamma failed:
There have been crises In your life. as
there were IN the life OF Moses-per-
haps financial crises day by day
and week by week. year by year. God
has fed you. Has he not. my brother?
All, II IL a mighty fact for you at your
time Of life to be able TO stand upon
Pisgah's heights and say. God has
taken care Of me all the way through
life. yea. all the way through"
A Beautiful Legend.
Sometimes We did not understand
how God was going to feed us when
the cupboard was empty. But feed us
and ours he always did. There Is a
beautiful legend told about the convent
Of st. Sabina OF Rome Many years
ago, when 81. Dominic was ut the head
Of this convent. the food gave oat.
What were the inmates to do? Come"
said the leader: "let us go into the re-
fectory and sit down at the table. II
we cannot provide food for ourselves
God will do so for u.s." With that ST.
Dominic and his friars went to the re-
fectory and sat down. Then the leader
lifted his hands and made prayer like
this: 20 God. We thank thee for the
food which thou hast given Us In the
past, and we thank thee for the food
which thou art going to give to US
now" No sooner had the blessing been
said than. behold. two beautiful an
gels appeared clothed In white. The
one bore a basket OF bread. the other
pitcher of wine. They silently placed