The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-04-14

duke Admlfal SluOnla, Win lls i~o
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 in the triumph Of
the English? What about the dense
aud 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 fleet, which could
have annihllated them? What about
the frost which came IN answer TO
Americas prayer just at the right time
after a thaw which destroyed the To-
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 childreni l
tell you we have to realize that there
are atmospheric answers to prayer as
well as astronomical answers TO pray
er. God speaks to us in times Of
drought when we pray as he answered
Elijahs prayer OF old when Ahab fed
to Jezreel to escape the deluge-"Hath
not the rain a father" Gods rescu-
ing voice is heard in the growl Of the
storm; Gods smile is seen In the in
cubatng sunshine, and II il is best
for us Gods storm and Gods sunshine
are seen and felt in answer to our be
lieving prayers.
But | find the mighty forces not only
astronomical and atmospheric, but also
sociallstic, subscribing Gods children.
[ use the word sOcialistic not in its
narrow sense. | allude to II in its
broad sense Of mans relationship TO
man. In the trumphs and defeats Of
nations. in the supremacy and the
overthrow OF thrones. | find that the
great onward movements Of the world
have been employed for the rescue and
salvation Of Gods peoples for all time.
What is the meaning Of that verse
Galatians iv, 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
sousfr Was not one time in the sight
Of God Just as favorable as any other
timey 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 a Jewish census
be taken. What was the resulti In
order TO obey that command, Joseph,
the carpenter who was married to
Mary, had to take a trip to Bethlehem.
lie was one of the descendants Of
David, and all his family had TO be
counted in the village where the royal
SHEPPARD boy once lived. Then through
Joseph. through Caesar, through a for
eign command, Jesus was born where
prophecy said Christ should be born.
II 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
aud Of the Sandwich and Philippine Is
lands? Can we not feel that the boom
ing guns at 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 nationsl
Because with our nearsighted vision we
cannot see the end from the beginning
that does not lessen the workings Of
Gods movements for the salvation Of
nations
Mans throne is higher than the stars.
God has made him a little lower than
the angels. Yes. But on account Of
Jesus sacrifice for us God has sent his
angels TO re-enforce us in the awful
struggle against sin and temptation
and in the battle for the worlds re-
demption. He has sent them. not here
one and there one. "The chariots OF
God are twenty thousand. even thou
sands Of angels. The Lord is among
them as in Sinai. as i'm the holy place"
These angels are eyerywhers, willing TO
minister unto us. Let us serve and
obey him who was with Washington
i'm his battles and has been with US
IN every crisis Of our history lest he
turn his face from us and we perish.