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

anu Ut tlt Ittt VI your utti pu'Ss
But the Pisgah heights offer to US an.
other retrospect Looking away back
into the dim past. we now can see how
our seeming troubles and misfortuneS
have been the means of drawing us
closer and closer TO God and to his
headings. They have been not stun.
bling blocks, bnt stepping stones to
higher spiritual attainment. God has
always led MS up To his mountain tops
Of inspiration by first lca'.iag us down
into the deep valleys of despair. II Is
only by casting Us down that he Is able
to lift US up. Let me Illustrate my
thought by Moses life.
Standing upon the top OF Pisgah TO.
day. see the great lawgiyer turning
his eyes toward Egypt. He is watch
Ing groups of men going around.
what IL the matter. Moscsi" ask.
do you see anything stranger" Yes
answers the mighty leader. Il see
men rs officers of the law hunting my
life One hundred and twenty years
ago the Hebrew slaves began 10 mul.
tiply so rapidly that Pharaoh declared
that every male child born TO n Hebrew
woman should be- slain. Those officers
are after me-" what else dost thou
see. o leader OF leaders," IL see n
woman and her eldest daughter run.
ming AWAY toward the river Nile with
a little babe In her arms. They are
hiding that child among the bulrushcs
of the river. That child was and Is H.
what else dost thou see, o mighty
chieftain!" II see princess of Pha
raoh's court coming down to the river
to battle. see her bending over that
child and then adopting him as her
own son" what else dost thou see
o leader?' I'm that adoption see
how II was made possible for me TO be
educated. see that through this cdu.
cation ! was fitted mentally 10 do the
work God has given to me TO do.
Through that adoption l became the
lawyer, the statesman. the molder of
a people who are 10 become possessors
OF yonder promised land. God fitted
me for my work by first making me Il
founding and n social outcast."
Why Trouble Comes.
Troubles must have long perspec.
tive II we are TO see them Alright MS
messengers of mercy. Thomas Fuller.
the quaint English divine. once said
that troubles appeared to him ut close
view great deal like piece of tapes.
try turned wrong side out. II seemed
to be nothing but II great conglomer:l.
ton of nonsense. II was without head
or foot. Confusion itself had as much
method In II. II was Il company of
thrums and threads. with many pieces
and patches of several sorts and sizes
and colors. all which signified nothing
to my understanding" Then DR.. Ful.
Ter turned the right side of his tapes.
try 10 the delighted eyes of his audi.
encc as he said: ''But. though the wrong
side is all mystery. how beautiful Is
the right side. Here are all beauties
and all right proportions" To use his
exact words. Here Is history not wrote
with pen. but wrought with nee
die" Such are the dealings of God
with us. When we look ut our trou-
blcs close nj hand we seem To he look
ing at piece OF tapestry wrong side
out. but when we stand with Moses
upon Pisgah's heights and look at our
troubles through the inspired vision of
the years we see why those troubles
came and how they were the means OF
fitting us for our lifelong usefulness.
Our past troubles fitted us and are fit
ting us for the work God has given us
to do. Thank God for the east wind
as well as for the west wind.
But our Pisgah heights today have
their visions ahead. rs well ms their cX-
planned Egyptian mysteries and their
pillars Of fire and OF cloud. The chapter
Of my text tells nv that God took Moses
unto the mountain Of Ncbo to the top
Of Pisgah. that IL over against Jericho.
And the Lord showed him all the land
Of Gilead and Dan and all Naphtall
and the land Of Ephralm and Manassch
and all the land OF Judah unto the ut
most sea-" DO you know what that
panorama meant. In n nutshell? God
took Moses upon the top Of pisgah and
said: See. Noses yondcr is the prom
Used land. Thy work In Egypt is not
to go for naught. Thy wandcrings In
the wilderness seemed to lead thee
around and around In a useless circle.
but those wanderings have led thy peo-
pie TO the crystal gates Of the Jordan.
Now the children OF Israel shall pass
over TO the grapes of Eschol and TO the
land which Is flowing with milk and
honey. Look and see what Is 10 be- the
result Of thy noble work. So God lets
us climb TO the Plsgah heights TO see
the result OF our work. The vision Is
here for you now TO see II you are Will
ing 10 open your eyes and look.
In the first place. we can see I'm the
dim future noble spiritual work
which our children shall do after We
are dead. All. that family was hard
one for you 10 raise. l am not now al
luding TO the mere question OF food
and clothing. mean more than that
mean the spiritual raising OF them.
Let me see. You have five children.
Three Of those children were born