The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-02-12
.I]n@the Wilderness.


YAK (seleoted Tor The Times Dlspatch.) s.i5
81 Would to- God We had died by tho hand
Of tho Lord In the land Of Egypt, wheL3
we sat by the flosh-pots, md Whcr we
did eat Dread ITO the full; for3y e$ broughl
Is forth lnto8ths Wilderness to xii this
whole assembly with hunger. M Exodus
Exvi:3 " Y Il 4 II
F1srael ;woal in3tho desert, and never were r,
spoiled children more peevlsh, suspiclous'l
8unreas oi,abie ANA behaved.
IT they could have ste ed out Of u Egypt
into Canaan probabl y$they would have
been as pious as mos t Of us, but there here
was the weary interval in the inhospi,
table wilderness, People may be strong
and hopeful at the beginning Of g pro %
Fject ana most HeftusiYcly and deyoutly
thankful at It's close. but tho difficulty
IS to go manfullyE through all itssvlcissi-
tuhos. 3S{ sSt .5 n i5 5 s
1T is so In our$life. Accept It as q sol
cmn and Instructive fact, that life is q
process. IT Is more than beginning and
an ending; more titan "a cradle and a q
grave rave The child may be good and the
old man may b6gtranqull, but what Of the
petulant self-willed and praycrless being
between these two extremes? 35
rho history Of Israel leads US to dwell
on process, and by It 10 see how far
their trials represent our own experience.
SEQ how tho ten per Of Israel was tried ''
In tho wilderness! No bread. no water,
no rest! Life, with Its discipline, is 4
stern teacher OF men. Trials arc often
tedious, yet va must not hurry life, Ma
|turo is not TO be whipped and sp,rred by
Impatient riders. Nothing Is gained by
such course, II Gods naturalization is
calm. The wheels Of His chariot are not
bcspotted by tho mud Of clustering and
reckless haste.s n ii \ X \
But, on tho other hand, We arc not to
find an excuse for the indolenco on our
part or the lncapaclty OF other men,
Thero are stones which wo can roll away
There arc turbid little streams which we
can bridge, There Is n profound differ
cncc between tho Incidence OF men and
tho eternal calm Of God. II command Ia
plain aud urgent :#...Yy hatsoeyer thy hand
findeth to do, do 1t with thy might
Trials aro sent, not all at once, but
day at n tlme,s soc tho law by which
the mama was given. There was not q
largo store sent down to be kept and
used. Daily hunger was met by daily
/ bread, We are not allowed to 1--we two
days at once. THE pendulum, can give
but one tick NJ "a time, aud the Aear'
beats in the same way. /, Is Z
This daily d!splayBof divine care teaches
4 us that all physlca #as well as all splr'
i itual, gifts are from God Haa|th
i strength, capacItyNnre bestowed by oul
\ loving Father, as well rs patience, hope
and faith For tho ono is tho pledge o.
i tho other Why am to be easy abou
to.morrow? Because God Is good to-day
4 Gle is tho same, yesterday, to-day ans
forever M a5e s#
Trials show the different dispositions O
men. Not their temper only, but tn
Deeper realities and aspects OF their char
ao,er, You cannot convince some men
nor bind them by authority, nor ye
bring them underin common discipline
They will defy the law; they Will chal
! lenge the sword they Will perssentl
I sci themselves against God. TO Him W
& must leave them, But let. Us take TIL
lesson TO ourselves. We have the mean
OF life God giyen--at our disposal; IN
mama lies at our tent door, And, fur
YER, we are clearly told that II is give
.tder law. There Is ~ set time for II
(, duration Of the opportunity, and we ar
! warned that tho night scometh,
No mama fell on the sabbath, So q
. life should be l,allowei by religious OK
ercises. There was a sabbath even
Eden and In the wilderness. God 'Iiimsel