Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1906-08-15

water TO drink? Why should such oh
structions come across their pathway?
VI what use was that great pile OF
Jagged stone, anyway?
Such were some of the in-naturea
questions which broke forth. and "a
Is always the case where one is in the
iauit-hnding mood. they had no eyes
10 see anything but the disagreeable
ana discouraging features. So il was
that they had found in the rock only
another opportunity for complaining.
Ana when Moses had striven TO pacify
them, recalling past blessings and the
deliverances God had wrought. they
cried out in the bitterness and hard
ness oil their hearts that God had for
gotten them. and that IL ne Moses
would prove his right TO leadership he
must then and there satisfy thei-
thirst
"Didst thou not sweeten the waters
at Marah?" they cried. why then
canst thou not give us water here?
Where is thy rod with which thou
didst divide the waters of the Red sea?
Show what thou caust do with that
same rod here in the wilderness?"
And when he rebuked them shary;r.
reminding them that il was God ai.S
not he who had done these wonders,
they cried out the more vehemently.
declaring that IL was for this purpose
that he had brought them into the
wilderness that they might perish OF
thirst with their little ones and their
cattle IL was useless for him to point
to the Cloud and to remind them that
/ GOD was in their midst. They would
not listen and at last in despair hs
had gone apart by himself and cried
unto God saying:
20 Lord, what shall do unto this
people? They be almost ready t
stone me. They will not listen unto
my voice. They will not remember
all that thou hast done for them"
And then out of the stiffness which
had followed when Moses had erased
speaking came the voice OF God, cay
ing:
| Go out before the people, and take
with thee of the elders of Israel: and
thy rod wherewith thou smotest the
river, take in thine hand and go. Be
hold! | will stand before thee upon
the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt
smite the rock, and there shall come
water out of it, that the people may
drink"
And in the face of the derisioa and
the angry complainin. of the people.
| Moses had gathered the elders together
and went forth with .hem TO the rock.
There it had stood ragged and forbid
ding. How was il that the hard, dry.
cold rock could pour forth its flood OF
waters? But in the face of the OPP
position and the doubt of those with
him, Moses had gone bravely and bold
! ly forward and when they had come to
the rock he had bowed his head rever-
emily. Then was il that a strange
| thing happened, for the Cloud. which
up to this time had rested over the
camp, came and stood upon the brow OF
! the great rock and as he lifted his
eyes Moses knew that the Lord was
there to show forth his marvellous
grace ard power.
Behind him was people perishing
| for water. Shut in the wilderness
| there was no escape. No human hand
could succor. They could not go back.
| To go forward meant death on the
burning sands. But before him there
on the rock was the glory of Gods
| presence.
In that moment a new thrill of
gladness had stirred his heart, and
while the elders gathered about him
! had watched expectantly, he had
reached forth his hand and with the rod
struck the rock, at the same time call
| ing upon God and reminding him of
his promise to- send forth a stream OF
refreshing water from the hard, hinty
rock.
Down from the overshadowing Cloud
had flashed the flaming finger of God
| cieaving the mighty rock in twain.
and forth had gushed the life-giving
waters.
| Overcome by the majesty and glory
Of the scene. the elders had fallen on
their faces to the ground. but as the
springing waters surged about their
feet they had suddenly realized what
God had wrought for thom. and leap.
ing to their feet had bounded back to-
wards the camp, shouting as they ran:
I Water at tho Elk! Wafer at the
/ rock! Wate' at the rocE:"
And Moses as he stood the.e now re-
! called the eager joy with whi-h the
people had strcanied forth to hat
fountain which God had opened M for
them They had drank deep and long
and then, rushing back to the camp.
had returned with all the skin botfiez
and Jars they could find to fu them
lest they said, the water should
fail"
But there was the water now grsh-
ing forth with undimnisbed flow
Never before had lie seen so abundant
a fountain. Out cf the riIt in the rock
F it poured as though the source OF sur
ply behind was inexhaustible. Al.
READY the waters had cut for them
selves channel in the yielding sands
and were flowing on and on towards