St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-12-12

Hike the drowning man IN the water
clinging in desperation to one slender
rope which will drag him to safety, SO
the soul reaches up and clings to the
thought of God-c1ings and waits;
clings and waits; knowing that at last
God will hear and answer.
Ezekiel the prophet, the man OF
visions, the man Of great messages
and faithful ministry, discouraged and
disheartened? Impossible! Say not
SO, unless you are willing to make
| him more than human, for to every
soul that is called of God, and who
would serve him, there come just
such hours of heart anguish when
everything seems swept from under
| the feet except the one thought OF
| God-just God.
Yes, Ezekiel was discouraged. All
the light had gone out of his soul, but
that one light-God. Nothing could
take that away. Low il the dust ne
lay
Israel in captivity had lost utterly
the vision of return to the beloved
Jerusalem. 1t seemed so impossible.
Reports had come from the far off be.
loved land. Nothing but desolation
there. Nothing but blackened ruin.
Wild beasts found shelter in the rug
ged ruins and the birds Of the
air made their nests in the crannies
of the shattered walls. Such was
the condition in Jerusalem, and in the
land of Babylon, whittier the Jews had
been dragged as captiVes, they had
found habitation-plenty to eat,
place to trade and grow rich, and
pleasant companions among those
who worshiped the gods of wood and
stone And they had become con-
tent with their lot, and with the
stories of the desolation at Jeru'
salem there had come dimming OF
the vision of return. What cared
they to return to that land when they
were so favored in the place OF their
captivity?
Ezekiel had noted all this, and the
question had begun to arise in his
heart whether the promised return
could ever be. Little by little the
heart had sunk in despair until in
the anguish of doubt and discourage
ment he fed to his quiet retreat by
the river Chebar, and there upon the
ground gave way to his grief.
Then came the voice within:
struggle on" and he had ques'
toned whether it were God that had
spoken. And while thus fighting the
battle of doubt within he felt touch
upon him which he knew could
only be the hand of God, for 1t
brought calm and quiet to his spirit,
and seemed to strengthen him for a
journey. He had come in weary in
the body unto death, but now as ne
felt the thrill of the new life and
strength within him he Strengthened
up and whispered, over and over
again:
God! God! It is God! 1t is God
who has spoken. will struggle on.
! And suiting the action to the word,
he arose and went rapidly along the
! pathway which followed the course
of the river. But some strange power
, | seemed ID DG WOlhtuS WA1AAh AAAA1 AOA
suddenly he struck off into wild and
;, unfrequented part of the country. So
absorbed was he, however, with the
spirit which held him, the con-
scious and blessed presence OF
God, that he knew not how far he jour.
neyed, nor observed the roughness OF
,, the way by which he went.
But of a sudden he stopped, and
lifting his eyes, he beheld CHASTITY
sight. Before him lay heaps upon
; heaps of human bones-grinning, hol
/ low-eyed skulls, .bony hands thrust
! upward from the heaps as though in
mute, hopeless appeal; leg bones
thigh bones, rounded ribs and curvine
spines-all bleaching and glistenine
/ white in the hot sun.
And while he was looking In fear
and trepidation, he heard a voice
speaking, saying:
! "son of man, can these bones live?
! Startled by the question, Ezekiel al
most laughed in his nervous excite
ment.
! 1T was God who spake," he quick
! ly thought, and instantly responding
| to the thought, he exclaimed:
go ord God th0lI knOWeHt"