St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-03-06

certain that Gods hand had been in
the resumption of the building opera
tions, and laying hold upon that
thought, he responded, earnestly:
But we can have made no mistake
in obeying the voice of God?"
No. responded zerubbabel, slowly,
land yet how can we know what trou.
Bile it may plunge US into?"
But God will be with US to keep us
seeing that we have set ourselves to
do his will protested the prophet, in
an effort TO be hopeful.
True indeed, and SO I hope it may
prove, but l cannot help but be trou-
bled by the dark outlook. The fact
that even now the messengers of our
foes are on their way to Babylon with
their charges against us, has caused
many of the people to cease their
work, and should Darius look with dis
favor upon US, and cause our enemies
to triumph over us, we should not only
fail to complete our temple but would
suffer oppression and prosecution at
their hands"
Again Zechariah endeavored to COM
fort the discouraged leader of the peo-
pie and to point him to confidence in
God, and then took his departure. But
he went home not to sleep, but to give
himself up to night of vigil with
with his hopes and fears upon fever
ish, sleepless bed, Zechariah, the
prophet, reached up in prayer to God,
knowing that if help were to come it
must come from him.
But how strong seemed the forces of
evil. How mighty seemed the infu-
ences at work to discourage the build
ing operations. AS the thought of these
things came to Zechariah he racked
his brains to think how such influences
might be counteracted, and the enc
mics put to rout. Surely there must
be something they could do. Surely,
there must be some line of action
marked out. And while the prophet
struggled under this momentary con-
viction that something must be done,
he cast about him in desperation for
some plan, some effort, which would
put their enemies to rout and Illustrate
their plans
It was at that moment that a hand
seemed to reach out and touch him,
and he shook himself as though he
had just been waking out of sleep
and sought to quicken his benumbed
senses And then voice spake, say
ing:
What seest thou?"
Zechariah looked and in the midst
Of glow of light before him, there
appeared golden candIestick such as
had formerly stood in the holy place
in the temple, and which he had seen
among the temple furnishings brought
back from Babylon.
81 have looked" he exclaimed, with
growing interest, "and behold can
dlestick all of gold, with bowl upon
the top of it, and his seven lamps
thereon, and seven pipes to the seven
lamps, which are upon the top
thereof"
And then he paused at the unusual
sight before him, for there appeared
two olive trees, one on the right side
and one on the left side of the candle
stick.
Perplexed and astonished, he turned
in the direction of the voice which had
spoken to him before, and exclaimed:
What are these, my Lord?"
"Knowest thou not what these be?"
the angel demanded.
mo, my Lord"
This is the word of the Lord unto
Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might, nor
by power, but by my spirit, saith the
Lord of HostE.'"
A great cry of joy burst from the
lips of the prophet, and he exclaimed:
IT must hasten to tell him the won
derful message
Thou shalt, indeed, but hear the
rest, for it is a message of good It'd
ings. So also shalt thou speak: Who
are thou, o great mountain? Before
Zerubbabel thou shalt become plain;
and he shall bring forth the headstone
thereof with shoutings, crying: Grace,
grace unto it. The hands of Zerub-
babel have laid the foundation of this
house: his hands shall also finish 1t:
and thou shalt know that the Lord Of
Hohts hath sent me unto you. For
who hath despised the day of small
things? For they shall rejoice, and
shall see the plummet in the hand Of
Zerubbabel with those seven. They
are the eyes of the Lord, which run
to and fro through the whole earth
With eager haste the prophet passed
through the streets of the city ana
burst into the presence of zerubbabel,
to whose eyes had come no sleep that
night. But the message which he heard
from the lips of the prophet sent him
forth with a new inspiration and zeal
to the work. For he knew that no
earthly power that day could thwart
him in the execution of Gods plans.