The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-03-11
SATURDAY. might
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WALKING WITH GOD.

Genesis is biography. The lives
If twelve men are here chpdensed into
,ne chapter Two thousand years are
contained in a few paragraphs. Great
men came and went. Little Is known
of them. Life moved slowly at first.
A hundred years were as a score to
day. Events recorded are few-the
fall and expulsion from Eden, Gains
dark crime and its shadow, pastoral
life, rude mechanical arts and music.
In the background Of those remote
times we see figures, shadowy as sill
houettes against a sheet The most
colossal is Enoch, seventh from Adam.
He is shown only in profile. His cen
turtles are passed over in paragraph.
His claim to pre-eminence is told in
part of sentence. Later In the word
we are told at length Of Abrams
faith, Josephs chastity, Moses meek
ness, Jobs patience, Daniels fidelity.
But of this patriarch we are told sim
ply, "And Enoch walked with God"
Boswell needs volumes for Johnson.
One dip of the pen, one stroke of the
| pencil, tell of Enoch. Divine reticence!
If Jubal was the father of music and
Tubal-Cain of workers Of iron and
brass. tradition has it Enoch was the
inventor of a system CT astronomy.
Wonder was 1t mere coincidence he
lived 1856 years. year for each day
of our solar revolution? God was his
sun. He computed the orbit of his
ellipse and his course was done. He
was Copernican in his system, for he
made all center about that sun. We
are apt to be Ptolemaic. making this
world our center.
The Divine Companion.
"Enoch walked with God" Fine
epitaph Takes few words to tell a
good mans good; many to prove bad
mans good. Possibly that's reason
for length of some funeral sermons.
Gods funeral sermons are brief.
"Well DONE" or Thou foolr' Nothing
more to be said. Terseness talks.
One afternoon God and Enoch walked
out to the limit of earth and time. 1t
was sunset. The path had been as
cending toward glory. Now even
was come. God said: TOO far to go
back, Enoch. Nights coming on.
Better stay with me-" And Enoch
was not, for God took him." Isn't
that a marvel of condensation? The
genius of Genesis. walking with
God" Grip that, Christian? Suppose
young astronomer could take walk
with Newcomb, botanist with Gray.
geologist with Miller, bird lover with
Audubon, artist with Turner? Would
not your heart burn within you aa
you walked by the way with Cody
It's easy enough to walk with God
one day when you've your Sunday
clothes on, but still easier to walk
without him on six other days. More
depends on walk than talk. Talks
cheap. Some talk like angels and act
like something else. But, preacher,
shall we say our prayers all day long"
This is an age Of bass drum and meg
aphone. Aren't the paths of God "be.
side green pastures and still waters?"
Yes, but they also 20 through fields
of literature and college halls and dull.
prosaic, commonplace paths of life.
And in noisy. tumultuous street you'll
find God. He walks not only in Fifth
Avenue cathedral aisle, but also or
Broadway or Wall street-yes, thank
God, even in the tinsel glitter of the
Bowery. And men walk with him
there Note them! You can tell Il
man by his walk. That slipshod fell
low has lost his grip; that slouchins
fellow was born tired that rocking
fellow is a sailor; that cat footed fel,
low is crook; that square shouldered
fellow with erect head Is a Wesr
Pointer or has seen army days. Sis,
ter Of Charity, Salvation Army lasse,
mission and settlement worier
walking with God are known and
loved. In field, shop, store, school,
room, home. work or play, walk with
God.
Walk In Faith and Harmony.
Enoch pleased God" Bible tells us.
We want to please ourselves, after
ward God-at least we don't want to
displease him. without faith you
cannot please God" says the same
good book. I'VE walk by faith" says
Paul. And we do, both in temporal
and spiritual things. If business men
on change would commence Monday
to walk by sight only there'd |
be a run on banks, and the business
of the United States would be dead by !
nigStfall. Belief is our first instinct. |
That's why children learn fast. Most |
Of our knowledge was first belief. How
ever, belief is easier to some than 9th
ers. God never crowds mems belief
Enoch treated the unknown as though
1t were known. When he saw the sun |
coming up over his horizon he believed |
the half he couldn't see. Our faith |
and knowledge touch each other at the |
horizon.
Walk in the same direction as God |
and you'll notice his presence as April |
thermometer the south wind. How |
can two walk together except they be /
agreed?' asks the prophet Amos. You |
can trade together and ride together in |