Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-09-05

uoppeue0, OWlux 10 natural CAUSES, were
having an experience analogous to that
OF the children OF Israel.
Bishop Thoburn. of India. tells in his lit
tie book. THE Christian Conquest of In
dia," a story that illustrates the present
lesson:
Some 20 years ago a strong and per-
sistent wind drove the water in one OF
the mouths of the Bramaputra backward
for many hours until it stood above its
normal level When a sudden change of
the wind released the mighty mass, and
the swollen flood swept out to sea, 1t
buried a large island with its 100000 be-
meath its waves. 1t was substantially the
destruction of Pharaoh's host repeated be-
fore the eyes of the modern world. The
Bakarjang cyclone of 1876 drove huge waves
over the large islands, and in a few hours
engulfed 10000 acres of land, and de-
stroyed 100000 souls. AT times large ships
nave been swept inland upon the crest of
great waves and deposited on the shore.
sometimes at a distance OF several miles
from the sea-"
A friend of mine who has lately re-
turned from an autom obile journey around
the world, found his passage along an old
Japanese highway blocked. after a great
typhoon. the presence of huge schooners
on the roadway. The miracle of the Exo-
dus story is little more of a miracle than
what is happening every day In the lives
OF believers-the opportune overruling OF
natural events for providential purposes.
The Great Guidance.
A man told me last night that he did not
believe in providences. Well, I do. What
shall we say to the news that has come
from Egypt concerning an accident to DR..
Samuel M. Zwemer, the seemingly indis-
pensable leader of Christianity's struggle
with Islam? A minor accident compelled
Or. zwemer to go to the operating table.
Under the knife there was found within
his body a condition which would nave
meant death within q week had 1t not
been revealed to the eyes of the surgeons.
Yet DR.. Zwemer was not in the slightest
degree aware Of this condition. Who will
say that the accident was not providen-
tial?
The story of the Exodus is bound up
with the figure of the pillar of cloud and
the pillar of fire that guided by day and
by night, and that interposed as a shield
of confusion between the Israelites and
the Egyptians. Gods guidance is none
the less real today to those who will fol-
low it than 1t was to these old Israelites.
The great truth of Christianity is that the
Lord cares for His children; that He is
concerned in their lives, and that He de-
signs for them the best things. There is
no more practical creed for life's affairs
than that "our times are in His hand"
The message for every day living from the
pillar of cloud and fire Is to find out Cod
way and then to do it. AS Goethe said,
1.-THE great need, after all, is only for
ward"
The End Of the Enemy.
After his experience with the 10 plaques,
Pharaoh should have been content to let
these Israelites lone. 1t is serious BUSH
ness to fight the man or the people for
whom God especially cares. I talked with
a veteran minister recently about the ex-
p%erience Of certain congregations which
had dealt unfairly by their pastors, and
In every case those congregations had
been visited with manifest punishment.
Pharaoh could not resist the opportunity
to recover his host of slaves when his
spies reported that they were caught in
this pocket between the Red sea and his
hosts.
TIL factor in the problem which Pha-
raoh ignored was God. There are many
questions which are humanity beyond solu-
ton, but when God is taken into account
they are easily settled. The destruction
of the 600 chariots of the Egyptians in
the food. as the waters abated after the
Israelites had gone over dry shod, was
an experience which stiffened the faith of
the chosen people in all their subsequent
experience. They looked back to this de-
liverance from man. hours of depression
and danger. The event colored much Of
their subsequent literature.
The vindication of Jehovah n Of His
l%4servant Moses was dramatic and COM
plete. The critics were COMPOUNDED and
the goddess were put to rout. The old
story is familiar of the skeptic who put
on his wall the motto, ''God is nowhere
His little child saw 1t and spelled out the
letters laboriously, God is now here
This is the lesson of the lesson, the De-
liverer of Israel still keeps watch over His
people. There is no oppressor of right
%eousness today who is not doomed by the
strong arm of God. With Whittier we cry,
Loud long
Lift the old exulting song,
Sing with Miriam by the sea
He hath cast the mighty down,
Horse and riders sink and drown,
He hath triumphed g%loriously.