The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-28

~ Ao saw H aGEsA II I
Jehovah standing In the way. with
nus sword drawn in his hand. and
ne bowed his head, and fell on his
again. And the angel OF Jehovah said
unto him. Wherefore hast thou
smitten thine ass these three times
benoid l am come forth for an ac>
versary, because thy way IS per
verse before me, and the ass saw
me, and turned aside before me
these three times; unless she had
turned aside from me, surely now
nad even slain thee, and saved her
alive, n Balaam said unto the
angel Of Jehovah, | have sinned: for
l knew not that thou stoodest in the
way against me; now, therefore, If 1t
displeases thee. l will Get me back
again. And the angel Of eJhovah said
unto Balaam, Go with the men: but
only the word that l shall speak unto
thee, that thou shalt speak. So Ba-
iaam went with the princes of Ba-
lax"
The Unweicome Prophecy.
me rest OF the story is too long
for quotation, but it is great read
ing. The King of Moab greeted the
prophet with elaborate ceremony.
Now that he had a court preacher.
as it We're, he thought he could
nave curses put upon his enemies.
Naturally, he put only a favorable
Interpretation upon the prophets
reply to his greeting: "Lo, am
come unto thee: have l now II
power at all to speak anything?
The word that God putteth in my
mouth, that shall L speak"
An elaborate setting Of Teasing
and OF sacrifices upon seven affairs,
IN preparation for the oracle's word,
followed. Then, to the dismay Of the
king and his retinue, Balaam cried
a blessing upon Israel, instead of a
curse, saying. How shall l curse
whom God hath not cursed" To
the representations of BaIak, the
! prophet sturdily replied, Must [ not
take heed to speak hat which Je-
hovah putteth in my mouth -
Which foreshadows the Apostle
Paurs declaration, Il ave not hest
tated to declare unto you the whole
counsel Of God" In other words.
You have called me to be your
preacher: you must AXE the whole
truth from me-"
Perhaps that is a good point al
which to close this brief study
Twice again Balak prepared for 8
de~liverance by the seer. which he
: thought would be more favorable tc
: himself, but each time the vision.
. Of Israel's greatness n glory anC
: triumph became clearer, until the
: angry and baffled king, in a fashion
Z not yet ~outgrOwn, expelled tn
: preacher from his position. Ba
/ laan1's parting shot was Il will ad
8 vertiSe thee, what this people shal
q do to they people in the latter days.
1t does not pay to quarrel with
prophet of truth.
8 One practical, present and needle
lesson from this old story concern
b the function Of the preacher of tn
gospel. Shall we try to make o
i him a hireling, or shall we give hir
g free course to speak, without fear 0
1inching, the truth that God ha.
h given him. Certainly some preacher
% have been made to feel the entice
ments and brides and fiattery an
intimidation Of Balak. Rev. Set
L Russell Downie has some clever line
u upon this tendency:
81 was a preacher,
u Brave and bold
Weekly he preached to a weakl
l. fold,
1T Good was the Story Of Life he toll,
I'd Stanch as gold
se He was q preacher
h Brave and bold.
as They were a people,
70 Kind and cold
10 Weekly they list to the Story old
d. Told by the Preacher of scholar
I'd mold,
50 Gowned and stoled-
I'd They were a people,
m Kind and cold.
he
~ One morning as the preacher took
10 His golden tex from Gods Goo
- Book,
- He wore a wondering, Wildert
-" look.
" The people, from their oZy nook.
~ Had passed up wOrd-as to a COO
lie The polished preacher-proph
shook.
The "pass-up word" was
"Cut it short"
The shake" was of the WRATH
OF sort.
Ter But wisely keeping from retort
as He '.cut' his sermon into half
tn kent out the Wheat-and gave the
he chaff.
And thus evolved
The S~ermOnette.