The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-01-08
ALL GIFTS Of GOD
Man Is But a Steward OF His
Possessions Lent to Him
by the Lord.
PHRASE we often use. The mu.

~ sic OF the spheres" We owe to
an ancient belief that the heavenly
bodies. as they revolve about the
earth. made wonderful harmony de-
lightful 10 the ears OF God Present.
day knowledge OF the stellar world
has, according to some, banished this
pretty fantasy. but Il has revealed to
us something more wonderful We
know that the whole physical uni
verse In In constant and Infinitely va
ried movement. and that this move
stars and planets. OF molecules and
ions. OF light and sound. are all ac-
cordng to the law OF rhythm. This
Is true also OF all life. There In con-
slant rise and fall-the throb OF the
pulse. the breath OF the lungs. the
beat Of the wing. the passage OF every
generation from youth TO age. May
not this Infinitely intricate rhythm
really constitute some wonderful rich
harmony for the all-father7
Among the multitudinous rhythms
In the midst OF which human life IL
set II the rhythm OF the seasons. The
field Is black In winter, green In
spring. golden In summer and brown
In autumn. The wonderful altera-
lions ~ sowing and tending and reap
Ing and blowing are repeated over
and over again from generation to
generation Changes OF civilization
are continuous Mans habits as he
goes about his work vary indefinitely.
but natures rhythm is the same from
age TO age The spade gives place TO
the horse pillow and the horse pillow to
the steam plow man is nomadic. az.
ricultural Industrial: but the seasons
swing on ms before he came 20 his In
heritance. For. indeed this success
sion OF the seasons underlies all hu
man well.being and progress II u
should suddenly be changed. ciyih.A-
ton In all its qualifications would be-
AT once shattered n the earth ceas
ed In It's present mode OF movement
and instead swung round the sun so
that there should he eternal summer
on one side Of the planet and eternal
winter on the other. mankind would
swiftly wither and die SO complete
are We dependent on God for all that
We have and are
All the Gifts Of God
All our wcll.being then. is Deepen.
dent upon the regular succession OF
the seasons. eliminating In the har
vest What II the harvest We usu-
ally think Of II as corn and fruit. and
other vegetables But the harvest Is
much more than all these The har.
vest Is IN all our warehouses and
shops Boots and overcoats. hooks and
bicycles thcaters and hospitals, sweet.
meats and battleships all these are
the harvest just as really as loaves
and mutton chops. For they are
things made for human use by means
Of the primitive elemental gifts OF
God IN sea and soil and seasons
Harvest IL Gods gift hut he does
not determine how that gift Is to be
used-we do He gives us the raw
materials make the civilization.
lie gives us iron and electricity and
cotton-we make battleships and ex-
plosives lie gives us the wherewith-
al and We make pernicious books.
sweating dens, and liquor shops The
marvel Is the God permits us that he
allows us so to squander his riches.
But It Is not all squandering There
II another side 10 the picture God Ii
always present by his spirit To direct
and aid mankind in the use OF the
harvest That Is how good is done
and progress Is maintained
Thanksgiving and Dedication.
Harvest. then Ii a proper occasion
for two things thanksgiving and ded-
ication The thanksgiving Is obvious
From him come all good gifts Hut
dedication should be as obvious We
must never lose sight OF the fact that
all We have IL from God and must be
used In a fashion well pleasing to him.
lie does not give us the harvest that
We may be gluttons. spendthrifts self
ish. luxurious. carried away by waste
ful fashions and guilty OF foolish and
costly hobbies. Each Is a steward OF
his possessions. be they great or
small Many people set aside 1.-THE
or other fraction OF their harvest"
for the purposes OF God. And this IL
good But more important and more
Christian In the constant use OF all
our possessions as lent us by the
Lord Said John Woolman. AS he
who first founded the earth was then
the true proprietor OF II. so he still re-
mains; and. though he hath given II
to the children OF men. yet he
hath never alienated II. but his right
is as good as at first, nor can any ap,
ply the increase OF their possessions
contrary TO universal love, nor dis
pose OF laws In way which tends 10
eSalt some by depressing others. with
out being Justly chargeable with US
urpation. - Newton II Marshall.