The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-23
zASATURDAY
s$ NIGHT
4 SERMONS
BY
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A SLOW WHEELED CHARIOT.


Text, why is his chariot so long In
coming g~-Judg. v, Is.
The human mind is audacious. some
times even blasphemous. Remember
that sentence of Charles Kingsley to
one of the leaders of the Chartist
TRY to be patient with
Cod The woman In the next is a
type Of humanity, waiting. The moth
er Of Sisera is Shocking out the window
md crying through the lattice. Her
son. Is the commanding general of the
vast army of the Canaanites. He Is
Rllied with many tributary kings and
has 300 iron chariots of war. Weap-
ons CLEAN, banners fly, trumpets blare.
horses pranee-surely no army would
dare face such formidable host. But
Israel. groaning under
Of Canaan. has listened to the prophet
ess Deborah. veritable goddess OF
liberty, and has got together an in
significant army of 10000. On the
slopes of Mount Tabor they take their
stand. Heaven pity them. they're
marked for extermination But, no; at
the command Of Deborah they charge
In very torrent of courage and fury
and sweep down those slopes like an
avalanche. The book says, "The very
stars in their courses fought against
Sisera." His army was demoralized,
and he fed to suffer death later on In
his tent at the hand of Jael. Sisera's
mother sat with wild beating heart at
the window. Why does not his chariot
come? She's type Of grief wrung,
impatient hearts, watching at
the windows of a world toward a God
whose chariot is so long In coming.
A Thousand Years-a Day.
Sometimes men are perplexed at the
seeming inactivity of God. AS
strategist his policy is Fabian-he de-
lays so often. The last message of
Revelation was, II come quickly"
Weeks, months, whole year, went
by, and he didn't come. Was that
quickly? Two years, fve, a decade, a
century, thousand years, nearly 1000
years, and he hasn't come yet! Some
fast. The planets whirl their orbits
in incalculable speed. On one Of the
gfistening black diamonds In your
kitchen coal scuttie is the imprint Of
a delicate maiden hair fern. 1t lived
before Adam and Eve gazed with raw
ished eyes on the purple hills Of para
disc. l realize that, while God seems
to require thousand years for one
step, at times he takes step OF a thou
sand years In day. Mans years are
three score and ten; Gods years are
boundless eternities. He could speak
out Of the thunder to men, but he
doesn't. There's syllable to day and
another tomorrow. He pitches his tent
close to the tents Of men, he leads by
pillars of fire, he appears in altar
fame. There are visions and ideals,
yearnings and sacrifices, prophets and
priests. Men say, How long, o Lord;
how lOng?' Then the heavens open.
The angel choirs sing, "Glory to God
In the highest That day was as a
thousand years, and thousand years
of Christ's coming was as but a day.
"if ! Wsre 6od.-
What things would do If were
Godp said an impatient critic. So
would we. Why doesn't God abolish
intemperance? 1t is the evil of all
evils, the curse of all curses: the pre-
disposing cause, as a physician would
say, Of nearly all crime, pauperism,
sickness, unhappiness.. Few would de-
fend this towering mountain Of evil
that has cast Its dark shadow across
the world. 1t is the enemy Of home,
helpless childhood. education, com
merce and the sworn enemy of the
church. Why does an omnipotent God
permit 1t? Is not his message, peace
on earth; good will TO men?" Yet he
beheld nations staggering under the
burden of preparation. He saw the
launching Of mighty super Dread
noughts and malicious submarines. He
witnessed the blood lusting armies so
forth; cavalry, infantry, artillery and
aeroplane corps go forth to their hor-
rid work of butchery. Earth, sky and
sea are red with carnage. Where is
the Prince Of Peace! We know the
answer. He's waiting for our readi-
ness! Gods chariot wheels have been
retarded by our own lack of readiness.
He planted flowers. and mans hand
plueked them up. God sent the solll-
tion of all human problems with his
blessings and men nailed that Blessing
to the cross!
Gods MsreifuI Slowness.
Yes, God is slow-"slow to anger"
The human judgments are often slow.
Murder drags out its redeemed form
through months or years through the
laws delays. 1t is some time before
drunkenness reddens the eyes and
siavers the lips, or gluttony makes bes-
tial the face expression. Dissipation
goes on In darkness a long while be-
fore the body shows it In the light.
Some sins take years to mature. Final
" what a man sows he reaps. Chick
ems come home to ruost" is only an
other way Of saying "Be sure your
sins will find you out" God is in no
hurry. Down In our hearts we know
why. 1t is to give us time to repent.
That is why Jehovah did not strike
Achan dead when the lust of loot over
came him at Al The wedge of gold.
the heap of silver. the Bahylonish gar
ment buried under the sheepskin in his
tent were voices calling him to con-
fess. Do Gods revelations of himself
seem slow? Well, you wouldn't tell
f.hild Mt nnno nvar, tb;,,o, x,1,, l. -aaxy ~.