The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-01-09

Exodus 3:l-4:7.
Certainly will be with thee. Exodus
3:12.
U. S. WRIGHT.
THE COUPLER.
Once coupling pin grew very much
discouraged. What use am l any
way?" it asked itself. Here | stick
in this hole and am damned from first
one side and then the other. l get sll
the knocks and the engine and the cars
carry all the load and the first chance |
get I'll jump out and they can hammer
all they please, I'll be out of the way "
While it was in this discouraged mood
the engine stopped and as the heavy
jar caught the pin 1T flew to the side of
the track and lay there content. Soon
there was the shrek of steam and the
engine dashed ahead but the cars stood
still. Back came the engine. Where
is that coupling?" was the shout. And
as the pin slipped back into place it said
to itself, 81 never knew that all the
load depended on me before. And a
leader is the coupler between Gods
power and the worlds progress with
out which there is no advance. Moses
was the pin lying idly in the desert
while God was eager to relieve the op-
pressed Israelites from their Egyptian
slavery but without the coupling of
man He was forced to wait. Moses
was learning too, but until the place
out of when he had leaped was once
more filed there would be delay and he
was seeing the relations Of his life to
Gods purpose IN those desert days as
he had not while prince in Egypt
He had carried his chivalrous passion
into exile with him ard began his des-
ert existence by defending the weak
against wrong. Then he married the
girl he had befriended and settled him
self into the life of herder Certainly
ne was not in the habit of RECALLING the
folk with tales OF how much better off
be had been in Egypt for they remained
his faithful friends thru life. He was
neither gutter nor wilmer so they
loved him. But all thru these days he
was learning the speech of the toiler
which he had not known before. The
God of the desert, the familiar Deity
of the Hebrews, was becoming the So
lace of his loneliness for his first born
was named "Sojourner" but the sec
ond God my Helper" Moreover, he
attained to self-control and mastered
the intricacies Of the desert that was
to become a nations schoolroom.
THE VISION.
Perhaps that bush had famed before
but while his eyes were filled with
Egypt there was nothing to see in the
desert Many times he may have cursed
the thorn bushes that tore his skin and
marred his sheep as be went about his
task. "Sand and stones are bad enough
but what any benefficent God wanted
to add maze Of prickling bushes is
more than l can seep' may have been
frequent plant. Yet it was just this
cursed thing that was the medium thru
which God revealed Himself in blazing
light, 1t was the vision of the cross
CARRYING message undreamed before
that TRANSPORTED Jesus by its radiance.
1t was a thorn that brought Paul
word of infinite tenderness and an IN
Outstanding of Gods grace impossible
without it. Ida Gracey's bed of pain
became her throne of power that build
ed home in another continent for
crlpples like herself. Hawthorne's
business failure gave US the Scarlet
Letter, Watheson's blindness, 20 love
that will not let me CO." Belgium's be-
travail has lighted the fires of new
brotherhood. Most of US pass thru life
with cataracted eyes needing surgery
before we see Gods vision that fills our
desert with glory. Moses had suffered
those bushes for forty years unseeing
any blaze of blessing for the power to
see comes from the man and not from
the bush. When he was ready he saw
the flame. The common, humdrum
thing was all ablaze with glory.
THE VOICE.
Turning aside with his experience the
man was arrested by a voice that called
his name. Something more than frey
bush. an illumined principle of right, a
TRANSPORTED thorn was here. Some
body reached hand thru the flame and
laid it upon him Selling him for the exc
cution of the infinite purpose. God was
back of the vision and called his name.
Long blaZed the bush of the rights of
the common man and nation before
" ilson heard the voice calling out of
the midst of the fame and demanding
that he become the nations leader in a
new crusade. And not until Gods voice
was recognized and He was seen be-
hind the confagration was there any
turn of the red tide of war. The very
first demand was for reverence instead
of enthusiasm. "a mans mower is
- Al