Year: 1872

ton OF the expected increase, instead OF still


blessing God for what He has sent ackuowledg-


ing that it was in His power to have withheld
all from us had he pleased; that He who shut
up the heavens for three years and six months in


the DAYS of Ahab. so that there was no rain, and


the food Of man and beast perished throughout
the land. still uses droughts, and mildew, and
flights of insects, and biights and sicknesses, as
the scourges wherewith he chastens man in love-
causes, through which the Ruler of the earth car
ries out His purposes, has so pulled up the minds
Of many in these days, that they refuse to
acknowledge Divine control over the course Of
nature So blind are these disciples-not of true
Science, for the truly scientific man is lowly and
humble; bis knowledge Of the mysteries Of Ma
ture has shown him how little he really knows of
the things around him, and be bows before the
Sovereign Ruler of the earth-but the disciples
of a science falsely so called, who think that
they know everything; they imagine that they
have reached the causes that are at work, be-
cause they have a little insight into secondary
causes. Thus, if they discover that blight or mil
dew follows certain prevailing winds, they are
ready to laugh at the notion of God having sent
the blight or mildew, when they ought to ask,
What causes these blight-brnging winds to blow
instead of Others? Who orders the courses Of
the wind Do they blow by chance? And if
they could answer this, and find cause why the
south wind blows to-day, and the trade wind to-
morrow, they must still go back, and inquire who
set that cause in motion, and so be brought at
last into the presence of the Creator who holds in
dis hand the forces of nature, and guides them
according to His will.


And now notice how the spirit in which the
Prophet wrote in the text, is the spirit which we
need TO cultivate spirit which is not only
deeply grateful and Astounding in thanksgiving,
when unstinted mercies are showered around,
but a spirit which can cling in joyful trust to
God when mercies fail and abundance ceases
when the land is consumed with drought and mil
dew; when the cattle perish and barns are empty
"a spirit which seeing in these calamities indica
tons of Gods wrath, humbes itself under Gods
hand. flies from the sins which have provoked
Him to anger in which it sees the latent cause
of the ills that have come, and at the same time
Is filed with gratitude for the mercies that are
left, acknowledging that if God should deal with
His people according to their deserts, then in
stead of expecting plenty, we ought rather to
look for the locust, and the caterpillar, the
palmerworm, and the cankerworm, the great
army" with which He once laid the land of Israel
desolate, because of their sins.


A people who from the depth of their hearts,
could use the language of the Prophet when the .
sunshine of plenty is clouded, have amongst them
the truest elements of prosperity. Although
the fg-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit
be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail
and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall
be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no
herd in the stalls; yet will rejoice in the Lord,
viii joy IN the God of my salvation" And if
this spirit be yours, whether your increase be
much or little, your profits large or small yet you
will "honor the Lord with your substance, and
the first fruits of all thine increase, remembering
the promise, So shall thy barns be filed with
plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with lew
wine"