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SPEAK TO THE EARTH, AND IT
SHALL TEAOH THEE.-JOB 12:8.
A SERMON BY I. It. BRANHAM, D. D.
It is a.remarkable fact that com
paratively few persons study the
book of nature itself. A large
majority of mankind ■seem to have
little or no power to observe or to in
vestigate independently. Seeing
with other eyes, and touching with
other hands, than their own, they re
ceive, indirectly, all the knowledge
they possesss. Reversing the order
of nature, our children are confined,
at a very early age, within bare
blank walls, books arc placed in
their hands and many long weary
years are spent in the dull, and, al -
most, profitless study of abstractions,
to the exclusion of an endless vari
ety of objects that lie scattered
aroud them, in the study of which
are to be found lessons of the highest
value both to mind and heart. Under
this system of training the majority
of people walk through the world
with their eyes closed, and the
volume of nature remains to them a
sealed book. It is the careful study
of the few, who have looked at what
they have seen, and patiently han
dled what they have touched, that
has revealed to us the facts of
science, applied the skill of art, and
sent their fellow-men forward on the
march of progress.
But it is not rny purpose to “speak
to the earth,” that it may teach us
lessons relating to science. That
would be more properly the business
of the schools, or the work of those
whose duty it is to direct our minds
to the observation of the world
around us. Let us “speak to the
earth” that it may teach us lessons of
religion.
She is a patient, willing teacher,
ever ready to answer the questions
of the devout inquirer.
Ist. Speak to the earth, then, and
it shall teach us a lesson of Creative
power.
Power cannot be seen. A knowl
edge of it can be obtained only by
its effects. The giant that slumbers
in his bed of water is invisible, but
when roused, by the application of
heat, he rises in his strength, and
manifests his power by the motion
of the ponderous train, or the revo
lution of the mighty wheel that
starts the clatter oi coutless looms,
and the whirring of numberless
spindles. Confined in his iron
prison, he seems quiet and docile as
a lamb, but when he becomes rest
less of restraint, with resistless
power, he tears asunder the fetters
that bind him. and scatters death and
destruction far and near.
That subtle agent electricity, im
ponderable, and invisible, gives no
lign of its presence, so long as the
proper equilibrium is preserved. But
disturb the balance by friction, or
chemical action, and its power, at
once, becomes manifest. Pull the
throttle lever of yonder engine, and
set in motion a dynamo. In an in
stant, motion reveals itself in light
which rivals the brightness of the
sun.
Touch the signal key connected
with yonder battery, and quick as a
flash, thought is tranformed into
words, and swift as thought, the
message is borne along the iron
thread, over land sea, and at a point
thousands of miles away, the re
corder responds with its mysterious
click.
Away in the .western sky, silently
gather Summer clouds. Brilliant
fringes of silver glisten upon their
crests, while delicate shades of crim
son, blue and purple, blend upon
their bosoms. Soon, lifted by the
winds, they rise, like mighty giants,
towards the Zenith. The brilliant
colors that dazzled the eye begin to
lade, and a leaden hue rapidly set
tles upon them. Darker they grow,
higher they rise, nearer they ap
proach, as if to grapple in mortal
conflict, while fierce flashes of anger
leap from their enraged bosoms, and
the awful roar of battle resounds
throughout earth and air. Not con
tent with disturbing the peace of the
giants of the clouds, it leaps toward
the earth, lights upon y onder mon
arch of the forest, scatters his leafy
covering, tears away his limbs, and
smites his shattered body to the very
ground.
There is a Persian fable which
tells us that Moses preached a long
time to King Pharaoh, (who was an
atheist, as well as a ty rant) on the
existence of one eternal God, the
Creator of the world. Finding that
he made no impression either upon
the King, or his courtiers, |Moses
ordered a fine palace to be erected,
privately, at a considerable distance
from a country- residence of Pharaoh.
It happened that the King, as he
was hunting, saw this palace, and in
quired who built it. None of his
followers could give him any- infor
mation concerning it. At length,
Moses came forward, and said to
him that the palace must certainly
have built itself. The King laughed
at the absurdity', saying, that it was
a pretty thing for a man who called
himself a prophet to declare that
such a palace had built itself in the
midst of a desert! Moses interrupt
ing him, said, “You think it a strange
extravagance to affirm that this
palace built itself, the thing being
impossible, and yet, you believe that
the world made itself. If this fine
palace, which is but an atom, in
comparison, could not build itself in
this desert, how much more impos
sible is it, that this world, so solid, so
great, so admirable in all its parts,
could have been made by itself, and
that it should not, on the contrary,
be the work of a wise and powerful
architect. The King was convinced,
and worshipped God as Moses had
instructed him to do.
“The things which are made do
plainly declare the things which are
not seen—the eternal power and
Godhead of the Great, First Cause.”
The work shows the workman.” “For
every house is built by- some man,
but He that built all things is God.”
Hcb. 3:4.
Speak to the earth, ask, whence
art thou, and the silent answer
comes to us, “I am the manifestation
of an invisible, self-existent, omnipo
tent Creative power.”
2d. Speak to the earth and it
shall teach us a lesson of Wisdom.
Wisdom consists in the adaptation
of means to ends. The earth, in all
its departments of being, displays
this adaption. There exists a due
proportion of land and water, the
one adapted to meet the wants of
the other. Water is the great sol
vent of nature. It changes the con
dition of the otherwise unappro
priated elements of the soil, and ren
ders them fit for nourishing, and
promoting the growth of plants.
But how is it to be transferred from
the ocean and distributed over the
land t Means have been wisely de
vised to accomplish the end. The
warm rays of the sun nestle upon
the surface of the water, vaporize it,
and lift it into the regions above,
whence,borne upon the wings of the
wind, it meets with colder currents,
is condensed into drops of rain, and
falls in copious showers upon the
thirsty lasd.
Under the combined influence of
heat ami moisture, there spring from
the bosom of the earth innumerable
vegetable products, while beasts and
birds, reptiles and insects, swarm
upon its surface in countless num
bers. What are the means adapted
for their mutual support?
Each zone manifests its own
peculiar development of Flora and
Fauna, the one suited to the other.
In the Artic regions, are found
stunted Alpine shrubs lichens afid
mosses, adapted to the use of land
animals. There, heating food is de
manded for man, and the best exter
nal covering. Its frozen seas afford
whale-oil, and seal meat, in great
abundance, and fur—bearing ani
mals furnish the clothing required.
In the Tropics where burning heat
prevails, and cooling food is needed,
are found delicious fruits, spon
taneously produced, and light, ex
terior coverings. In the Temperate
zones, where extremes of heat and
cold do not prevail, there is an
equally perfect adaption of food and
clothing to the wants of animals.
The mutual dependence of ani
mals and plants, in annother respect
teaches us the same lesson of wis
dom. Both are provided with re
spiratory organs, which, in animals,
are their lungs, in plants, their leaves.
The former require oxygen for the
support of life, while the latter de
mand carbon. At every’ inspiration
the air is decomposed in the lungs of
animals, the oxygen uniting with
the carbon of their blood, forming
carbonic acid gas, which is given off
at every expiration. The leaves,
which are the lungs of plants, re
ceive this carbonic acid, decompose
it, appropriate the carbon, and give
us back the oxygen. Thus, poison
is rendered harmless, the equilibrium
is maintained, and life, animal and
vegetable, is supported. The beasts
of the field, the fowls of the air, and
fishes of the sea, as well as the earth
itself, in its diversity of soil, and
climate, afford countless examples of
the adaptation of means to ends.
Speak to the earth, and ask “Who
formed thee thus?” the answer
comes back, “Ob Lord, how mani
fold are Thy worb; in wisdom hast
'Thou made them all!” I*s. 104:24.
3d. Speak to the earth, and it
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX: THURSDAY, JUNE 2. 1892.
shall teach us a lesson of Goodness.
Light is pleasant to the eye, filling
the soul with joy, and giving health
to the body, but an unending day,
in this life, would prove painful, be
yond endurance. Ilence, in good
ness, God turns the earth upon its
axis, draws tne curtain of night over
the blazing sun, and man and beast,
and bird, aud plant, close their eyes
in slumber.
Spring, with its verdure, and
beauty, delights our senses. Sum
mer, with its warm sunshine, and re
freshing showers, unfolds the bud,
and ripens the grain. Autumn, with
its waving fields, and golden har
vests, gladdens the heart of the hus
bandman. Even bleak winter, with
its hoar frost, its icy breath, and
snowy mantle, brings rest to the
laboring earth, and cheers the social
circle with its glowing fires.
But perpetual Spring would give
us half formed leaves, and never
opening buds. Unending Summer,
would give us withered flowers, and
never ripened fruits. Perpetual
Autumn would give up only the sere
and yellow leaf. Unending Winter
would give us chilling winds, bare
forests, blighted gardens, and ice
bound streams.
To prevent this wearisome mo
notony God, in His goodness, has so
inclined the axis of the earth to the
plane of its orbit, as to cause the sun
to wind upon his spiral journey,
north and south, producing the
pleasing recurrence of change in the
seasons.
It is, almost, a universal law that
heat expands, while cold contracts,
material substances. There is, how
ever, one exception to this law, which
affords a striking illustration of the
goodness of God towards his crea
tures, that have their homes in the
smaller streams. As the tempera
ture of water falls, and approaches
the feezing point, in accordance with
the law above stated, it contracts.
But strange to say', just as this
point is reached, instead of con
tinuing to contract, it begins to ex
pand. But for this, continued re
duction in temperature, would in
crease its density, and consequently,
its weight, also. The result would
be, that each successive frozen layer
would sink, forcing the liquid below
to the surface above, which, in its
turn, would also freeze, and sink.
Should this process bo continued,
during a'long winter, in high latitu
des, the mass of water in the streams
located there, would become con
gealed from top to bottom, forming
rivers of solid ice. As a consequ
ence, all the fishes in the frozen
streams would die. To prevent such
a catastrophe, God, in His goodness,
has so ordered it, that water, in the
moment of freezing, should not con
tract, but expand, and hence, grow
ing lighter, that it should not sink,
but float upon the surface of the
liquid below. Ice, being a non-con
ductor of heat, prevents a further re
duction in the temperature of the
water underneath it, and, thus, pre
serves the lives of the fishes.
As the population of the earth in
creases, and civilization advances, the
forests of the earth disappear to
make room for teeming cities, and
cultivated fields. The result is, that
fuel, and timber grow’ scarce, and
unless some provision were made to
supply this deficiency, man must
dwell in the open air, aud, in high
latitudes, would suffer, and die from
cold. In the absence of timber for
building, God upheaves granite
and marble from the foundations of
the earth, gives to man the iron of
which to make his tools, and bids
him go, and take from the quarry
that which he needs.
When the surface of the earth
grows bare of fuel, God gives man a
key to the storehouse below, which
he may unlock and supply his
wants.
It has been estimated that the
coal fields already discovered within
the limits of the United States will
cover an area of 250,000 square
miles, and that their combined solid
contents will reach not less than 3J
millions cubic miles.
A distinguished geologist says
that there are in the coal-fields of
North America alone, eight trillion
tons, and in the British Isles, Bel
gium and France, about 800 billion
tons, to say nothing of the rest of
the world, or of mines yet to be dis
covered. There are about 100,000,-
000 tons of coal consumed annually.
At this rate of consumption, the
coal-fields of Pennsylvania alone,
would meet the demand for more
than 3,000 years. If the consump
tion were quadrupled, the coal-fields
of North America alone would sup
ply the world for 10,000 years.
Thus, long before man was!
created, God was preparing for 1
him a habitation. During the
long epochs of the coal forma
tions, He was kindly providing for
man’s wants, by laying in an abund
ance of bituminous fuel to do him for
all the winters of his life. Buried,
for ages, by the hand of the Almigh
ty, it has been exhumed by the hand
of man, and brought into useful ser
vice for the human race. “It glows
in the grate, and warms the bodies
of millions. It lights the fire of un
numbered forges, and cheers the
heart of the honest mechanic. It
feeds the flames of Manchester and
of Lowell and of thousands of other
factories, and helps to clothe the
world. It lends its heat to water,
and moves the wheels of commerce
throughout the habitable globe. It
glitters in the street lamp, and lights
the path of the evil and the good. It
shines in the festive hall, and guides
the dancers’ steps. It illuminates the
chambers where legislative
to enact the laws that govern men.
It lightens the sactuary where devout
assemblies meet, and helps them in
the worship of their Maker.”
Wherever we turn the eye, we are
taught this lesson of goodness. It is
seen in the queenly rose, with its
bursting bud, or full bloom blossom
—in the modest violet, with its beau
tiful blue—in the variegated pink
with its marvelously blended colors.
It is reflected from the pure white of
the lilly,—it glitters in the gold of
the sun-flower, —it is printed upon
the crimson of the dahlia. It is
spread out upon. the emerald carpets
that cover the far-stretching land
scapes, and waves from the grand old
forests, that are clothed in living
green.
Wherever the ear is opened, it is
greeted with melody. The harmon
ious hum of insect life, the cheerful
warbling of the songsters of the
air, the subdued murmur of rippling
brooks,the bleating of harmless lambs,
the gentle lowing of homeward bound
herds, unite their voices in an anthem
of praise to the goodnes of God.
Fragrant odors fill the air, deli
cious fruits satisfy the palate, a gen
erous soil yields its abundant supply
of .the staff of life for man and beast,
while all combine to teach this lesson
of goodness, leading us to lift up our
hearts, and sing, “Oh, give thanks
unto the Lord, for He is good.”
4th. Speak to the earth and it
shall teach \» a lesson of patience.
accept the chronolo
gy of the fitible in its strictly literal
meaning, wheVaer we interpret it
by the light of modern science, or
whether we take the Mosaic account
of creation as merely typical of the
various stages of man’s moral devel
opment, the old saying, “the world
was not in ide in a day,” still remains
true. Whether we study chapters
in the book of Nature, or in the book
of revelation, we are taught the same
lesson of patience. It is evident
that in the work of creation God
was in no hurry. What period of
time elapsed between “the begin
ning,” spoken of in Gen. Ist, and
the work of the six days, subsequent
ly described, we ha’ve no sure means
of ascertaining. It is very certain,
however, that ages elapsed, after the
work of creation began, before the
earth became a fit habitation for
man. “He laid the foundations of
the earth, covered it with the deep
as with a garment, and the waters
■ stood above the mountains. At his
rebuke they fled, they went down
by the valleys into the place which
He had founded for them.” It is
stated upon good authority that
“the breadth and depth of the allu
vial deposit at the mouth of the
Mississippi river, and the length of
time, ascertained by actual calcula
tion, which has been required to
bring it to its present dimensions,
show that that stream has been run
ning, not less, than 100,000 years.”
What, then, must have been the
vastness of the period required for
the subsidence of that mighty ocean,
which once spread itself over the
southern and south-western portions
of the North American Continent!
The very spot over which we now
sit was once submerged beneath that
boundless sea. This fact, together
with many others, corroborative, that
might be mentioned, will serve as a
specimen, to show the length of
time intervening between the foun
dation of the earth, spoken of by
the Psalmist, and the erection of its
superstructure.
Even in the more minute, and, ap
parently, less important works of
God, this lesson of patience is taught
with equal plainness and power. He
does not cause the full grown oak to
spring, instantly, from the little
acorn, but under the gentle influ
ences of heat, and moisture, and the
productive power of soil, the seed
slowly swells, the germ gradually
develops, the root strikes down into
the earth, the stem shoots above its
surface, and, through long years
progresses to maturity. The rings
that encircle its axis, when counted,
show that its growth has extended
through seven to ten centuries. So
slowly has it grown, from its point
of germination to its present tower
ing height, that no human eye, even
with the closest inspection, has been
able to detect its movement up
wards.
So in the growth of animals, from
the minutest insect to the largest
beast, we discover this process of
slow, and gradual development.
Even man himself, the noblest earth
ly manifestation of creative power,
has his period of helpless infancy, of
dependent youth, of vigorous man
hood, and of mature age, requiring
three score years and ten for their
completion. The alternations of day
and night are not suddenly made.
The darkness of the night quietly
steals away before the rays of the
rising sun. So the beams of the set
ting sun linger in the twilight, and
softly fade into the deeper darkness
of the night. The transition of the
seasons comes upon us by slow de
grees. The balmy days of Spring,
gradually loosen the icy grasp of
Winter, and gently lay upon us the
warm hand of Summer. So, like
wise, the gradually shortening days
of Autumn turn us away from the
fierce heat of departing Summer,
and by their slowly falling tempera
ture, brace us up against the chilly
blasts, and blinding snows of ad
vancing Winter. Indeed, in all the
operations of Nature, which are but
the expression of the thoughts of
God, and the effects of the exertion
of His omnipotent power, we are
taught the lesson of Divine patience.
Speak to the and ask “Who
laid thy foundations in the deep,
and built up thy wondrous fabric
through all the ages of the past”—
the answer comes back to u», “The
God of patience” is my builder.
sth. Speak to the earth, and it
shall teach us a lesson of Life.
Earth, air, and water, teem with
life. Thousands of different species
of plants have already been analyzed,
and classified by botanists, and it is
not improbable that hundreds of
thousands remain to be explored by
the industry of future ages. We are
told that “Every country, hitherto
explored, produces a variety of spe
cies of plants peculiar to itself.
Those districts of the world, which
have been frequently surveyed,
present to every succeeding observ
er, a new field of investigation, and
reward his industry with new discov
eries of the beauty, and variety of
the vegetable kingdom. While this
is true, a very large, if not the lar
ger portion, of the vegetable world,
still remains to be surveyed by the
scientific botanist. It has been con
jectured by some, on the ground of
numerous observations, that there is
not a square league of earth that
does not present some one plaht pe
culiar to itself. This would make
the number of species of plants to
amount to as many millions as there
are of square leagues on the surface
of the earth, that is, to more than
21 millions.” How shall we enu
merate the myriads of individuals
embraced within this multitude of
species!
But we are not less astonished
at the manifestation of life in the
animal world, visible even to
the naked eye. The uncounted va
rieties of feathered songsters, that
make their home in field and for
est, the myriads of the finny tribe,
that are found in river, lake and
sea; the vast herds of beasts that
roam the western prairies of Ameri
ca, and that hide themselves in the
jungles of Asia and Africa, together
with the insects, that literally swarm
in earth, air and water, beggar the
power of numbers, and pass the
comprehension of man!
Turn the microscope on but one
single drop of stagnant water, or on
the cup of yonder fragrant rose, or
upon the leaf that hangs upon the
stem, or even upon the flesh of liv
ing animals, and a new world of life
is brought to view with a population,
infinitely more numerous than that
which reveals itself to the unaided
eye. Add to this the 1 billion, 400
millions of human beings that inhab
it the earth, and we have only begun
to learn soniethingof the lesson of life.
Speak to the earth and ask,
“Whence all these forms of life?and
the answer comes, From God, the
“Fountain of life.” “Let every thing
that hath breath, praise the Lord!
6th. Speak to the earth and it
shall teach us a more solemn lesson.
It is a lesson of Death.
The domain of death is commen
surate with that of life. Decay and
dissolution mark all earthly objects
with as much distinctness as do
growth and life. The beautiful
flowers that now smile upon the
earth, will soon droop, and fade, and
die. The living stein that bears
them, and the green leaf that flutters
beside them, in striking contrast,
will wither away, and dissolve in
dust. The dense forests that over
shadow the earth, standing in their
strength and majesty, resisting the
mighty sweep of the tempest, will
soon lie prostrate upon its bosom,
and disappear from human sight.
As with this lower department of
animated nature, so with the higher,
Death is the doom of all. The eph
emeral insect of a day, quickly
breathes away its short period of
life. The sweet singers of the air,
soon cease their songs, and fold their
wings in the silence of death. The
monarchs of the forest, the terror of
all around, as well as the weakest,
and most timid of their fellow creat
ures, soon reach the end of life.
The innumerable multitudes of fishes,
that swarm in the waters, are laid
under tribute to satisfy the demands
of this insatiable monster.
The marks of his footsteps are to
be seen through all the ages of the
earth. Death has been one of the
mighty builders of this huge fabric
upon which we live. “Mountains of
limestone, miles in thickness, and
hundreds of miles in extent, are
composed of the remains of beings
that once lived. The earth itself in
all its strata, throughout its whole
extent of land and sea, is but one
vast burial ground. As countless as
are the living forms that now exist,
they are but as nothing compared
to the multitudes that lie buried in
the earth.
Nor is man himself, in all the
greatness of his intellectual power,
in all the comeliness, and strength
of his form, with all his longings for
continuance in life, exempt from the
law of death. He too must yield
up his breath, and give his body
back to dust. One hundred years
from to-day and the millions of hu
man beings that throng the cities of
earth, or till its soil, or go down in
ships to the sea, will be numbered
with the dead. Go to the populous
cities and towns of our comparative
ly, newly discovered land, search
their graveyards, and see the sad
havoc that death has made within
the last 300 years. Go to the cav
erns of Egypt, unlock her pyramids;
Turn your steps to Asia, where al
most every foot of land is occupied
by human beings; to Africa, with
its dusky millions; to Europe with
its densely populated countries, and
to the islands of the seas—let the
imagination stretch itself back over
the ages past, since man first ap
peared upon the earth, and number
if you can, the mighty multitude
that once walked its surface. Think
of war, of famine, of pestilence, of
disease in its multiplied forms, and
learn the solemn lesson taught us by
every foot of ground beneath our
tread.
“Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return.”
7th. Speak to the earth, and it
shall teach us a lesson of Law.
The governing hand of the Crea
tor is seen impressed upon all earth
ly objects. The globe, with all its
forms of matter, and varieties of liv
ing beings, constituting one mass, is
controlled in its motions by the force
of law. Hurled from .the hand of
the Creator, it must in obedience to
law, have moved on, forever, in a
right line, unless deflected from its
course by some modifying force.
This force was found in the attrac
tive power of that sun, which con
stitutes the centre of our system.
By mutual influence, thus exerted, a
resultant law is produced, causing
the earth to move in a continual
curve, and marking out its path with
in certain limits, beyond which it
cannot stray.
In this law of motion, we find a
hint of the law of activity impressed
upon all beings upon the surface of
the earth. It is a necessity of life.
Stagnation is death. The minutest
insect must labor for its food.
The fishes of the sea, must pro
vide for their own wants. The
beasts of the field, and the birds
of the air, must, alike, labor to build,
for themselves, their dens, aud nests,
and to secure the means of subsis
tence. So the same law asserts its
sway over man, the lordly sovereign,
whose dominion extends over all
these lower orders of beings.
The bristling thorns, the unfriend
ly briars, the noxious weeds, the ever
springing grass, and the fallow
ground, tell him that labor is the law
of his life. The ax, the fire, the
plough, and the hoe, must be dili
gently used through weary months
of toil, followed by the sowing, reap
ing, and garnering before he eats
his bread. It is but the product of
the “sweat of his face.”
It is in obedience to this law that
he discerns the curse of sin. It is in
the study of this law that he discov
ers the law of sacrifice, so plainly
stamped upon the world around
him. “A life for a life,” is the
demand of all earthly living
beings. Even the soil itself,
pierced and torn, and beaten with
plough, and hoe, and spade, and
rake, yields up its strength, and gives
its life for the support of the plants
that it nourishes upon its bosom.
The herbs of garden and field, yield
their lives for the support of living
creatures above them. The fruit
bearing tree supplies its luscious
products for man and beast,and soon
exhausts itself, and dies. The stat
lier growth of the forests furnish the
materials for the dwellings of man,
which soon decay, and mingle with
the earth from which they sprang.
Even the lower order of animals,
dwelling both in sen, and upon land,
yield themselves as sacrifices for the
support of the lives of the more pow
erful. The vegetable and the brute
creation, are, alike, sacrificed to meet
the demands of humanity. Nor is man,
in the propagation of his own spe
cies, exempt from this universal law
of sacrifice. The lives of the father
andthe mother are sacrificed in the
production and maintenance of their
offspring. Often indeed, is it the case,
that as the child is born, the mother
dies.
This lesson of law leads u« to the
base of that rugged mount, which
still lifts its lightning-scarred sum
mit aloft from the plains of Arabia.
There, upon Sinai, covered with
clouds, stood Moses, face to face
with God, receiving, upon the two
tables of stone, that moral law,which
Linds man to his maker,qpd to which,
he must yield obedience, or die. So
that, wherever we turn, in whatso-
ever direction we move, we are met
by the impassable barriers of law, that
restrains both the inner and the
outer man.
Speak to the earth, and ask
whose hand guides and rules, and the
answer comes, “Thy throne, O God,
is in the heavens, and thy Kingdom
ruleth over all.”
Bth. Speak to the earth, and it
shall teach us a lesson of Grace.
Thanks to a benevolent Creator,
the lesson of stern law is not the
last one that earth can teach. Con
scious of our vain efforts to respond
to the demands of the moral law,
holy, just and good, we come, with a
sense of our weakness, and ask if
there is no hope of relief from the
penalty incurred by its violation.
Between the eastern shore of the
Mediterranean sea, and the river Jor
dan, lies a narrow strip of land, in
cluding Judea, Samaria, and Galilee,
from which comes the sweet lesson
of grace. Nearly 1900 years ago,
there was born in Bethlehem of Ju
dea, a mysterious babe. “And there
were in the same country, shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch
over their flocks by night. And 10,
the angel of the Lord came upon
them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them ; and they
were sore afraid. And the angel
said Unto them, fear not; for be
hold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all peo
ple. For unto you is born this day,
in the city of David, a Saviour, who
is Christ the Lord. And this shall
be a sign unto you; ye shall find the
babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger. And suddenly,
there was with the angel, a multi
tude of the heavenly host, praising
God and saying: Glory to God in
the highest, and, on earth, peace,
and good will to men.”
Here it was that the" earth saw
God manifest in the flesh, for “the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us.” Here it was that the
earth witnessed the humilitation of
the King of glory. Here it was that
the earth beheld His conflict with
Satan, and His victory over Satan.
Here it was that the earth offered
her waters for His baptism, and saw
the Holy Ghost descending, in bodi
ly shape like a dove, and lighting up
on Him. Here it was that the earth
heard the voice from the most excel
lent Glory, saying, “This is my be
loved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.” Here it was that the earth
heard His command, “Repent and
believe the Gospel.” Here it was
that the weary world first heard the
gracious invitation, “Come unto me
all ye that labor and are heavy la
den and I will give ye rest.” Here
it was that earth first heard the pro
clamation of God’s love, and the
promise of eternal life. “For God
so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotton, that whosoever
bclieveth in Him, should not perish,
but have eternal life.” Here it was
that earth first witnessed the sympa
thies of the Son of God for suffer
ing humanity. Here it was that
earth saw His miraculous power
manifested, in healing tiie sick, giv
ing sight to the blind, loosening the
tongues of the dumb, uustopping the
ears of the deaf, and raising the dead
to life,.
Here it was that earth, witnessed
the infinite offering on Calvary that
forever satisfied the demand of the
law of sacrifice. Here it was that
the earth saw the God-man iay down
His life for the redemption of sin
ful man. Here it was that the earth
beheld the Sun veil his face, for
very shame, at the wickedness of His
cruel murderers. Here it was that
the earth felt the trembling quiver
of sympathy for the dying Saviour,
Here it was that the very rocks did
rend,as if in the agony of their grief,
over the death of their maker. Here
it was that the earth opened her
graves, and sent forth her slumber
ing dead to life again, to behold the
tragic scenes of crucifixion. Here it
was that she made bare her tender
bosom to receive the body of her
dead Lord. Here it was that she
witnessed His resurrection, and glo
rious triumph over death, hell and
the grave. Here it was that she
heard her risen Savior utter the great
commission, “Go ye into all the world
and preach the gospel to every crea
ture. He that beheveth and is bap
tized shall be saved—he that believ
eth not shall be damned.” Here it
was that earth saw Him borne upon
the fleecy wings of clouds to the
throne of the Majesty on High, there
to receive the crown of glory, which
He had with the Father from before
the foundation of the world.
There it was that she beard the
assurance from the angelic Host,
“This same Jesus that is token up
from you into Heaven shall so come
in like manner ns ye have seen Him
go into heaven.”
Speak to the earth, and it shall
teach us lessons of God's omnipotent
power and of His unerring wisdom.
Speak to the earth, and it shall teach
us of His boundless goodness, and
of His inexhaustible patience. Speak
to the earth, and it shall teach us the
shortness of life, and the universali
ty of death. Speak to the earth, and
it shall teach us the lesson of sub
jection to law, physical and moral,
and of man’s disobedience, and spir
itual death. Speak to the earth, and
it shall teach us of God’s all abound
ing grace in the vicarious death of
His son. Jeans Christ; in His com
plete redemption of every believer;
in the lively hope of a coming res
urrection ; in a never ending life in
“His presence, where there is full
ness of joy, and at His right hand
where there are pleasures forever
more.”