Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1879 — The Mistakes of Moses(?). [ARTICLE]

The Mistakes of Moses(?).

Notwithstanding the unpleasantness of the weather and the moisture of the roads a number oi persona from the country were in attendance at the M. E. quarterly meeting services held at this place daring Saturday and Sabbath. Quite a good congregation assembled Sabbath moroiag to hear Rev. Dr. Godfrey, the presiding elder of this district, whose sound theological reasoning and oratorical ability elicits the closest attention of all hearers. His discourse on this occasion could hardly be called a sermon, or a lecture, lor it was nothing more nor less than a recital of the life and time of Moses, as found in the Scripture!, and those who were familiar with this part of Holy writ were perhaps not less interested ip the recital of this “old, old story,” than those not conversant with the history of this ancient patriarch.' Commencing with the decree ot King Pharaoh, requiring the slaying of every male infant born to an Israelite mother, he followed the acts of Moses from infancy to old age, minutely depicting the preservation of his life by the cunning of his mother and his sister Miriuro; the finding of Moses in the bulrnshes by Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopts him as her son; his early life and education at the King’s palace; the homage paid him as the prospective King of Egypt and ruling monarch ot the world; the religious instruction of his mother which induced him at the time the scepter of Egypt was about to fall into his hands to “refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter “choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people ot to enjoy the pleasures ot sin for a season;” how, because of his refusal he was scorned, driven from the King’s palace, required tp doff his royal robes and take his place among his Israelite’ brethren as a slave in the field; how he slew the task-master and tied as a murderer from justice to the bleak mounting of Midian and became a shepherd in the service of Jethro, whose daughter he afterward took to .wife; how the Lord talked to him from the burning bush and desired him to return to Egypt and deliver the Israelites from bondage; his return to the court of Pharoah, who refuses to permit his slaves nnder the leadership ot Moses to depart the land of Goshen; the ten plagues and the harduing of Pharaoh's heart; the passover, the march of the six hundred thousand men besides the women and children, who being led by the pillar of cloud by day ami fire by night find themselves in a terrible dilemma—in front, the dashing waters of the ocean, on either side unsurmountable mountains, and in the rear Pharaoh and his angry host ready to slay them or compel their return to bondage; the. dividing of the waters, the destruction of the Egyptians and the triumph of the army of the Lord; Moses holding converse on Mount Sinai face to face with Jehovah; the forty l years wandering in the wilderness; his view from Mount Pijsgah, his death and burial, his presence at the transfiguration, his glory with the Lord in Heaven while the teeming millions of the earth and unborn generations yet to come will “sing the song of Moses and tho Lamb” throughout eternity. The conclusion was that Moses didn’t make any mistakes, and that by refusing to become the monarch of the civilized world for the brief period of life ho is receiving and will continue to receive the homage A>f II eaven forever.