Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-05-21

"0 'N~NtT. AiNoNffOsiu-
that you are familiar with the principal
facts relating 10 this disaster, let me aid
you in gathering some Of the truths, which
/ il illustrates
LII is not in the plan ofGod to pre-
ven; all safiering in this world.
A steamship IN the darkness Of mid
I night is hurrying to Obstruction. Wind,
current and steam, are croNding it upon
a dangerous coast. An hour mere, and
unless its course is changed, il must fall
upon the rocks. The officer in charge thinks
not ofdanger. The Captain weary with
watching, has left his post Of duty, and is
sleeping in the chart.room. Eight hun.
dredpassengers, are resting in their berths.
as unconscious Of peril, as We 10 the uncon-
seriousness Of last nights slumbers. Tho
only man who fears for the safety of the
vessel, does not succeed in awakening fear
in others Must they perish ? will not
He intercede for them, who walked over
the tcmpestuous lake to rescue his disci.
ples' There were only ten or twelve in
that little boat, here are almost thous.
and liYcs in danger. Look how made
up! husbands and wives looking anxious
ly for the signs of land which should tell
them how near to homes and friends they
are; students returning from foreign stud
les begin the work of life--strangers
and foreigners seeking new homes in a
strange country, TO which loved ones have
come before mother and sisters reckon
ing now the hours which will clapse be-
fore they will be past the pcrils of ocean
traVsI-children looking for protection and
guidance to them.
What pleading spectacle for the ex.
ercisc of Divins compassion! On for
mer instance, whea Paul was on shipboard
on his way to Rome, and all hope of safe
y hi hPd RGSR aRiysp Jqp IN a9ge Of The
isc of deliverancc verify, will not God
send an angel to rouse tie sleeping Cap
tain Of the Atlantic before death shall
overtake SO many helpless ones Such is
what We should expect from the frequent
reasonings of men in regard to the plans
Of God; they look into themselves, into
society, and from these, determine what
the Gospel is, or ought to be, what God
will dO,-vhat he fought ts do. IA
Did he do it? The first evidence Of
danger that came to them, was the heavy
blow of the ship upon the rocks. And as
these terrified, helpless men, women and
children, cry out for help, and their pite-
Gus pleadings mingle with the boisterous
elements, as they fall from the ropes
and rocks into the cold sea, no Saviour
came to them upon the waters,
What does this mean, my friends ?
Gods plan of government does permit of
suffering in this world How much does
this involve From the reasoning of many
in these days it would seem, as if they
thought God under obligation to do allfor
men in his simple poacer to do. Bear
with them, plead with them, suffer with
them. save thcm-uo matter what their
conduct. Reasoning from the same prin-
ciples, it might be asked, why stop here
in the course, why not under obligation
to make them angels and arcbangels in his
presence at once? Let the scene of this
wreck and sorrow return an answer to such
reasoning 40
A fact like This. is more in teaching
men what God will do, than a thousand
human theories. lflookiag down on the
sufferings of that sad night, he did not in
j F
terpose to rescue men perishiDg in the
waves, who shall say but that He may al
low them to perish in their sins? There
has been suffering in the world for 6000
years the Lord has seea it, yet it has
gone on. If Gods benign nature permits
! it now, why not in the distant ages of the
future Men and brethren had we not
better. look to what God is doing in the
world to-day, and take our Interpretation
of His word more fromHis providences and
Z less from human wisdom? Shall we not
, build on hope for the future on such truths
of His word, as we iud illustrated in His
works? He permits suffering--it is a fact
T-an experience J; il has an impressive
teaching in respect to His purpose for the
future.
i Nor issuch teaching as this, unneeded in
these our days. Their successes and
achievements lead them to think less of
God than formerly. They put their own
knowledge before the Book, science iu
place cfTefigion. works inl The stead Of
faith, They reckon upon their greatness,
How much is it, after oil ? How, helpless
is science, skill, experience, all the re-