The New York herald., 1873-08-25
ALANsON METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Sermon by the Rev. C. E. Harris ON
Gods Attributes-Origina views-Thc
Power OF God and How He Uses 1.-THE
Sophistry OF the Infidel.
The Rev. Charles E. Harris preached an excel
lent sermon last evening in the AlansOn Methodist
Episcopal church. His subject was on the attri
butes Of God and both the arguments and the
skill OF the treatment were original and agree
able. 1t was much in the Beecher vein,
and was delivered with all that clergyman's fervOr
and humor Mr. Harris took his text from Revela-
tions, xix, 5, O. beginning, "a voice came out from
the grave" &c.
The idea OF thiss that God regns everywhere. To
describe the dreadful grandeur OF God is OF course,
impossible. To be able to do 80 would be to have
more than an angels power. Compared with HIS
grandeur all earthly pageants are as nothing. His
canopy is the heavens His subjects all creation,
His body guard the angels. His laws are based on
love. How lar superior to all worldly kings! how
different from all earthly p0tentates The first at
tribute OF God Is sovereignty, and the first attr-
butte OF sovereignty is power. He has a moral
sovereignty. You see His power in the domain
of nature. No power can refuse alle-
glance to Him. We can do so to earthly
kings, but how can We do it to
God2 What are we without HimS We cannot move
a step, not live instant without His sustaining
power. He often makes use of the man who
refuses Him allegiance as the instrument of His
will. The night, the noon, the day, the vast noun.
tains, the great ocean, the smiles OF the flowers
the voice OF the thunder-al tell OF the existence
of God. Mysteries, intricac les, greatness cannot
weary Him. You His existence in all, and yet
more in the still, small voice which whispers within
yourself. All we touch, all We feel, all we taste
comes from Him. He has given us the power to do
these things. The difference between
GOD AND OURSELVES
Is Immediately apparent. You can't create, you
can't destroy. Not the smallest atom can you
make out OF nothing; nethercan you completely
annlhliate anything Some people affirm that after
God had once created the world He was satisfied
and then left 1t to take care OF ITSELF But this
theory is ridiculous. II Is the old cant about ma
ture and laws. laws: Law, what Is law II is the
1t Is Ike separating your arms from your mind.
You can't make a movement unless your mind
exist, cannot move, without His ever-watchful
care There are some people who are never satis-
fed with Gods work. and who speak Of nature all
the time as II nature were not God. ! saw one OF
these people on vacation. He had been talking
about the world, as 1t were, not being perfect. He
wanted TO improve on nature. Lying under an ap-
pie quite full OF fruit and seeing the apples and
seeing also some pumpkins In neighboring field,
he said, "Now. how much better 1t would be II
those pumpkins, fine and large, grew on the tree
and these little bits OF miserable apples on the
groundl How much better the effect would be !"
him GU the nose. His first exclamation was,
"Thank God, that wasn't Pumpkin' This Is
ABOUT tue average value OF these crltlciSmS upon
Gods work. He alone can do anything we are
merely His tools. People say, " ] was converted
under Mr.. Harris" They might as well say, IL was
cured under DR.. So and So" tell you If you were
not converted by God then your conversion is not
worth much We must look at God as our SOW
erelgn. He would be nothing without His power.
what Is any sovereign without power. But with
all HIS power, His omnlpotence, He can't work
contradiction He can't say In advance, "This
lot OF people III save;
- THIS LOT I'LL DAMN
rms would be a contradiction. Neither could He
any more than we make the past the present or
the present the future, or two and two make five,
nor any impossible contradictory thing. This does
not lIApeach His power. 1t does not lmpeach your
eyeslght that should say you cannot sec what Is
hear what is inaudible. Neitner can God do what
is wrong. What would you think OF a husband who
said on the first day oil his marriage TO his wife,
'The first two children we have win care for
and mature aud clOthe and iced and educate and
dandle on my knee and love. But the four or six
or eight or ten | have alter that deny. | won't
feed them, won't clOthe them, | won't care for
them, III make them suffer- Would not such a
father be 1t for a lunatic asylum and vet there
are people who say God does tins. They make him
say. This little lot III save. The resi- all OF
them 90 TO hell. without distinction" But there are
Christians who believe In such God. Ii
tnat Is the God | am to worship, let
me be q Jew again. They have
saved, but lie puts US on this earth with a free
will TO do as we please and we all have the ability
to be saved II we please. He puts us In salvabie
position. It's our business then to do the best we
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