The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-26


the more especial losers in this catastrophe,
or for the family friends of those who have
been so suddenly removed by death, to
charge upon themselves, as the cause of
this providence, crimnality above that
which is shared by the community at large,
is n self-infction, which both scripture and
common intelligence accounts preposter-
Gus. "Whom God lovcth He chasteneth.
In the time of our Lord there were those
who thus interpreted the providence that
removed certain Galilceans, and also certain
inhabitants of Jerusalem but our Lord re-
buked the inference which they drew that
the calamity which they suffered marked
them out as sinners above others. In thus
speaking, Christ did not deny the connec-
ton between sin and calamity, but He did
rebuke that assumption that assumes to
know all about it, He suggests how to use
exactly and rightly the calamtics which
befall others, what their significance is as
regards ourselves that they are loud calls,
not to self-complacency but TO repentance.
We can hardly conceive how a calamity Of
equal magnitude could take place in our
community with so little occasion of blame,
either to the proprictors of the establish
ment or to persons who had in charge the
duty of running and supervising it. 1t took
place as accidents will and must often take
place when finite intelligence ia dealing
with natures most subtle and mighty agents.
Our only safety is found alone in Gods
guardian care and not in our human wis
dom and foresight. ." Except the Lord
keep the city, the Waterman waketh but
| in vain
Gods rod then has been upon us. Our
village has smoked beneath its stroke, and
has slndered the tcndcrcst human tics /;
! It,t Ivotl,a,'a bnp1 ,F 1D,.o Iog .riol 1ol
| it and gagged the force Of its blows not
one has fallen out of place not one has
| fallen too mary; not one has cut too deep.
| He who guides ArcturIs with his sons
! marked out the course of that fatal spark
that found its way to the deposit of death +;
| He without whom not u sparrow falls to
| the ground was present in the midst Of the
demolished and burning structure, Ordan-
ing and supervising every incident in the
wreck; and He, who hcareth the ravens
when they cry. heard every shrek of agony
that went up from the fiery abyss, every
voice of waling every whisper lisped in
the ear of dying companions, every ?cni-
tential sigh, every prayer of faith. Awful
was the catastrophe ; terrible the scene AS
imagination paints it, but how great the
relief to know that God was in the midst
of it all. working ont good which We
| kllbN lOl lDN. Dul WHICH We Sllull kUDN
hereafter. Is it true-thc statement which
Prof. McCosh makes that Good shows us
what lie thinks of us by the way in which
he treats :" By this standard Of measure
ment we must conclude that God thinks
very i'll Of us. to aiiict us as He often does
and in desolalons compared with which
our disaster is very small-W are forced
to the conclusion that He must account Us
sinners of superlative guilt How great
must be the criminality of children that
calls down from their Heavenly Father
such fiery and awful judgments as tho
necdful correctivcs, How fatal the dis
ease when it requires not only the cross fol
its cure, but with it such an accompanying
p apparatus Of Providental discipline
Could not our Father, with all His wisdom
love and power have shown us our sins
and made us hate them, and turn from
them, except IN visitatiOns so dreadful ant
so appalling? Every heart imbucd witt
the spirit of Christian wisdom answers No
Hence we are to listen not only to Godt
voice in the Scriptures, but to His voice il
His daily providence. Hear We the roc
and who it is that appoints it in His con
slant dealings with the children of men
Moses rod turned at his bidding into
serpent; Aarons rod budded and blossom
ed blossoms. but here is rod Gods roc
of chlstiscmcnt that is endowed with tn,
power of speech. Eeloquent and cifectiv,
orator. No sounding brass here, no tink
ling cymbal, but one who speaks with more
than the tongues of men and of angels
Mysterious instrument. that smites. an(
while II en,it"e rn?de 10, nc c'" = ,i..--7~--
our sin we must be under the discipline O
a rod, how blessed to be under the discp
line of one, whose every descent upon us il
attended by words of instruction and en-
enlargement to deliver us from its inflic
tons From this it appears that Gods 70,
is the instrument of His love And Goo
grant that we may all so heed instruction.
in probation that it shall never hereafter
fall upon us speeches., when it can urg,
no escape and hint no hope
The preacher closed with the lessons OF
instruction to he drawn from the calamity
FfSt-God's estimate of the value OF
property.
Secoad-lie seeks to reproduce in us the
same estimate and lead to something better
1htW-llc teaches us the insecurity OF
human life.
Fo"r@- Our need of preparation for in.
slant death