The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-09-09
a Lay Sermon.


sight and good for food; the tree OF lie also
in the midst OF the garden, and the tree OF
knowledge OF good and evil.
And the Lord God took the msn, and put
hn into the garden o! Eden 10 dress it-aas
10 keep IL.
And the Lord God commanded tho man,
saying, or every tree of the garden thou
msyest freely eat:
But OF the tree OF the knowledge OF good
and evil, thou shalt not eat OF II; FOR In the
day that thou eatcst thereof thou shalt sure
ly die.
Dearly Belored Bre.hreH: As the Lord
never does anything without an object he
must have had an object IN planting the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil in
the garden OF Eden and IN commanding
AGAm not to eat of 1t. What was that oh
jecls Let US inquire, Notwithstanding
the command we find that Adam dld eat
of 1t and thereby los, eternal terrestrial life,
anu became mortal like unto the beasts,
the birds, and the fishes, We must not
conclude, however, that the result was
Gods object in planting the tree and en-
joining upon Adam not 10 eat thereof, for
he never thought Of such thing. On the
contrary, be earnestly desired that Adam
should not eat of it, and was heartily sorry
when he discovered that his command had
been disregardod. Yes, beloved brethren,
he wss not only sorry, but highly dis
pleased about il, for he censured Adam for
Welding to the entreatles of the woman,
and the woman for permitting the serpent
to tempt her, and the serpent tor mislead-
| ing the woman. HIS dISpleasure was so
great that he imposed II special punish.
mcns on the woman and on the serpent
Ne, my beloved brethren, God did net
plant the tree of the knowledge Of good
and evil in the garden of Eden for any
such object. True, Adam might have
! lived until this day without having tasted
| OF it had not the Lord excited his curiosity
as to the quality OF its fruit; besides, If he
/ had eaten OF ii without the knowledge OF
doing evil, he would have been an lnno-
cent party, and God, who is just in all
| things, could not consistently hold HIM
responsible. So it became necessary for
God 10 point out the tree 10 Adam, and no.
| ufv HIM of its character and the conse-
Quence there must follow his yielding to
the temptation of eating thereof God
made Adam in his own image and like
ness, and lett him perfectly free TO do rs
he pleased. He told HIM so, only remind
/ ing him mildly Of the same time Of his
obligations TO his God for having created
the earth and all things therein out Of
nothing and having made him adam
lord over all. In return for all of which
/ he only asked that Adam should not eat OF
/ the tree of the knowledge Of good and evil.
/ Ii was only reasonable for God to ask OF
/ Adam some evidence OF his appreciation
/ of the favors conferred upon him. So God
created the tree of the knowledge of good
aud evil and placed 1t In the garden Of
Eden, the simple object being to test
Adams appreciation Of the favors con-
/ farred upon him. True, if he desired, God
could have looked into the future for mil
hens OF years and seen everything that
would occur; but In this instance he did
| net look ahead at all, because he desired
! ~ nnv''- ---------.-~-- .-----,--s~ -'"~s'.'s-
Adam would use his liberty, his free
agency, TO crafty his own desires or to
please his God.
| Beloved brethren, Gods ministers should
in all things, and under all circumstances,
| follow his example. In the case of Adam
we understand that God did not remove a
temptation, but, on the contrary. he Gre
ated one and pointed 1t out to Adam, that
be might know 1t and avoid 1t tor Gods
glory and his own good. The true minister
OF God will not, therefore, advocate re-
course to civil law to remove from man
temptations to evil, but will point ont the
evils and supplicate God, his master, to
bless his people and fortifJ them with
christian strength to avoid them and keep
! in the path Of virtue, thus recognizing the
power the goodness aud justice of God,
and gratifying his desire as clearly exem-
plified IN the case of Adam, that mans
gratitudge aud love for his creator should
I
be tested by the ordeal of temptation.
From the foregoing remarks you can ap-
preclate the inconsistency of ministers
who would appeal to civil authority to re
move from man all temptation to evil.
Such ministers are unable to comprehend
that by removing temptation they would
leave man without hope of future reward
or fear of future punishment and them
selves without employment. For If there
was DO evil there would be no need for
ministers. Such policy is cxcusable only
in men whose minds are IN their nature so
aerial that they are incapable OF descend
ing to the plane of common sense. The
true christian minister will not NEEDLE
with the business of Cesar; he will leave
the making and enforcement of the civil
laws to the proper authorities and attend
strictly to exhorting and preaching the
Word Of God.
For politics the pulpit is no place:
For mixing up the holy with the base
Is tolcrable in no case.
The Kansas City Times shouts exulting.
lv. "'rhprn lanit anythinp that can heat the