Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-01-12
A CHRISTMAS SERMON.
Preached by Rev. A. w. Moore,
Bishopville, S. c., December
25th, 1881.
Subjcct-'tThe Fuincss Of tho
. Time.0 @


"But whom the fulness of the time was
come God sent forth his Sou, made of a
woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that wore under the law, that wc
might receive the adoption of ns."-GaI..
iv, as.
The Apostle, in tho development of his
great argument, is exhibiting, justifyng
tho wisdom Of God in subjcoting the church
and the world for SO many ages to tho law,
that law written with the finger of God
upon the tables of stone, published by Mo-
ses and the holy prophets and which exer-
olscd such mighty influence in tho eduoa.
tion of the Hebrew mind and 10 the dc.
termination Of the history of the world.
There was necessity for tho long con.
tinuance of the law, through so many ares,
although 1t is written, "But that no man -
justified by the law in the sight Of God, it
is evident; for the just shall live by filth.
And the Law is not of faith, but the man
that doeth them shall live 10 them. But
before faith came we were kept under the
law, shut up into the faith Which should
afterwards bo revealed. Wherefore tho
law was cur sohoomastcr to bring US into
Christ, that we might bo justified BY faith
Now, | say, that tho heir, as long us he
is child, differcth nothing from servant,
though he be lord of all; but is under tutors
and governors until the timo appointed by
the father. Even SO VIC, when VIC were
children. we're in bondage under tho ele.
mcnts of the world; but when the fulnesss
OF the time was come God sent forth his
Son, made of q woman, made under tho
law"
We SEQ the exhibitions of the same cter-
nal wisdom in tho appearing of the Christ
that wero go manifest in the first appearing
of the nan, Adam, upon the earth God
did not create man until the sixth day.
Creative agency had been displayed in the
formation of the earth and the seas: in
bringing forth grass and herb yielding seed
after his kind aud tho tree yielding fruit:
in making two great lights; the greater
light to rule the day and the lesser light
to rule the night; and the stars also, and in
tho living creature after his kind, cattle and
creeping thing and beast of tho earth after
his kind.
All these creative processes had been
going on; it may have been for thou
sands of years, for ono day is with the Lord
as thousand years, or great indefinite pc
RODS, but when the fulncss of time was
come, when the earth stood forth, in all it's
beauty and in al its glory, bearing tho i'm
press Of the Creator tho man, Adam, arose
from tho earth aud tho woman from the
man.
"And God said, let US make man in our
own image, after our likeness; aud let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, n.,d
over tho fowls of the air, aud over tho
cattle and over all the earth, and over eyory
creeping thing that crcepet,l upon tho
earth. So God created man, in lis own
image, when ho Lad mado The earth. and
tho seas, tho day and tho night, tho grass
aud the hower and tho fruit tree, the fish
aud inc fowl and tho cattle aud the beast
Of the field"
When tho man and the woman, reflect.
ing tho image Of God, walked forth in
Eden, the place that God had prepared for
them, invested with dominion over tho
world, it is said, not all the sons of God
shouted for joy. When the fulness of that
time was come, God sent forth the man and
the woman, under tho command and the
benediction, be faithful md multiply and
rcplenish the earth and subdue il and have
dominion over the fish of tho sea and over
the fowls of tho air and every living thing
that moveth upon the earth.
1t is immaterial how many lengthened
periods of time elapsed from the moment
when tho earth, being without form and
void, and darkness being upon tho face of
the deep, tho spirit began to move upon
tho waters, until God made man and
gave him dominion over the works of his
hand.
The point we wish you to apprehena is,
that after the creative processes had re-.
suited in oil the wonderful works of God,
man appeared to iuhabit, enjoy and subduo
the earth. The time of his appearance was
tho fittest, tho ripest and tho best, for 10
the wisdom and in the providence of God,
the time had bcon forearrangcd and foro-
ordained.
Now if there be signs and demonstra-
tlons OF The infinite wisdom in dofcrring the
creation of man until tho earth had been
formed, until all tho species of the vegeta-
bic lifo had boon created aud subjected to
its laws of growth and decay, until all tho
species of animal life had been created md
subjected to its laws of manifold function
and development, how much more ought
wo to be uble to discern tho divine wisdom
and the divine grace in postponiog the ap--
peafahce of the Christ, the Saviour, the
Reatorer, until all things had been made
ready, until through the workings of the
mystery of iniquity by hard and woeful
experience, thero had been revealed tho
overwhelming need of tho divine nterposi-
tion-of that almighty holpfuness that
came down from above; until in the pro.