The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-09-30

Yes, my brethren, it is wisdom to know
and feel our dependence on God, and
that we lie helpless in His hands. How
many ways He has of making us feel His
power. What different sicknesses, what
various accidents, what tremendous agen.
| cies are at His command for bringing
evil upon man and all creation. What a
fearful thing this last specimen Some
! Of us have no fear of the sea-others no
fear of ghosts-others, again, no fear Of
robbers-but who Is not terrified that
ever felt the ground shaking his dwelling
down upon his head, or about to yawn
open at his feet7 Let us learn our de.
pendence on the Almighty.
Tits wisdom to know and feel that we are
guilty sinners, with whom the earthquakes
Almighty producer and director has just
| cause to be angry. Let this awful event
| preach to US how often We have violated
| Gods holy law and are amenable to His
just indignation, and how He is mani.
| fesGly able to send us, soul and body, into
quick destruction.
1t is wisdom to learn the only method
of our gaining the pardon of sin and
securing Gods everlasting favor. The
| gospel comes to men who feel their de.
pendence and their guilt; and then, wise
indeed it is, to be prepared to listen to
its voice, and through grace accept it's
offer Of mercy.
asked you what Kind of power that is
which judgments have to reach mems
righteousness. Now, in the second place,
what is the ertent of this power? Are
they able to correct men? Did any judg.
ment of God, the most terrible, ever
bring sinner to repentancef No, never.
1t is only the gospel Of Christ that is the
power of God and the wisdom Of God to
the salvation of men. Judgments awaken
and alarm, but do not convert. They
operate as the Law did when given at
Sinai people, terrified, fled far away
from God. Oh, it is only for the mild,
sweet, tender glories of Zion to attract
sinners to God. The traveller buckles
| closer all his garments in the storm and
shuts it out, and shuts himself in against
1t. But the warm glow of sunshine
mal,es him open his bosom. tits love-
not terror-that subjugates mans heart.
II; is utterly impossible, from the ma.
ture of the case, for man to do otherwise
than hate God, 80 long as he believes
thai God is against him. You could not
stard and admire the sublime cataract of
Niagara if you were to discover that by
some convulsion of nature Its course had
bee,l changed, and that now it was about
to engulf you. No, it would be just I'M
possible for you to gaze then in delighted
admiration upon it. You must needs,
then, turn from it in dread and flee as
far AS possible away. So it must be with
man while he knows God to be about to
destroy him. But the attractions Of the
Croas of Christ are able to draw men to
God. And, therefore, declare to you
this day that to believe that God is able
and willing to pardon and save your
guilty soul, will be to you life everlast-
ing; and that tho very frat step In your
salvation, after you have been convinced
of your sin and misery and ruin, will be
for you to hope IN Gods mercy.
But there is one effect of judgments
which to produce is their special province.
When they do not humble and soften,
they must needs harden. If they benefit
not, they must hurt. Every moral i'm.
preston must work in this way. Obey
it, and you are improved thereby. Dis.
obey it, and the next one must impress
you less.
My brethren, we have passed through
great crisis Of our being. What is to
be the effect of it on our hearts? The
blessed gospel itself is SAVIOR of life
unto life, or else of death unto death.
And what has happened and been seen
amongst US of the terrific, If not i'm
proved as a blessing, must turn into q
curse.
Ard now, if no earthly calamity has
any power to make thee better man,
how can the everlasting misery of hell
perform that task7 No, no, no; if thou
art unmoved by suffering here and now,
thou art to be unmoved forever, becom.
ing-I tremble to say it-more and more
hardened, and travelling further and fur.
ther sway from God "a Eternity rolls on,