The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-06-27
INSPIRATION.
A SERMON BEFORE THE GRADUA-
TING GLASS.

The Great Achievements OF Man in tho
Ynysicai II Intellectual World, Duo to
tho Inspiration of tho A~imighty-His
Spirit Giveth Understanding.
On Sunday morning, when the
large congregation had assembled
In the college chapel to hear the bac-
calaurcatc sermon which Rev. DIR
Marshal of Anderson had cOnsen-
ted to preach, it was with profound
sympathy and regret that presi-
dent McCaslan read Il letter from
the distinguished divine, which
stated that on account of the severe
illness Of his wife, DR.. Marshall
would not be able to fill his appoint
ment. In this emergency and at n
late hour, Rev. t.. O. Frierson had
consented to preach. Below we
give the full text Of his eloquent
sermon.
Job, xxi, S: "Thcro is a spirit In man
and the inspiration of the Almighty
giYcth him understandings"
1t can hardly be supposed that Elihu
intended in these words simply to re-
peat what Moses had said in regard TO
tho creation of man-that God breathed
into mans nostrils tho breath of life and
man bccam q living soul-tO ovinco his
agreement with him. Tho use of tho
word "inspiratiou" and the present
tense of Tho vorb TO give, implying con-
tinnous action, would seem to intimate
tLat he meant something moro than to
refer to MANS rrnntinn IpSpiratipn
presupposcs creation and tho present
tense of the vorb to give implies that tho
act denoted by that word is something
that is going on now. May not Elihu
have intended to express the idea that
all u intellectual activity is tho result
OF Gods Spirit operating in and through
our faculties like II great vitaliZing mo-
dunn without whose congcncy all
thought and reflection would he impos-
sIDlo? May, ho not havo meant to affirm
mat all our knowledge instead of boing
tho result OF our OWn mental efforts Is tho
product of Gods Spirit acting on and
cooperating with our spiritual powors7
That God can and docs act upon our
minds without disturbing our ~froo-agcn.
lies at tho foundation of religion and no
n can deny. The human mind with
It's various faculties is like II harp with
It's strings nituncd to tho harmonics OF
catt " iSSIpIIl III ~ variety ol
sounds a%coordicg AS it is struck by the
plcctrum Of Gods Spirit.
Let 1t 10 Observed that distinguish
thlS general ordinary operation of the
spirit ON mems minds from that special
extraordinary supernatural guidance
which he impaired to the writer's of the
Scriptures. That was inspiration in tho
marrow technical scnsc of tho word
Thnt was designed to secure accuracy
and iniallIbillty in writing the Scrip
tlllHS. I'm thnt hnrrAx tnnl, q, inn ,,r
OF the inspiration has ceased. But
there ~ comniOno operation Of tho Spirit
on tho hearts and minds of men differ
ent rom that and independent Of it that
IL going on how. 1t is that common OPP
Grafton o. Gods Spirit ON our minds that
~ the ground of all intellectual life.
LIST. Man has q spirit in him. That
max him capable of receiving tho i'm
pulses and teachings of G;od Spirit. II
he Wcrc nothing more than matter, u
STOCK or stone, ho could not receive the
SPIRIT, Tho Spirit acts upon matter, it
Is true, rs he did upon tho formlpSs uhaoa
IN the beginning, broodinS on tho watorn
causing things to assume their order
ana shape; hut that was creative, dy-
nalnica II nero exercise of power. He
did not impart his personal divine life to
matter until he came to tho rrcatjon OF
man. Into him no brcathod u living
prlncipie making him Il personal spirit
ual being and honcoforth man bcuapic
capable OF racoiving fresh communicu-
lions OF his life and power which he has
continued TO receive until now. There
must be Il correspondence between him
ana the object that receives his vItaliZing
energies. 1T must become susceptible OF
inspiration before it can bc inspired. \
stock or stone cannot receive tho spirit
80 that it would be absurd to speak OF an
Inspired stock or stone; but maj is capu-
Die OF receiving the Spirit and therefore
II Is not absurd to speak OF an inspired
man. In tho general sense Of tho word
INSPIRATION Is going now and Will con-
tlnuo to the end OF time and Is the source
of all Il intellectual life.
I'd. Tho common idea il that man, by
the iorpe Of l!la Gwn intellect, aGquirpa
knowledTe. by study and research ho
explores tho field OF science, climbs tho
and counts the stars, analyses
matter and p~cnctrates its secret ailinl-
ties; by his own intellect mako. discov-
or es, enactS laws, Pounds Institutions,
sweeps the oceans with his ships and
brings the laws OF nature in subsection
to his will. by his own ~saSacious
thoughts Inc con structs language and
fashion, the details of government and
than to Elorify tho achievements in
science, literature aud war which his
Bonius has accomplished. With an air
or proud satisfaction We arc told that 1t
~ mans intellect that has invented the
telescope, the marinor's compass, tho
steam engine, the telegraph, tho print
ing press. and all other useful things that
have so eXtouded our control over ma
ture. But in all of his have wo over
look0d the ronl actor, the power behind
tho throne, and given the honor to Sec
ond causes that vas due to the tirst?-
Did man unaidcd and alone do all these
thinRs2 is there pot aSPirit in man and
docs not the inspiration az tho Almighty
Siyo him Understandings Is il not IN
him that we 1.-Two and move and have
our boinSY Is II not M true here ~ in
relation To tho facts Of redemption that
without mo yo eau do nothing?" Was
IT by natural foroo of intellect niono that
Newton discovered tho the law of gruvi-
tation, or KeDler discovered tho laws OF
motion, or COpernicus tho truo mcchan-
ism OF the universe, or Harvey disc0v-
cred the circulation of tho blood? Was
II by the force OF native intellect that
Watt first applied steam to machinery,
or franklln and Morse first hurnesSpd
tiio lightning ana made IL suhserYient to
u wiIlsy Not to speak of THO galaxy Of
brilliant namos who havo risen since
than TO be stars of the first magnitude
In Tho world of science and art? Is this
tho work of Il alone? No, truly. In
all those things il was tho inspiration Of
the Almighty that gave these men their
ability to achicYo those splendid RESULTS.