The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-11-01
JAMES T.. HALLE,
Lieutenant and Acting Adjutant7lh S
G. Cavalry, Ga7y's Brigade.
A Fearful Aspect Of Sin.

rightful authority of God and contempt
of His goodness, doing despite to His no
illness, and debauching His image in man,
there surely can be no aspect of sin that
is not fearful. He would be bold man,
indeed, who should select any one phase
and call it the fearful aspect Of sin. We
shall not do so, hence, We head the
article a." not the, Fearful aspect of
sim" The thought ne wish to bring out
needs q fewiwords preliminary. Sin may
be moral offence only or it may involve
mental and physical aspects also. In the
former case, it would seem to be entirely
bletted out by the forgiveness of God,
and, also, so far as we can judge, have
no hurtfnl consequence. Not 80 when
the meutal and physical man is involved.
Here it enters the sphere Of cause and
effect, 8 sphere where it is Gods will that
law shall march on to logical sequences,
unlet and unhindered of divine power.
In such case, a penitentisl confession
and abandonment of the sin, secures
its forgiveness, but do not avoid it's con.
sequences. The sinful forces set to work
stop not with mans repentance nor Gcd's
forgiveness, but by the inexorable law of
cause and effect, perpetuate themselves
forever, and the forgiven sinner, though,
can no more stay their effect than he can
"bind the sweet influences of Pleiades,
or loose the band of Orion"
David found this to be true to his
sorrow. Surely no sin was ever more
grievously repented CT, or more glorious.
" forgiven than his and yetas he had
violated the sanctities of home circle and
despised the ties of family relationship,
unnatural rebellion in his own household
grew from the seed of his fearful exam.
Die. He had put, by his violent course,
'sa sword in his own house" that God
declared should "never depart" There
as no more plaintive cry recorded in
human history than his vail of agony as
he>goea 10 the chamber over the gate,
weeping over lost Absalom-nor one
more hopeless. He had "sown to the
wind" and he must "reap the whirl.
wind" Must we not think that in bis
.'sorrow's 8 crown ofsorrow" was that his
sin of the past was, in its sequences,
pressing the poisoned chalice to his lips.
sequences that must be endured, and
could be put away by no repentance or
subsequent godly living?
The writer of this once knew gentle.
man of magnificent talents. A states
man, an orator, jurist, there was no
position in his State to, which he might
not successfully aspire. But, alas, the
demon of strong drink had him in it's
grasp. at times he would reform, and
be Immediately taken up by his fellow.
citizens, and placed in an exalted posi-.
ton. Then the demon would seize him,
and be would go down, down to the very
dregs of society. a universal favorite,
his course was great grief to all. The
writer once had occasion to ride few
miles with his father, then an old man,
an officer of high standing in the church.
The conversation turned on the brilliant
son. The father deplored his course,
then bursting into tears, said, ~ caused
it all. In my early life was an hsbitu.
al drinker, and, though never drunk,
never from under the influence of ardent
spirits. After Edward began to show
his taste for drink eschewed it alto.
gether, and fol. more than twenty years l
have not touched drop. But I was too
late. Ny example, and above all, tho
law of heredity, had my brilliant, boy in
their fearful grip. Edward is doomed,
and am responsible for it." tits pitia.
BILE to see the old mans grey head bowed
helplessly and hopelessly beneath grief
he felt to be the result of his own sin-a
sin from the consequences of which not
the most broken. hearted penitence, nor
long years of pity could deliver him.
Like David, he found sin had consequen.
ces that came within the domain of stern
and inexorable law, which tears ofpeni.
tence could not'wash away, nor the for.
giveness of God blot out. Do We not
we'll to call this a fearful aspect ofsin?
Reader, never forget that sin is the trans.
gression oflaw and that law, one that
works to its conclusions With the
unerring sequence Of cause and
effect. God may forgive, and, glory to
His goodness He will forgive every PEN
iteDt sinner; but He has nowhere
promised to in!erpose, nor does he any.
where interpose with the certainties of
the law breaker reaping in this life the
result of his sowing, in the legitimate
consequences of his deeds. His sin may
be blotted out, but its consequence
aever. This truth alone should deter us
from sin-we can never know what
disaster may follow. With its perpetra.
tion, it passes from our power into the
forces of the universe, to work on ruin
ously forever. Repentance cannot reach
it. Let US, then, cease from it. This is
ri Ia Ia no fotu - 6Ih,;pf;nn In1er