Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-03
TRACED TO THE DEITY.
The Flood Made the Theme Of n Powerful
Sermon By DR.. Cowan-Man's Insig.
ni1cance to God-An Addi.
tional Contribution
Taken Up.

Taken Up.
The recent calamity at Johnstown was made
the theme of a powerful and most eloquent
sermon by the Rev. E. p. Cowan. d. D., pastor
of the Third Presbyterian Church, last even
ing. The spacious auditorium Of the
church was well filed and the eloquent
clergyman was listened to with rapt at
tention as he spoke Of the great sorrow
at Johnstown and presented arguments indis-
putable that the will of the Almighty must be
submitted to.
Among other things, DR.. Cowan said, in ef-
feet: "Can there be evil in the city without
the law2 By evil do not mean sin, but ca
Iamity in the city can be evil. When great
sorrow comes upon city the question is
asked: Was it providential or was it
an accident; did it happen by chance?
The Bible tells us that there are
no accidents and that nothing can happen by
chance. 1t is the law. Weare not only governed
by law, but it is impossible to violate the nat
ural laws. A man may escape ons law by turn
ing to another. By law we live, by law we die.
By law we>eat, by law we starve, by law we
clothe ourselves to keep warm, and by law we
can starve.
Ideas of the Causes.
HWhen a calamity happens, when great
catastrophe overtakes a man in his ca
reer, it has been the habit among
the untutored to trace these strange
unaccountable events directly to the Diety,
while some men who have more intelligence
assert that they can,see that the calamity comes
directly from natural laws. These leave God
aside entirely, as though they intended to turn
Him off the earth. But man with still more
intelligence gets back to his untutored brother
and finds that God is there, God rules, God
reigns and finds everything to suit His good
will
These great catastrophes are constantly oc-
curing; sometimes it is famine, sometimes
pestilence, sometimes it is bloody war. and
sometimes great floods destroy property, fields
and life. In all these ca1amities there is lesson
to be learned If a ship Is lost through the
negligence of her captain the lesson is get
man who can steer the vessel If train is
wrecked through sleepy watchman, helesson
is, get another man. If a pestilence overtakes
the city through dirty streets, no doubt the
lesson is get competent Board of Health.
The Reason for It.
HSuch cases as these, it may be said, are in
the power of man to overcome. I think, how
ever, that God makes such manifestations as
this to show man his utter weakness, to- show
him that he is nothing in His sight, and to
bring his mind to the fact that God reigns and
God rules"
DR.. Cowan then told of several incidents that
God wrought in order that man might De
present or about at such an occasion as last
Friday, In conclusion he said: Through this
great sorrow we are taught practical lesson.
We are reminded of Paul and James. Paul
represented faith and James work. James said
show me thy faith without thy works. and
will show you mine with my works. He said
that it was our duty to visit the widows and
fatherless in the hour of their need
1.-THE lesson we are taught is to do all we can
to help these poor people. Send them all we
can both of food and money, and let us serve
God by serving them"
After the sermon a second or evening contri-
button was taken up for the beneft OF the
in which the people responded, 1t is safe to as
sumo that the morning fund Of 5000 was consid-
erably augmented.