The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1889-12-11

again to tho Lord" You think it is
fSssin that This calamity has fallen
Y hn Us l DO not know, but believe
| '3is FOR inienperance and robbery of
c@>-These are certainly two very
p'evaent sins of this community and
cg1n.~y. And you think God has in. :.
hAed this calamity for these Gins
WltyHnot? There may be other sins
in conf junction. with these. which serve
a!s' as the procuring cause. There
a arsother sins very heinous and also
veSrprevalent. But / think this ca
laIht' the natural punishment
| God could nfiict for these two sins.
! Ses'5 5uS v'fited n.Ay III most severe
~ ,essS ss-ss~tIasss''sEiiiassa "a $@-.A at
he p;aished the. wicked, intemperate
Sodomiies by their complete destruc-
tiop. 1t WIS for their intemperate
indulgence Vi the inherent desire for
sexual intercourse that he rained fire
aud brimhOne out of heaven upon
them. that compsssed their complete
destructiof. This he did not without
firsl waruihg them Of their end. But
at bis warnings they. mocked until in
the inoaf=S; ;i6leness Of their sinfu
hearts God could suffer their insolen ce
aud sii no longer. Then he sent his
angels to deliver righteous Lot whose
or'y E.ety lay in escape. His right
c0us ibdiguation smouldered, ready 20
burst only, until Lot had made good
his esiape, when it burst forth in ter
rife ilry and Sodom became the Dead
Sea, afittiEg and lasting monument of
Code adherence Of the Elm Of iutem-
perame. So temperate in
this indulgence had they be,
come until as Paul says, they left the
natural ussof the woman aud burned
in their hts one toward another
men with men working that which is
unsetmIy.l And even their women
did chang the natural use into that
which is gainst nature While VIC
nre inlemerate in the indulgence of
the fasblylust ; yet our intemperance
to which e!erence il had is in the mat
ter of strng drink. Beyond al! con.
troversy this country Is cursed with
the SIN oiutemperance. 1t is a curse
10 the cJtmunity aud to the church
Aud bieve it Is one of the procur-
ing cause Of our present calamity
I For q RI, without contradiction rhs,
t z h.sSs flofs AZ sses 80 81,
nspcisfy they nre I'd indulge the ap-
petite And where the propensity ex
lists, il l.. also TACT that with this pre-
re, F<y't il also more frequently in
dutSg-s When this is the case moth
ing tdcur mind is stronger evidence
of bier ingratilude. What! mar
cow nug the blessing Of God upon
himFTto means uf cursing his fsmi-
ly. How many II poor woman and
upeoat child are on the point OF
rtaryaiiUu and the husband in the
,ar,tsJn, or the gully, or abusing his
wife md children. Think you not
hat Tod knows not all this and turns
4 deE ear to their cries for bread
Dem ~ like debauche, conyertiag
Godi Blessing into means Of a curse
and banning his own soul. For I'D
iruiSard hath eternal life abiding in
him! Thus Gods blessing upon man
s en- .erled into means oc most
sha,i afulIy dishoEoring and robbing
God, For instead Of honoring God
withtbe first fruits in the requisite
amoi vt of Gods out poured blessing
in tle increase .f our lands and busi'
ness we honor our stomach TO graft
fy ASuanatural morbid appetite. Is
it at wonder then that God should
tenci Us lesson ofgratitude by visi'
ting fs'far our sins in short incomes !
Tits leads us to the siu of robbing
Coo g.l.eady intimated. OF the evil
eff.c.ss ~ this Gin upon the increase OF
our hnds we can speak more positive
ly. ssSis we can enforce by the incon
trov,r,ble testimony of Gods word
In Eaa third chapter and sixth verse
-~o ~ ekstG CnmmSnd Honour ths
Lore. with thy substance aud with The
first fruits of all thine increase" Ther
III tne tenth verse we have the pro-
mise n the fulfilled condition IS,
shalt thy barns be filed with plenty.
Here we might rest the subject fol
we b,ve the promise of God Jf plenty
upolitde fulfilled condition. If we ar,
not enjoying the promise, what may
we ehaclude THE condition not ful
hlies But to show you couclusively
that 6pd did affiict the Jews with {
facssimile calamity for their disobe