The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-05

Oout. OIL ~.
Strange 4 Il may appear. yet true it I
believe 10 the truth. SO far has the
human mind drifted away from the
source Of truth-God himself-that its
natural tendencies arc to believe al
most anything before 1t will believe
God. So, to tell men that our present
evils are the positive fruits and legiti-
mate offspring Of our not having God
with us. is more likely to be answered
by them that we ere crazy, and behind
the age Of enlightened thought, and
modern progress, and advanced civili-
zation. and what they are pleased to
call the necessities OF the times. But
Notwithstanding all their answers, the
truth stands eternally firm and un-
10 ovable, that there 10 a God In
| heaven" God of truth, the Creator OF
men and TO whom they must look for
truth, for there is no truth outside OF
Him, and IL they in their ignorance
and sinfulness fail to draw from Him
the needed sufflciency OF grace. and
instead thereof trust to their own wis
dom and depraved understanding, and
secure not His presence 10 go before
and with them. SO sure will evils
| their own evils-like n mighty cyclone
| lay WASTE their possessions and bury
| them beneath flood OF wreckage.
God alone.
The two great political parties OF
our nation are looking into each others
| faces to d ~. and with vengeance fash
| ing from their countenancee, are say
| ing one to the other: You done it."
while it may be said. and perhaps with
| great measure OF truth, too, you both
done it. or at least you botn have VEN
| tured to do much which has not the
l n n peflnu n Coda xunrh of frnth md
epon the face of your doings there Isl
no evidence that God was with you, I
and the results are not OF that charac-l
ter as would Justify the belief that
tho fear OF the Lord" was before
your eyes. Surely God has not been
with our rulers and lawmakers.
There IL no evidence that our rulere.
fearing men. Our Legislative bodies,
are characterized with more sin than
Cody reverence. or else our statute,
books would not teen with laws, I'M
Just In conception and damning mi
their operation. IniQuity, black as
Satan, is iegalized, and downright and
barefaced disregard OF God and his
word are stamped In raised Letters,
upon the formulated enactments Of
the Lawmakers. who console them.
selves with the vain thought. I'VE bel
great meE."
And with the exception of the few,
1t may properly be said, individually
we have all added our mite to the
general store of evils that abound.
Extravaganza. excess In living. and
the desire to be rich, the ihdulgenceI
Of all our depraved appetites. the van
chow, the love Of pleasure and Of
gold more than Of God, have all tend
ed to exclude God from our thoughtsl
and compels US to confess and cry out
in the language OF inspiration, Are
| not these OWLS come upon US, because
our God is not among us?' Nationally
and individually we have. to on alarm
ing and disastrous extent been living,
devising, and acting. without God
| among US, only in as far as He has
kept us. by his merciful and miracu-
lous hand. from being consumed by
| the iniQuitous works OF our own
hands. God Is not among us, hence
| these evils are upon US, ard we
should be thankful to Him, even In
tho midet Of these surrounding dini-
culties and flooding distresses, that He
has not visited us with vengeance
seven. and greater clamities; for truly
our sins have beon great and our pun
ishments are light in tho face OF our
idolatry and our abominable iniqui'
ties.
He has tempered our well earned
punishment with mercy, for the cloud
OF evil which we have raised, is skirted
with silver lining OF His forbearance
sence Of His wrath, which We have In
vited. His long suffering with ungod
ly men. No deadly plaques, or ravag
ing, frightful epidemics. have swept
us from the earth. No invading
armies have molested the quiet OF oul
homes. and torn down our cities, and
devastated our land and swallowed
us up. The Lord has been mercifnl &c
us as people. We have been migrate
ful, unthankful, and nave done ouI
most to exclude Him from among
us. How long the hand Of vengeance
may be stayed, lie not for US to coDlec'
| ture. B.i., nationally, and individual
ly, 1t will be wisdom on our part moi
to trifle with God. Let US thank Him
that his goodness is still manifest, and
lowering over us.
While the wisdom OF men, apart
from God. leads to failure and univer.
sal wreck, the wisdom OF God, work.
lug In and among men, leads to hap
! piness and eternal success. Men are
foolish, God is wise. Men are un-
merciful, God 10 merciful. Mems
plans fail, Gods plans never fail. And
we sec to day his mercy all around us.
1 w bCt No-'lu1 aiSOg bho pihHo Vi
falling with each succeeding hour.
We see Rulers and Statesmen at their
wits end and staggering under the
weight OF uncertainty. We see the
great financial chieftains of our coun.
try trembling ana shaking their heads.
not daring TO predict the outcome OF
their doubled ind twisted financial
plans; Factories and industrial ,es-
adjustments and all places employing
men are closing their doors, and stop.
ping their machinery. and thousands
upon thousands of work people are
being turned adrift to feed upon the
wind. Morning milllonaires are turn
ing into evening paupers. Banks eX-
plode with every passing day, and
dissolve in air like childish bubbles.
And why? l. Gods word answer:
Are not these evils upon us, because
God is not among us% What is the
remedy? And what shall we eay2 Let
US listen to Gods inspired prophet
and heed his encouraging counsel;
let the wicked forsake his way, and
the unrighteous man his thou ghts;and
let him return unto the Lord, and he
will have mercy upon him and to our
God, for he will abuudantly pardon
By so doing God will teach US wisdom
turn the dIstresses of the hour into
lessons OF profit both for time and
eternity. know therefore this day,
and consider it in thine heart, that the
Lord he is God in heaven above ant
upon the earth beneath; there IL nom
else."
will close with this bright thought
which sparkles and shines through thu
darkness of the hour. 1t is the verl
acme of Gods tenderest consollnt
words to His people. and holds goot
to every contidlng child of God to-day
II will never leave thee, nor forsakt
thee" The manufactures and work
shops of men may close, but faithful
) ones. whose faith takes hold on God
look up to Him who built the universe
and you will find the great manufac
tory OF nature. impelled by nature'i
God. and your own Heavenly Father
running on full time. turning out fooC
for the hungry and raiment for tn
naked. and though evil and designing
men may attempt to disarrange ant
hinder the proper distribution of God
supplies, yet He has told us, and Hit
word can never fail, TO Trust in tn,
I | ord nnd din frnad- aholt than n tra al