The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-12-22

really say that God did It: the law that
II man cannot be ground about Il shaft
WIN impunity is good one: If man
is Killed, IL is his doing. and not Gods.
think these things are true.
thihk that II Will he a help to our
Knowledge OF God and to our love fo,,
nm TO consider that, if brakeman Is
crushed between two cars; 1t may be
his fault, and IL may be the faul; OF the
mannScmcnt of the railroad company:
but that II can't, In Justice, be Called Il
Visitation from God. And when we
nave stopped putting off the blame ON
900. we may 80 on 10 put il where 1t
does belong, and 80 help the world to be
lsaNcd from the consequences or rcCk-
lleSsncss and cupidity.
| But there Is one more point to he
considered. Here we are; here are cvil
| and suffering right In our midst and
we must believe that God Is here. TOO
| right in our midst Lay the blame
where we Will, we know that death and
| disaster will come for many Il year II
God does not will it: il he pitics ua
| under 1t; II he Ii; OmnipOtcnt and able
10 stop II, why does lie leave us TO
suffer?
The sting OF death Is sin" i. q. the
cause OF all the suffering OF the world.
| from Adam To us, lies in the sin of all
| the world, from Adams sin to yours ana
| mine. And God is no more the author
OF sin than he is of suffering. He made
us with free wills, capable OF doing right
and not suffering, but capable. also
alas, how we'll we ought to know it
capable, also. of doing wrong and suffer-
| ing. Ii is here, inSraincd in our lives
| both are here. We are nearly over.
whclmed. We cry ont to God: but God
cannot take back that which he has
given ns-our freedom to choose. Freely
we sinned, freely we must come back
to him. Here he is to help: he haa
sent his Son. that we may know how
intimately he is related 10 us; Emmanuel
tod with us and in us. He has WIS.,
| tied us: he is our Sitvious, for he p!ties
US, ana wants; us. and will have us
When we see this. ii is not so hard
! sin ana sorrow are here. close to us:
but God Is nearer. God il fighting on
our side against these two, the one
cause, and the other effect And the
strange, the divine. thing about il all
| is that. while he cGnrot-or he would
atultify himself-makc all right by ii
word. he Is turning sims caponsaGainst
salvation perfect through suffering:
using tina; very thing we dread and he
hates as the means by which we over
come sin and come to him.
the way of the cross. my dear friends
| is Gods way of salvation.-not the way
he would choose. bu; the way our sins
| have made him choosc>-until, as we
look at our Saviour, Christ, we see how
inevitable il is. Christ hanging on the
,noss. because our Sins have brought
him there, and crying TO us. as the cap
tain breaks through the euemics' lines
10 conquer away for us. There is 10 way
| buh thistle way of the cross: take II
up and follow me, and wiring q victory
out OF defeat Beat sin with its own
weapons; become perfect like me
through suffering. But believe in God
| through suffering. But believe thai
COD and shrink from It. even more
than you do; even as the child's pain
hurts the mother. standing Sver II
more than 1t hurts the child. Bear yo,Ir
suffering patiently. then; not because
thiZcs with you In your hatred of II nn,,
means by his love. that. If you use il
rlEntly, you may climb TO him by II.
me miracle of the Widows son an
phes TO all our sorrows. If YOU will
hoid fast to God-you who sorrow, YOU