Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-07-03
NEXT SUNDAYS SERMON
TO BE PREACHED BY DIR. c..
S. BLACKWELL.
AT BAPTIST CHURCH.
Subject:-The Voice of God in
Catastrophies, Accidents
and Crimes.

we consider that the Community has
been recently visited by a terrific
electric storm in which the church had
been struck by lightning, two citizens
had been cut down in a frightful acci
dent, leading citizen assassinated in
his own door yard. and following hard
upon the ST. Louis Tornado and Japan
tidal wave by which 10000 lives were
lost. The following is only an extract
of the sermon as it will be delivered
next Sunday night at the Baptist Church
of Christ by DR.. Calvin S. BLACKWELL
"IzOlH cause the sun to go DOM at
noou-AmOs SO.
That is God says that he will
do ordinary things in extraordi-
nary ways when it suits his inf
mite plans and purposes. Ordi>
narily the sun shall 60 down at
evening. But if he chooses it
shall 60 down at noon. We see
it go down at evening so regular
that the most splendid sunset
makes no impression on us.
But if it should go out at noon
and all should be suddenly
shrowded in darkness it would
impress us.
Death is ordinarily by slow
sickness and lingering disease
We have become so accustomed
to seeing this awe Inspiring event
of experience come to us by the
slow approach of days and weeks
of lingering and wasting disease
that the monster death is half
hidden by soft pillows and white
sheets. But let death be sent
suddenly to call two strong men
away from their work with the
flush of red blood On their strong
lips, a whole community is awed
into seriousness as they behold
the grim monster unmasked
doing his awful work.
Every day in every communl>
ty men will defy God and abuse
man by lies, theft, profanity,
adultery, each of which breaks
one of the ten commandments,
and no man pauses to note in it
all the blood red sin Of 1t. But
let cool calculating assassin de-
liberately load his gun and pistol
and after a nights sleep hide
himself, take deliberate aim and
shoot down a kind neighbor and
then all eyes can see the exceed
ing s'nfulness of sin unmasked.
Though the assassin only breaks
one of the ten commandments
that you see and hear broken
every day in ordinary business
and social intercourse. God in
such crimes simply lets sin as
sumo its real horr1d shape in an
unusual shape-he lets the sun
of sin go down at noon, and all
men stand aghast. We see the
power of God every day in the
tides, winds and electric cur
rents, and we use them without
thought to propel ships and
carry messages, but let one clap
of thunder smite the ear, one
tornado devastate a city, one
tidal wave destroy 10000 people,
and we are hushed into respects
full fear of falling into the hands
of the all powerful and living
God.
CD It is necessary that God
open now and then the gates of
terror, and march out on the
guilty fears of the race. When
the pestilence becomes an apostle
of religion; when the tornado be-
comes the voice of one crying in
the wilderness: "Repent;" when
the earthquake shakes off the
letters OF sinful habits and throws
open the prison-doors of sensual
lives; for it is a fact that the
goodness of God often ceases to
lead men to repentance. The
proof of God which makes the
deepest impression on the low,
dull life of mankind is not that
which meets our intelligence,
but that which meets our fears
and our conscience.
~ The fear of physical dan
ger is the natural basis of moral
character. Suppose every power
of nature was so cushioned as
never to give us hard, painful
slap in the face; thut the snow
fakes were half wool; that light
ming shot down there on rods
and climbed harmlessly down
into tbs ground; that on the body
of the sick, letters appeared to
spell out the name of the specific
to heal itself; that every danger
Gus spot had naturally a reg flag
by day and a red lantern by
night; that our feet were always
set upon an mistaken security.
What pulpy weaklings we would
be! How lacking in strength,
industry, and the sense of every
responsibility! But God in the
very beginning of life seats us
among dangers. The first thing
the child learns is, there is no
,notherly kindness in the fire;
that the soft side of the floor is
never up to receive its falling
IooJ ...k:1 81 -. c.