The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-07-28

Christ does not entertain or discuss the question of the
origen of that sad affection which had cursed this mans
life. He valves altogether the question of the orgen OF
evil. Turning away from that altogether, he says that
sad and pitiable as is the lot Of this poor man, for whatever
reason existing, to whatever fact it might be attributed, IN
and through it all a signal of Gods mercy would be made.
Out Of this evil there would come to this man good. In
him Gods works would be manifest. And this was not
merely that he should have sight given him; it meant also
that along with the bestowal Of sight there would 60 other
blessings, especially the gift of spiritual vision, the accept
ance of Christ as Saviour.
And so the disciples question was not answered.
They were told that their views of the origen of the evil in
this mans life were not correct but our Lord did not
tell them what was the real cause of suffering and evil IN
him, or in any man. He does tell them, however, al
greater and more practical truth. The real cause OF evil IN
this world is one that lies too deep, perhaps, tor men to|
understand. And could they understand it, the knowledge|
perhaps would be without value, useless. And so, turning
away from the idle speculation as to the origen OF evil, our
Lord shows us that out Of evil and suffering we may get
good, that in and through it all, Gods power is displayed
in our behalf through it Gods work is accomplished inI
US. In the man born blind the disciples saw only the
problem of evil. Whence is it? Christ offers no solution
of this mystery, but he directs our attention to the greater,
and more important truth that out of this evil great good
would come to the man and to the world. Neither hath
this man sinned, nor his parents but that the works OF
God should be made manifest in him.
As then we see the face of this world, and look at its
evi-its sin and suffering-so universal, so intense-how|
utterly dark and mysterious does it all seem. lnstlnctlvely
the question: dllSCS Ill u iLudo 10 thSlS q SSoe o' SOoN
God who has made this world, and yet he permits all this
|Now, l want to show you this morning that while our Lord
furnishes US no answer to this problem, ne yet does IN the
words of our text give US a truth that is vastly more lmPor-|
liant and valuable than such a solution OF the problem oil
evil could be, and l wish to show you that your Lord does
not tell US the cause of evil and sin. He does show us|
that the existence of these furnishes a great opportunity tor
the exercise and disply Of Gods power, and the accom-
~plishment in US of good-He does show that evil and SIN
|beine in the world, thereby Gods works are manifested
and accon1D1ished in us Therefore. say that SIN and
evil and temptation in this world do seem to afford oppor-l
tunity for our growth and advance in the divine lite. lhe|
presence of sin in this world, and of temptation to it, adj
mittedly evil and sinful and against Gods will, as sin must
ever be, vet does seem to be the necessary condition out OIL
(which alone we can become truly righteous and holy.
Without temptation, without being tested and tried, with
out being confronted with sin, and turning from 1t and
choosing purity and truth, we could never be property
righteous and holy. Without coming into conflict, and
conquering sin, we might be innocent, but not righteous
THE presence, then, of sin in the world seems to be the
necessary condition for the attainment OF that which Isl
highest and best. Without the presence OF sin IN this
world, we might be innocent but we must meet and over
come sin if we are to be truly righteous and holy. With
out the presence of sin and of temptation, we might be in-|
nocent, but innocence is not an end and purpose OF any
mans life. The goodness of innocence is that OF the man
who does not know sin, of one who has been shielded and
protected from all temptation. No credit attaches to him
for not having sinned, because he has not had an oppor-I
tunity of SHINING. The goodness, too, of innocence is I'M
certain and unstable, because it has never been tested, and
proven. 1t is necessarily weak, because it has never been
strengthened in contest and struggle with sin.
On the other hand, righteousness and holiness belong
to him who has met sin and temptation, and overcome it
of him who if he has fallen into sin at all, has in the depth
of his being repented and in adherence OF it turned
unto God and truth. Now, God wishes us to be right
eous, and not innocent merely. He wishes US to bel
good, not because we have had no opportunities OF SIN
ming, but because we have rejected all opportunities oil
doing wrong. He wishes US to be good, not because WEI
have been prevented FROM SHINING, but because we have
scorned sin, and chosen the right. Without sin in this
world then, we might be innocent but it does not seem
possible that we could have the strong and developed char
acter of the man who has overcome sin, and chosen tor
himself the right. Unexplained then as is the problem OIL
sin and evil, unable as we are to see why God should have
permitted it, we yet do see that in and through it, we, do
attain that righteousness and holiness without which no
man shall see the Lord. Wonderful and inexphcable as it
may appear, it does yet seem that our highest welfare and
happiness are somehow strangely bound up with the pres
ence of sin in this world, and of those temptations to-
which it gives rise. Without these-wthout that desper-
ate and relentless struggle with these we could never reach
that plane God would have US attain-theh fixed and settled
character of the hatred of sin, and the choice and delight
lin virtue and goodness and God. Because of sin in the
world, Gods grace is bestowed upon US; through his grace,
our weakness becomes strong; and so Gods righteousness
and holiness are accomplished in US, and his works are
made manifest.
And so, my friends, as you have thought of the tre-
mendous interests, and issues involved IN lte-n your own
|life-and likewise Of the presence of sin and temptation IN
the world, that threaten to wreck these interests, you have
felt, doubtless, that the struggle was very unequal and
one-sided. You have felt like asking, Why have such in