The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-13
THE PALACES OF IxFIDELITY.
Rev. a. j. Smiths Third sermon to
UnbeIievers.

UnbeIievers.
Rev. a. ]. Smith preached the third OF
his series of sermons 10 unhelievers last
night. His subject was "Inhdehty.' His
text was from Samuel, ST; "They have
rejected me-"
Perilous times. said Rev Mr.. Smith, had
come in Iseral. God had led them by the
hand of Moses out of Egypt and through
the wilderness. He led them by the hand
Of Joshua into the promised land. He
save them judges to guide them. Samuel,
the last and best, had been greatly bur
dened because the people refused longer
10 be guided by him. They demanded a
king like the nations round about them.
In his perplexity and distress, Samuel
turned TO God, who told him they have
not rejected thee, but they nave rejected
me- Samuel stood before Israel as Gods
messenger like the minister of His word
stands to-day Man In rejecting the
messenger rejects the message, and in do
ing this they reject God.
An inlidel. said Rev. Mr.. Smith. is one
who rejects. That is about all he does or
can do.
Mr.. Smith gave the root-meaning of the
Latin word from which the word 1ufdel-
ity'' is derived. He said it meant without
faith, unbeheving. He referred TO Christs
reference TO the purpose of the
coming of the Holy Spirit that He
The spirit, was 10 convince The world of
sin and He explained the sin as unbelef.
Neglecting to believing is rejecting. The
Jews in Pilales judgment, rejected Christ
when they said Away With Him, Cru
city Him" This does he iniidef of TO-
day and more. He rejects the doctrine con-
corning God he rejects the doctrine con
corning the Inspiration of che scriptures.
lie rejec the doctrine of deV.ne origin and
= n
the doctrine about the future life. His
mission is entirely destructive. He Goes
not build up but he tears down or attempts
to. He might as well try TO blot the sun
out of the heavens, as to drive the relision
of Christ from the earth.
There is strange and weird picture in
one of Wyclffe's Bibles. Satan is represent
ed as standing before a brightly burning
fire, and beside him The unbelievers Of the
world The tire is the religion of Christ.
They seemed 10 have agreed upon pan
to extinguish it, for they are all blow
ing upon it. With extended eyes protrud-
ing they are blowing with all their
strength but the harder they blow the
fercer burned the fire. Inf1dels have been
blowing a good deal, but 10 no purpose.
| They say they reject the doctrine
concerning God because the evil
dence to prove His existence is
insufficient. In spite of order in ma
ture, they say that does not prove an
| orderer. They say the same thing
| about design, motion, law and life These
| things to them are insufficient evidence
that there is a God Even the intuition
! in man does not prove it. There are
many things they cannot prove by
| mathematical demonstration and yet they
| demand such a demonstration to prove the
| existence of God. They say the in
| ternal evidences in the Bible do not prove
inc, flaa
prophecies recorded there have been full
| filled, this does not satisfy. The power
of the Bible in literature, science and law
| does not seem to influence them. Even
! its power in society and it's durability.
| This is insufficient evidence.
They say, Mr.. Smith continued, that
| Christ's divinity is not proved by the di-
| vine titles given Him or the attributes
| of divinity which were His Not even the
miracles He wrought while on the earth
| and the miracles He works to-day in
Transforming individuals, making drunk
ards sober, thieves honest, harlots pure.
| They say this evidence is insufficient The
doctrine of the future life they reject in
| spite of the longings of the soul What
| an awful picture we had of the despair
| of infldeity when Americas great infdel
| died and his poor wife refused to leave
| his body. She chung to the clay, for
that was all she had. No hope or expec-
| tation.
The real reasons why men are infidels,
said Mr.. Smith, are not those stated
| above, but that one given by the Lord
Jesus when He said: Men low
| ed darkness rather than light,
| because their deeds were evil" 1t
is sin that is at the bottom of it all, and
man uses infdelity to cover his sins or to
! try to cover it, and to try to ease his con-
| science. Infidelity is degrading intellectu-
| oil,
| Bible gone the church gone no restraint
| on society, anarchy would be the result.
| The tendency is always downward, cannot
! stop France became infidel and the
| streets of Paris flowed with blood The
! slain of Christians was tanned and used
| to make shoes for infidels to wear The
! Zulus are about the only people on the
earth who did not worship some kind OF
! god. Infidelity degrades a man to the
plane of the Zulu if he follows it to its
| conclusion and he has his own way
| lnfidels. said Rev. Mr.. Smith, are dis
| honest. They are told by those who claim
to know that there is a God and a future
| life, and that Christ is the Son of Cod.
| the Savior. They are challenged to put
| God to the test. to humby fall before
| Him, to confess their sins and to ask for
| mercy and light. They are told that God
| Will hear and answer their prayer, yet
they will not make it. They are afraid
| to do so.
Many infdels have retracted on their
| deathpeds ana have prayed and made
| vows. Paine, Voltaire, Rochester. Brion
! and many others. In6delity does not sat-
isfy when we come 10 death. A lamp
| burns brightest when it is about to go
| out, the conscience of man is lowest when
man is near death. 1t is oftimes too late.
! They say Paine died cursing God and man,
| and so did Aaron Burr, although he had
just asked Gods forgiveness.
Mr. Smith challenged any one in the con-
! gregatiou to put God to the test to hon
estly, humbly and earnestly come confess
| ing their sins and ask for pardon. He
| knew God would hear and answer for
| He has done it for so many.