El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-23
BAPTIST cnUhcH.
"MiIl A Man Rob CODY"

"MiI A Man Rob 6od2'.
Rev. w. o. Millican preached St the
Baptist church Sunday morning, tax
ing for q text Malachi w: 8, "Wtll
man rob God? Yet ye have robbed
me-" The following Is q part OF the
sermon: These are among the lass
words of the Old Testament canon OF
scripture. Almost the whole OF this
book is taken up in scathing denun-
citation OF the people for their wrongs;
the climax of which is reached In the
fearful statement of our text" and yet
ye have robbed me-" The text sug-
gests several ways in which the Jews
had robbed God.
Fret: God desired them to be 9
peculiar people, separate from an
other nations. Water and Oil will not
mix. We find it hard even today for q
man or woman who marries partner
who is an infidel or marked in his I'M
godliness, to maintain that high stand
I'd of Christian character that they
had before. This was especially true
of Israel when in her primitive his
tory. So God forbade marriage into
the heather nations at all. Over and
this command and as often had
they been compromised with the
heather religion; thus robbing God of
that distinctive popularity that he
claimed from them Is q nation. Jesus,
says Paul, "gave himself for US, that
he might redeem US from all in1quity.
and purify unto himself q peculiar peo-
into other nations she robbed God OF
that popularity which he claimed
from them as nation. And
when we receive into our
organic union persons who have no
claim to citizenship in the spiritual
nation of God; when we become SO at
tached to any person, pleasure or pur-
God of that popularity that Jesus
purchased by his death; that separa-
tion from the world that marks US as q
peculiar people,"
second: The Jews robbed God OF
the Sabbath. BY example and precept
God had demanded of them one day
out of seven for rect and worship. But
few years before Malachi wrote this
text, he found the gates wide open on
the Sabbath and the people doing bust
ness with the outside nations. How
like our situation in Ell Paso! I am
told that Sunday is the hest day for
foreign trade here. But shame on US
that We should allow them to come in
gate ungodliness, Dissertation of the
day that God claims for his own. Let
me say again and again, Undertaking
ly, though kindly, that for men to
keep their places of business open on
Sunday; for men or women to patronize
these place on Sunday. or for any of us
to engage In any pursuit that is not
US of hallowed observance of that
holy day, is to cast contempt on the
teachings of Gods word; to stab to
death the sacred laws of our nation,
and to rob God of that day and SER
vice justly due to him.
Third: The Jews had robbed God
of that.faith and reverence necessary to
"Where is the God of judgment?'
They charged that God .winked at evil
and evil doors; said they, every one
that doeth evil is good in the Lord, and
he delighteth in them" If that be
true, then God would have delighted In
them; for they were full of evil. It is
often the case, that the man who is
fullest firss s S5 r oSsrge is vr6 the
against God and his fellow. We need
to shave faith in God". The Jews in
their apostasy felt that God was far
off. But he was nearer to them than
they thought. Believe me when 7 say
to you that when lean upon this desk
by on Sunday land with eyes closed, join |
hands with you in spirit, and when you
focus your petition into your PASTORS
words, we talk to God and not man;
that God is near to us; that he Is real;
that he hears us and cares for us. Anil
these should be the sweetest moments
of our lives. To fail thus to apprehend
God is to rob him of that true devotion
that comes only from a cultivated
faith. But we must believe also in his
justice, The Jews Knocked at it and |
doubted it. They were irreverent. |
Some times we meet people today, who |
are thus critical of God himself. They |
cay, Nv here is the justice in my God |
taking husband or my wife or my child |
and leaving me childless, or without |
wife or husband; why did not God take
one of the.many children in the next
door family and leave my only one to
me? Why did God take the best citi-
zen in the very prime of life and leave
The worthless and the sick. But such
action robs God of that faith and rever- |
enoe that causes men to say she doeth |
all things WE'LL"
Fourth: The Jews robbed God of /
that vigor due to him in his service |
and worship. eye said also, Behold