The times., 1899-10-23
PICTURES FROM THE BIBLE.
Rev. oliver Johnson illustrates the
Suffering Which Follows Sin.

AEeN. OlAFeE johnson Illustrates the
Suffering Which Follows SIN.
Rev Oliver Johnson, of Leslie, S. c.,
preached yesterday both morning and
evening, at the Central Presbyterian
Church. The subject Of the sermon in
the evening was Afterwards" preached
from the text. Bread OF deceit is sweet
to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall
be filed with gravel The sermon set
forth the certainty with which punishment
followed indulgence in sin Many pictures
were taken from the Bible to illustrate
the scenes Of suffering that had followed
the sin. For instance, after the adultery
David; after the drunk-Belshazzay af-
ter the dance-Herod; after the goddess
life of pleasure and self-indulgence-the
rich man in the parable
Dr.. Johnson said in part: 1T is posi-
Bile to get into the danger from which l
think the Church of the old dispensation
as ii existed in the time Of Christ did not
escape-that Of forming an aristocracy Of
morality and comfortable living and hold
ing at arms length the weaker and less
fortunate by a cold and critical examina-
tion Of them. We may meet one at ia
cob's Wei, who has the mark Of the Sa-
maritan upon her, and forget that her
great antitype was the first among the
people TO confess that Jesus was the Christ
We may meet with Que who is a sinner and
pass sttfiy by on the other side forget
tul Of the tears and the hair with which
her great antitype washed and wiped the
feet OF her Saviour Nineteen centuries
experience of the life Of Christ have not
enabled his Church to come to the unfor-
tuLates, the delinquents, the shattered, in
the spirit in which he came to them.
The question which was occupying the
minds Of these disciples as they passed
along with Jesus was one which peIpIexes
all thoughtful men and has always
perpleXed them. Upon what is the
distribution of suffering in this world
based? Why does it so often fall
upon those who are already refined
as it seems. and pass by those who
seem to need the rod 1t fell upon Job
because he was irreproachabe and not TO
make him so. If we say it is because Of
sins committed by those before US. it is
often the result OF accident or malice.
Shall We say with the heather philosopher
that these things are the chips and shay
ings and sswdust struck off by the tools
OF the Great AItiliCer as he is fashiOning
our world into perfection? Perhaps we
had better not try 10 go In behind these
things at all any further than the -eyela-
tion viii take lis, and that is to lay hold
upon The grand truth. An things work
together for good to them who love the
Lord who are the called according to his
purpose
of course Christ does not tell us here
that there is no such thing in this world
as suffering for personal or hereditary sin
Suffering from that cause is stamped upon
the face Cf humanity too plainly to be
doubted for a moment but he would tell
US that the great object OF suffering and
misfortune is TO give opportunity for the
works Of God to be made manifest not to
speculate upon or criticise, but to help
the unfortunate. When Jesus stood this
side the cross and said I must work the
works Of God, he laid his hands upon the
sick, the sorrowing, the sinful, and spoke
the words which thrilled them with new
life We cannot il is true. stand beside
the sick and lay our hands upon them AMI
heal their diseases; we cannot say unto
one, Thy sins be forgiven thee and en-
able him to feel the pulsings of a new life
But there are today works OF Cod to be
made manifest at your door and at mine
Sympathy. love, help for the weak and the
SHINING. these are the very works Of Cod
What though ] cannot put forth the power
of God upon my fellow man, can put forth
the love and sympathy of God upon him II
/ stand by him and undergrad his shat
tered life because Jesus Christ has stood
by me and undeTgirded me, then | give
that man some idea of how God loves him
and how Jesus Christ viii save him If
can contribute something toward making
my fellow man believe in the love Of his
fellow man | have set him well on his way
to belief in the love of God. Though I
should fail to direct his mind beyond this
world. ] have yet been the instrument in
the hand OF our God through which he has
worked some of his works. / have relieved
some suffering, ! have comforted some
sorrow and this is the work of God.
We are the ones who are 20 do the
works OF God now. The Psiamist says