The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-30
THE sEMfWEEKLl MEssENGEk:' TUESDAY, NAY 30, 1899.

body or soul or mind, we must consider
well not to offend God by SHINING, lest
we fall under a greater af1iction and a |
severer condemnation. II we escaped
ckness or bereavement; if we havs
been in great peril of body and were
delivered safely; If We have been sub
jected to great and peculiar trials and
perplexities and now seem to have beer
freed from their continuance, let us
take to heart this solemn mandate of
the adorable Saviour, Sin no more:
let US be warned in time, lest we be
overcome again and meet severe ca
lamities and more heart-rending evils
Test a worse thing come upon U.s." We
are all weak mortals, liable to dis
obey, prone to sin it may be, and for
getful of past blessings. We have Of
Tended the Almighty Father thousands
of times. We have escaped many judg-
ments, n yet if death had befallen
US, where would We have gone in the
great beyond that lies directly before
US? Would it nave beer endless de-
struction or would it have been Heaven
~ A0SE NSt yOoA AN0A( AoAN avn
est answer. We, surely, all Of us,
have much occasion for thanksgiving
and gratitude to God for His forbear-
ance, His long-suffering toward us,
| that in the midst of deserved wrath He
hath remembered mercy. God be prais-
ed forever that he hast not cut US off
in the midst of sin, but hast dealt
! with US with SO much oftenderness and
J compassion, and hast brought us to
a more healthful and purer state Of
mind. There is great cause for rejoicing
| and for the praise of our hearts as we'll
| as the overlooking gratitude of our lips.
Let is take care that we sin no more,
that we strive the harder ito enter into
the straight gate and be saved from
the penalties of the lost and from eter-
nal death. Remember who it is that
was speaking to the man so recently
diseased and SO speedily, so marvel
lously, so ~miraculously cured. 1t vas
Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, the
great Physician of souls. He it was
who spake as never man spake, and
healed as never man healed. The man
healed twist not" Jesus. So like the
world. The millions of earth are con-
~tinually, every day, every hour, re-
ceiving tokens Of Gods goodness and
mercy, and still they twist not who
it was that bestowed and blest. THE
man that was healed visit not who He
was that healed him." Oh, mans
blindness, Indifference, ingratitude. The
venerable Burkitt says this of the eau
tionary warning of the Saviour as to
shining: 1T is farther implied, that AL
mighty God has sorer plaques and Sc
verer judgment in store for those sin
ners who go on ob%stinately in a course
of sin and rebellion against God, not
withstanding all the signal rebukes OF
His avenging anger" The Saviour
clearly intimates, we may suppose, that
the cause of the Affections of the mi
r~aculously cured man for thirty-eight
years was sin-Go and "sin no MORE
and adds, lest a worse thing come
unto thee" This, we say, seems to
intimate that sin had been at the bot
tom of his suffering. You have suffer
ed long and much. Beware, and never
sin again. There may be a more dread
full thing ahead h any physical suf-
fering. Think of it.