The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-10-01

National life for fifty years, /, eye,, is
manifest in the general readiness in every
section OF our country 10 spring TO arms
TO assert the dignity OF the Nation or
10 defend the human rights OF the de-
pendent islands OF the sea. And yet and
yet, that does not subtract from the
calamitous wickedness of those who pre-
cipitated that stupendous war. That God
can. and often does, bring good out OF
evil is no reason for doing evil that good
may come. That disaster sometimes worn
benehcent ends is no reason for bringing
about disasters In order to secure sucn
EMS That wars sometimes result In
| general good does not make war Itself
less horrible and is no reason in and OF
itself for bringing on war.
Many years ago the city of Boston was
visited by disastrous fire, which de-
siroyed millions of properly and hun
| dreds OF lives. On the morning after the
| FIRE 1t was looked upon as an nnrelieved
| dlsester But now when tho burnt dis
| trlct is covered with splendid blocks. and
the old crooked streets which used 10
bewilder the oldest inhaiisant, are
| Strengthened. every lover OF Boston thinks
! that FIRE was beneicent disaster.
| Some years ago a large part OF Chicago
was burned to the ground. Brave hearted
men, who had bull, tho giant city OF
the lakes, stood amid the ruins of their
labor and almost despaired. But on a
/ grander scale the town was rebuilt ana
now rivals in sple ndor and imports nee
the great metropolis of this great 60 In-
| try Nobody but believes the great FIRE
was a benefcent disaster
Suppose now that the city of Galveston,
where wind and tide. storm and flood.
/ have in these past days destroyed millions
" property and thousands OF lives, should
rise out Of her disaster and be rebuilt
| on a grander scale. with more imposing
business houses and more beautiful
homes. and should become the port OF a
vastly larger commerce, l venture to be-
lieve there is not a commercial spirit
in all Its poplation that would not lock
upon that recent horror. horrible as 1t
was, as a henefcent disaster
And / am sure every lover OF God
and man would regard it as a henehcent
disaster If it should cause that city tn
be cleaused forever Of all It's dens OF
vice all its gambling bells, all its rum
places, and bring the people to regard
God 10 worship in His holy temple and
to walk circumspectly before Him II
this should he the result then truly the
terror and disaster of that terrible ana
disastrous day would accompl sh hcneh-
cenca for Galveston and for every part
OF our great State
The same thing Is true of temptation
anu blu. ltlhIldllbu tuihtH llht 81 sea .
pent; like the most subtitle beast OF the
field; like that one creature which is
said TO exert a fascinating influence on
It's victims, fastening them with its gilt
tcriug eye. stealing upon item by it's
noiseless, low and unseen approach, per
picking them by lis wide circling folds
seeming IN come upon them from all
sides at once and armed not like the
other beasts with one weapon OF offense-
!. harm hut, .
, crushing It's victim with every part OF
its sinuous length. 1t lies apparently dead
, for months together, but when reused
it can, as the naturalists tell US out
climb the monkey, outswim the fsh out
/ leap the zebra ontwrestle the athlete.
, and crush the tiger" How naturally in
describing temptation do We borrow
, language from the aspect and movements
, of this creature. 1t does not need Ia
hunt down its victim by long continued
n pursuit. Its victims come and put them.
o selves In It's reach Unseen, tempt tior
s lies by our path, and before we have
time to think we are fascinated and be
, wildered its coils rapidly gather round
O us and It's stroke flashes poison through
our blood. Against sin, when once It ha
. wreathed itself around us, we seem help
v less TO contend, the very powers wit,
2 which we could resist are benumbed q
: pinned useless to our sde-our foe seem
q all round ~us, and TO eXtricate one rat
10 is but to become entangled in another
4 As the serpent finds its way everywhere
l. over every fence or barrier. into ever.
: corner and recess, so It is impossible Il
"a keep temptation out of the life; 1t ap
n pears where least We expect It and whel
Z We think ourselves secure, And ever
= when we fall under its power and yiel
= to sin there is sometimes wrought out
d for us a wide and far-reaching benehcence
for sometimes we are thus taught ou
i weakness and the necessity of relying
"a wholly upon God. and taught this neces
"a sary lesson only because the aemptatio
? has fascinated us and the sin has caugh
j? us. The disaster OF sin becomes thus
"a a lenefcent disaster to us, but this doe
= not make temptation any the less fata
II nor sin any the less disastrous--it doe
" not make il wise 10 seek evil and pursu
IL Il because God does sometimes bring u
l. nearer to him by reason of our SIN.
g. Beloved had there been no sin in tn
IS world the whols history OF man and tn
es entire experience OF God would have bee
Is poorer by the loss of that quality of low
which so loved the world as to give tn
= only begotten Son OF God for human re
r. dcmption. poorer by the absence of tht
IN open sacrifice in which the Son OF Ma
a. suffered death for our sakes. Yet VIII
~ would justify the sin of man becaus
N WITHOUT III God couiu never nave mani
A. tested the Inhnlte pity which shows tn
al lcN eliest aspect Of His fatherhood?
,e Had Jesus Christ never been cruclhe
A. and slain by wicked hands there woul
e. have been no resurrection and no saliva
al tion. But who would Justify the wicked
az ness OF that otfenss against God white
m rejected and finally murdered His onl
IL begotten Son because by that means wa
en- wrought out the one only basis OF unto
"a between God and man by which man be
as ce me reconciled to God?
id Then these things which we ca
a beneficent disasters. because they wer
1t used TO develop wide henehoepcc IN
ed mankind at large and for us as indvic
,e uals have for us one an Important les
lie son. Not that we may seek temptatio
"a, and yield TO sin because out OF the sa
IN disaster OF deliberate wrong there ma
aa come 10 us those healing stripes by white
Nv We are divinely scourged into rigAteol,
be ness. That is not the lesson for us n,
.ge this Is When we have fallen int
lid temptation and into sim or have heel
nd hurdened by sorrow and trouble. we ar
he not 10 despair; not to sink down an,
he give up faith and courage and effort. bl
RI are 10 come to God and ask His help tbs
as we may see how to turn our fan 10 OF