Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-06
TWO SUNDAY SERMONS.
A VERY INTERESTING DISCOURSE
DELIVERED BY THE REV.
JACOB BRITTINGHAM.
TO THE CHINESE
Question Was Made by the Speaker.
Full Text of the Sermon-A Synop-
sis of the Remarks of the Evan
gelist Preacher at the Third Pres
byterian Church in the Morning.

At st. Luke's Protestant Episcopal
Church on the Island, the pastor, the
Rev. Jacob Birmingham, preached a
very earnest and interesting sermon
yesterday morning. He said:
In the collect for to-day (the eighth
Sunday after Trinity we are taught
to recognize Divine Providence" in
all things-to recognize that there is a
never-failing providence who ordereth
all things, both in Heaven and earth;
and 1 suppose most of us are ready to
admit this Doctrine of the Church,
which is, of course, doctrine of the
Bible also, if by it is meant that God
has a general providence; that there
does exist in the Divine mind and
emerge in the Divine action a general
plan. embracing the most momentous
historic epochs and the rise and fall
of nations. This is especially evident
in the case of the Jewish people; for
from the days of Abraham to the pres
ent time the Divine thought and action
have been constantly manifested in the
history of this most remarkable peo-
pie. The character and future of the
people of God are depicted in the lives
of His patriarchs and in the promises
given to them by GOD, who calls Him
self the God of Abraham, of Isaac and
of Jacob. He led His people by the
hand of Moses and Aaron, and in the
days of the judges and kings and
prophets the destiny of this people was
in the hands of a never-failing prov
idence; and certain it is that what
ever may be the future destinies of the
Jews, God has great things in store for
them.
Now, as with this people, so has
it been with all the nations of the
earth; for while they went their own
ways and developed their natural
characteristics, the Divine thought and
action were with them, and in their
rise and fall general Providence has
been, and is to-day, manifest. The past
history of the world is one long illus
tration of this fact. The experience
of the past becomes prophetic, and
catching it's language from the glow
ing pages of the inspired scriptures,
sings it's song of triumphant hope for
the future.
Looking back to the past and for
ward to the future, it is indeed COM
fort to believe that there is a general
plan for the nations, and that all
things are for the best by virtue of
an overruling wisdom who brings
good out of evil and converts the evil
itself into the instrument of good:
This is true of natural laws. The storm
destructive Of life and property fills
the atmosphere with the seeds of
larger and freer life. Difficulties and
conflicts are the school of all the he
roic virtues. Great empires are per-
mitted to fall to pieces in order that
better kingdoms may be formed for
the good of man and the glory of God.
1t was so with the great Roman en-
pire, and this will no doubt be the fate
of China, whose four hundred millions
of people are as narrow and cruel and
unprogressive to-day as they were
thousands of years ago. By the ex-
ercise of Divine wisdom and power
evil will be over-ordered for good, and
the never-failing providence of God
will be recognized and acknowledged.
In view of the great troubles in
China, troubles of which no man can
see or forecast the end, and troubles
that may mean temporarily the de-
struction of our mission work and
| mission property and the withdrawal
of our missionaries, it is comforting
to read over again the hopeful words
of Bishop Graves. The bishop is on
suit so far as Christianity in the Chi
nese empire is concerned. He says:
Whatever commissions are in store
for China to pass through, the end will
be good for empire and people. Bet
ter a hundred times revolution and
war, ending in a new day, than the
false peace of ignorance and wicked
ness that has ruled her so long.
Whether the empire is divided or not
is small matter compared with the
overthrow of goddess tyranny which
has crushed the people to the earth 3"
Now, as in the days of old, God rules
in the affairs of men and orders events
after His own wisdom and for the ac-
complishment of His own good pur-
| poses His ways are not as our ways,
as the history Of Christianity has
demonstrated hundreds of times, and
doubtless will demonstrate many
| times more. Humanity speaking, it is
hard to Sc how any good can come out
of the awful state of affairs, but prob
ably it was just as hard to see how any