The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-07-02
FREDERICKSBURG VA, TUESDAY, JULY g 1901
preat WisdOm .

bOD lnBtTsol ll lllh 'ohBitkhAibh W
them prepare to go home for what will
say will do them no good, as there il no
use in putting telescope to the face OF n
blind man to assist him in seeing the
beauties of heaven.
Now. John was in the spirit on the
Lord = day and the door ot Heaven was
opened 80 that he could see there n pie
ture of the exact shape Of the world, and
four angels stood on the -four corners oi
the earth" -Four corners that don't
sound much like the world IL round In
fact. the word round is mentioned but
three times In the whole Bible. In Exo-
dus 1914 il speaks of a small round
thing" which thing proved to be mama;
in Isaiah 3:lS il speaks of "round tires
like the moon" in Luke l9:43 it says
that "enemies hallcompass thee round
but these do not prove anything about
the worlds rOtundity. DO they Now,
II me-do they? But il does say in my
text. 90 saw four angels standing on the
iour corners of the earth Now, corner
means anangle, and angle means in this
sense the spar. included between two
lines that meet in point, or IL
that point i,sef. Square means
having four equal sides aud four
right angles, or four-cornered. Round
means circular or spherical. Now,
here are four angels, four winds and four
corners. on which corners these angels
stood and from which corners these
winds issued. II the world be round how
can il have four corners? You can't lay
off the whole area of a round body and
make it have four corners, nor can you
make L have any corner at all.
But you say, Johns mission at that
time was not one Of scientific research,
but was one in which he was to
wait. zee and hear, and afterwards pub
lish to the world what God revealed to
him: that he had no interest in the world
so far as its rOtundity or squareness
was concerned, and that he in speaking
about this corner business. simply ac-
cepted the prevailing theory OF the times,
which theory was that the world was
square orfat. But, tell you, my friends,
John had no reason to accept any pre-
vailing theory, he was not dealing in
theory ,ior at that grand heavenly pan
Drama, in which he looked into heaven,
with four angelic guides to give him in
struction-he saw the exact shape OF the
earth. which had four corners; showing
to John that the world was square.
tell you, dear friends, the false wis-
dom of this world will bring it to grief.
A few faithful ones are holding up the
cross, but the majority are daily more
and more rejecting God and setting up
their own wisdom.
"Our Lord Is now rejected,
And by the world disowned,
BY the many still neglected,
And by the fewenthroned-
But soon He'll come in glory,
The hour is drawing nigh
For the browning day is coming by and
by"
Why, says the world, righteousness is
hard master, for il you follow his be-
hests you must pull against the stream,
whereas II you follow in the way OF un-
righteousness you simply have to float
with the stream Notwithstanding the
fact that Jesus said "My yoke Ii easy
and my burden is light" few preachers
have the faith and courage to leave the
well. known ruts of the world, anddollow
up the narrow and notmuch-used path
OF righteousness.
This is an age ofavariciousness-seldom OF
forgetting to practice the evil principle,
"might makes right" OF unebaritable-
ness-if no harm can be done, will do no
good; of celerity-breaking its neck in a
mad rush for fame, fortune, and social
position; of unchastity-the more rent
the veil decency has thrown around OBJ
scenity the better 1t suits; Of sensation
alism-an excitement must be raised even
IL private households have to be invaded.
Don't you think many conditions now
prevail that prevailed just before Noah's
great water-wOrks? The greatest differ
ence In the conditions OF the two ages
was that in Noah's time people lived
hundreds OF years and were giants in
size and strength. Our folks don't live
! so long nor are they so powerful physi-
cally, but they are most mighty wise.
Some OF us are so wise that we are almost
perfectly independent Of the God who
made us and in whom we have our being.
"a naughty spirit before fall" Haughti-
ness caused God to bring on the water
works would it be unreasonable to
think that the like cause might bring on
the FIRE works2 Now look at this piece
of worldly haughtiness here is John
looking into heaven by Gods direction,
holy angels are holding up before him
the picture of the world, which picture
showed the world to be four cornered and
consequently square, still world-made
wisdom says it is round.
Now, my friends, you have the message.
II death or the fire works comes and finds
you preierring to believe world-made wis
dom more than Gods Book, don't say
Job Nuggs did not warn you OF your
folly. And now in conclusion, | sound
out long and loud the warning, and bid
you put away from you your conceited
notions, and believe the Bible story
which says: "Four angels stood on the
four corners of the earth;" so the world
having corners, is, therefore, square.
Now, bretheren, want TO ask you TO
sin0 that Sunday school song 40 much