Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-02-15
GOD Is NOT CRUEL.
EDITOR DEMOCRAT:

EDITOR DEMOCRAT:
It is not with any unkind thought
to Mr.. Kerr, but with deep concern
that the world and my fellow chris
tians might see the other side of the
questian he endeavors to treat. In
the first paragraph he af6rms that the
christians claim the death Of his son by
lightning was a judgement from God,
because he believed in His non exist.
ence. As am a christian and believe
that the bible is Gods thoughts made
audlable to us, / will eudeavor to give
a few thoughts from the sacred word
on this line. We do not believe that
the Lord had anything to do with the
death of your son. In proof of this
we read in Eek. 15-zo:-"The son
shall not bear the iniquity of the father
neither shall the father bear the in
iquity of the son. the wickedness of the
wicked shall be upon him." In Rev.
1873. we read that "Satan was cast
out of heaven and his angels with
him." Paul calls him in Ephe. IA.
''The prince of the power of the air. :"
And in Rev. 1913, we read. "That he
has power to cause FIRE to come down
on the EARTH" In Isaiah 1916 and 7,
be is spoken of as "He who smote the
people in wrath with continual stroke
that ruled the nation in anger. that
made the world as wilderness and
destroyed the cities thereof, that open
ed not the house of his prisoners. :"
AS an illustration the Lord said to
Satan: 'hast thou considered my SER
vent Job, there is none like him in the
earth. perfect and upright man. one
that feareth God and escheweth evil.
And satan says. "does Job fear God
for naught. hast Thou not made hedge
about him and about his house and
about all that he hath7 Now just put
forth thy hand and touch what he
hath and he will curse you to your
face" lob 1872, .'And the Lord said
unto satan all that he hath is in thy
power And in his endeavor to de-
stroy all his worldly sons and daugh
ters. 1t is evident that s.satan's wars
are more directly waged against the
righteous. Yet in his endeavor to de.
stroy Gods children he destroys both
T@
we read, ..Be sober, be vigilent be-
cause your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour." Not so with
the Lord. When Abraham pleaded
with God for. the people of Sodom he
said peradventure there be fifty right
Gus within the city wilt thou also de-,
stroy and not spare the place for so
righteous. That be far from thee to do
after this manner, to slay the righteous
with the wicked and that the righteous
should be as the wicked, that be far
from thee; shall not the judge of all the
earth do right9 But there could not
but one righteous person be found.
See Gen. I8:2o.z2. That satan as the
prince of the power of the air has
power over the elements is shown by
his destruction af Jobs property.
Knowing the certainty of eventual
defeat by Christ, his sole object is
destruction. He wants especially to
destroy the souls for whom Christ
died. He knows that the wages of sin
is death, therefore he would lure them
to disobedience, and to consequent
death. He thought to destroy Christ
and stirred up the the people en- many
occasions to accomplish that end.
The tempest which Christ stilied on
the sea of G alilee, was of satans raising
the Redeemer of r,au, while He was
taking much needed sleep. But Christs
greater power was shown by the simple
words peace be still.' In the multi.
phcity of destructive storms, cyclones.
earthquakes, tidal waves and other
disturbances of the elements, the ene-
| my of the souls is no doubts pleased to
have them all laid to the charge of the
| Almighty God. It furthers his work of
deception to have men believe there is
no personal devil going about seeking
whom he may devour. He would fam
have them believe that the Lord .oi
glory is responsible for all the works Of
destruction that are multiplying as the
end draws nigh. The scriptures tell
ne that hefore the cominp of the ord