Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-01-02
SOME THOUGHTS
OF Sermon Intended f0T Last sanday--Nt
Services In Any Of the Churches.
[For Tho Ksowee Courier. j

For The Keowee Courier.
Text: "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy
servant depart in peace, according to Thy
Word. Luke 2:20. -.
December 80, 1900, was the last Sunday
and but fora few hours the last day of
the year and century. These days, weeks,
months and 6 hundred years can say
that they depart in peace with God; they
were, on their part, all that God intended
them to be. Can wef What use did we
make Of themP Psalm 1870: "Lord, Thou
hast searched me and known me.n Have
we been all that God intended us to bep
The elements, sun, wind and rain, can
say: We depart In peaoel The storm
that wrecked Galveston (see Youths
Companion, page 818) .'had passed
north over Havana, and seemed to be
bound for South Carolina" Why did 1t
not strike us2 The same force is in this
air right now, In mercy held back. Are
we so much better than theyp "Or those
eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam
fell and slew them, think ye that they
were sinners above all men that dwoll at
Jerusalemp ! tell you, Nay: but, exeopt
ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish"
Luke 13, a and 81. Some men have sense
enough to take warning and advice. God
permits some evil to happen as warn
ing.
We are now omitting our public gath
erings and schools because Of two light
cases of scarlet fever. There are worse
things than scarlet fever. The Bible
no where says that no one having had
scarlet fever shall enter the kingdom Of
heaven. But it does say 80 of-somo
things. Now don't get mad. "a guilty
conscience needs no acouser."
We have just celebrated Christmas,
the great gift of God to the world, in
Christ Jesus, His Son. Remembering
this Is the right kind of celebrating.
This is the best answer to the question:
What of the New Year and Century,
According to Thy Words" Let us be
honest in this matter. According to Gods
Word and will times and elements came
and served us; will serve us. Seed time
and harvest, summer and winter, day
and night. Let us also be what we
ought, according to His Word. If we
are babes in Christ, let lib not stay 80.
Grow-steadily and really, if slowly.
Slow growth is growth, too. Often the
best. Gourds grow faster than oaks.
Oaks stand storms and frost.
According to His Word God has not
left US; he will not. Let us not leave
Him, never turn from Him. "I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee"
"There's Wilderness in Gods mercy
Like the wideness of the sea-" True.
n
But also: "This unfruitful fig tree, cut
1t down. Why cumbereth it the groundp'
"Be not deceived; God is not mooked
(trifled with)." "Our God is a consum-
ing fire." (Heb. 1851 and IL: 2o.)
Great is the almighty power of God;
greater His love. But His patience
seems to mo the most wonderful of all;
tho greatest of all. If we abuse this
patience, then most fierce will be His
righteous wrath in the>day of reckoning.
That is sure to come; sure as fate.
But millions there will be, millions of
minutes and hours of sweet peace and
Joy to the honest and believing heart,
from the Everlasting Father and the
Prince of Peace-an eternity of bliss.
"He abideth faithful; He cannot deny
Himself" Honest believing means re-
pentance, faith and godly life. "Him
that comoth unto me, will in no wis T,
cast out" God is love-for the New
Year, the new century, for ever. God is
LoveI "God 80 loved the world as to
give His only begotten son, that who
soever believeth on Him should not per-
ish, but have everlasting life."
In the above I have nothing to say
about "man's magnificent progress dur
ing the last century, his conquest OF the
forces of nature" etc. Chiefly because
these always were with us, are more
coming than goirr, and will be with us
while tho wc..u stands. While they
afford fine opportunity for buncombe,
wore SO inclined, rather keep silent
on that subject, because they act under
mans control, and that Is by no means
always good. j. q. Schaid.
Millions Given Away.
It Is certainly gratifying to the public