The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1902-05-16
POVERTY AND THE CHURCHES.


the wonders of creation unfold them
selves, its mysteries seem more and
more marvellous.
Joining the ends of the earth to-
gether 10y delicate instruments and
sensitive wires; signalling messages
for long distances without wires; look
ing into the depths of Opaque bodies
cOndensing water into steam and
making it supply the place of beasts OF
burden; Harvesting the lightning and
making it serve the double purpose OF
furnishing light and power; manu-
featuring ice in the heat of summer
liquifying the air; warming the way
farer and the mariner of the approach
of rains aud storms, and foretelling
the coming and the going of the
winds, do not diminish but intensifies
mans admiration of Gods glory and
His Ofnnipntence.
The spectacle, indeed, of mans toy
ing with the forces of nature, like the
child with its playthings, aud step 10y
step a. he advances in intelligence
continuing to vex creation into reveal
ing more and more Of her secrets,
unfolding M. re and more of her beau
ties, and more and more laying bare
her wonderful bounties, increases
mans belief in Gods perfection and
goodness.
Nature has diarlused enough for man
to know that il matters not how long
the world i To endure; though the
census of The population of the earth
be tabulated 10y the billions, IA wise
provision is made for all and enough
to are.
There is as plentiful provision of
temporal things a. there is of spiritual
things. There is as much provided
for the wants of the body as for the
wants of the soul.
If Col ''tempers the wind To the
shorn lamb" and "nOtes the sparrOw's
fall" why should we believe Him
and deaf to the cry Of the
weak and destitute "madc after His
own IMAGE?
When man reaches his full statue,
mo rally and Observation-Disclosures he |
becomes what God intends he shall |
become then the Kingdom of Heav-
IN" shall come upon the earth, and /
want aud the fear of want shall no
Onger be felt.
If this belief is to be an iridescent
iream, then the prayer, "Thy king
iom come" is worse than sounding
,rass and tinkling cymbals."
There is as much abundance in the
hidden resources of the earth TO supply
II ans every physical want as there is
ir enough for him to breathe and
water enough for him to drink.
Because some have an abundance
nd Others have not a bare subsist-
nee is not for the lack of Divine wis
om-is not because enough has not
een provided, but is because Gods
righteousness has not been fully es-
ablished, aud is because His purposes
ave been cOntravened and set aside
y human enactments.
Christ coming into the world was
OF for the purpose of establish ing a
heOlOgy-it was not for the purpose
f creating and erecting creeds, but ,
he great purpose of His coming
'as To foreshadOw aud make
eal the Brotherhood of God aud the
OF Man" /
He came to glorify God 10y showing
love for the children of men among ,
ne lowly, 10y putting himself in touch 8
it'll their SORROWS and putting on His
loulders their burdens. Y
He came to dignity labor by work t
* at the carpenters bench and Sc 1
citing a. His associates and disciples [
ain men following plain avocations Il
Now if it be true that God created (
le world for all and with enough for
|, why--with an abundance should n
Iere be suffering and want? Why d
IOuld the great masses of mankind | b
all ages and in all lands be decreed ! a
a life of toll, be denied all comforts