The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-07-16
GODS MESSAGE TO NAN
PREGNANT THOUGHTS FROM the
WORLDS GREATEST PROPHETS
Tho Foundation Of Rsith-Trus Rsiigten
Founded on Facts Atfosted By the Uai-
versai Experisncs OF Msnkiad-Ths
Prophetic Longing For Immortality. ,

Tho Forndstion Of Rsith-Trus RsiiGfea
Founded on Facts Atfestsd By the Uai-
versai Experiencs OF Msnkfad-rho
Prophetic Longing For Immortaiity.
The Rev. George H. Hepworth. the well.
known clergyman aud journalist, who for
twenty-five years wrote q Sunday sermon
for the New York Herald, died suddenly
in his apartments in New York City, and
an eventfui and Useful life, rich in humani-
tartan deeds was~slbas brought to q close.
His last sermon in1tige Herald, which was
pubshcd on the dayTfssr his death, fol-
lows:
A great rnany honest minds have been
disturbed :ud driven to the verge OF doubt
by their inability % form any conception
of God.
He Is the uncreased Creator, but tho
words convey no meaning whatever 10 our
minds. Ii you look through the Lick tele-
scope 1t Arcturus you see very little more
than with the naked eye, and il the pro.
foundest philosopher looks at the Almighty
he sees very little more than the unlef.
tered peasant. Still! Arcturus il in the sky,
whether you can peer into his secret OF
not. and God is in your life, though your
most searching thought returns to you
empty handed. Thossery words omnipo-
tent and omniprssest nave an unthinkabls
signi6cation, and vim the man Of science
tells Us that space 4. absolutely limjtless,
that it consists of~h0rizoas which are sim
ply endless in number, We accept the fact,
but have no more conception OF 1t than
the microbc in q watch has Of the delicate
machinery whose ticks are . continuous
roll Of thunder in its ears.
What. then. you ask is the basis OF re-
lgion which demands such self-control and
seif-sacr;fice? II these problems will always
nl,,h1
little of the Being who demands your souls
allegiance. why may not religion itself be
mistake? Many heart has been cngloomed
by these thoughts and many a mind b.
fozged by them.
True religion is independent Of any pure
" intellectual theory of the universe, and
is founded on facts proven true by the uni
versal experience OF mankind. This state
ment is easily illustrated by childhood. The
little one does not understand its mother,
has no comprehension whatever OF moth
er,s love or Of the tieniheanee Of . mSsS s
with speech and could describe its relations
to that mother it would make as many mis-
statements as We do in describing our reias
tions to God. The mothers providence q
wholly misunderstood; even her watchfu
care looks like interference with the child's
rights, and the child might say, a. Calvin
did Of the Almighty, that "of her own good
pleasure" she pets at one moment and pun
ishes at another. The knowledge that pun.
ishment and love arc entirely, consistens
mother even when the child's prayer b
sternly denied, 10 beyond the reach Of that
narrow intellect, and will be for many
year to come Mothers and children some
times get at odds for this reason, and IN
like manner We get at odds with the Al
mighty.
are large enough to settle certain mattets
Of practical importance. II il needless q
theprize, for harsh experience tells us truths
whlh cannot be gainssid. The microbe IN
that some journeys are dangerous, while
Others are safe, and from that moment ha
has q plan of life. He constructs dece.
logue for himself, and the Thou shalt not
Is ths voice Of imperial law. not forbidding
him through caprice, but because an IN.
fraction of the law 10 followed by loss and
remorse. Every man knows that there u .
right and wrong; has been taught this b
many tears and failures; that love brings
sunshine, and hatred the tempest; that Rl-
ial relations with the Infinite result in O.
renity Of soul. resignation TO harsa
events which changes them from curse To
u
cret he cannot fathom, while hostile rels.
tions end in loneliness and desperation;
that intesrity Of character Is worth all e
costs to acquire and defend il. Add TO all
this the prophetic lonsing for another hfe,
which no argument can suppress, longing
that. like the spring on the mountain side,
win have its way. and . curious conviction,
which seems to be a component part OF his
nature, that in ways unexplained the dear
ones in heaven can find path to earth
drawn BY q love which was sacred and
strong before the funeral bells tolled, and
is equally strong and sacred now. and you
have an array OF facts. corroborated BY
every human life in every cline and every
ase. That is the basis OF the kind Of reii-
gion which Christ taught. He gave US no
explanation of mysterious problems, bot
simple truth instead truth most needfui,
and altogether practical; Build your faith
on that foundation and the gates Of he'll
shall not prevail against it. Earth vii! be
come the primary school for Gods Unirer-
.ity, and God Himself the Teacher, whose
love is no more loving than u His disei-
Mine