The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-15
CRIME SURELY BRINGS
ITS OWN REWARD.
In an Interesting Sermon Rev. J. A.
Smith Spoke of Evil.

Smith Spoke of Evil.
The evils of the day and the conse-
quences that they bring, was the sub
ject of a sermon by Rev. ]. A. Smith
in Epworth Methodist Church last
night.
The text was: Prov. 1929: How
long We simple ones will ye love sim
plicity? and the scorners delight in
their scorning, and fools hate knowl-
edge"
Has God a voice." asked Mr.. Smith.
Does He speak to man? Is His lam
guage easy to be understood? These
are questions of eternal Importance.
From the teachings of His word no
room for doubt along this line is left.
So simple are His truths respecting
mans condition, the power of sin, the
inevitable consequences thereof, the
way of escape, and the eternal blessed
ness thereof, that a 'wayfaring man
need not err therein
THAT the breaking of certain laws
entail certain penalties is as unchang
ing as the laws of the Modes and
Persians. Hence thousands in the sight
Of God become moral and spiritual
suicides. Become the author of their
own ruin and destruction. This has
ever been true concerning individuals,
communities and nations. History,
sacred and profane. abounds with sol
emn and fearful facts to prove this as
sertion.
We would do violence to the at
tributes of God were we to attempt to
trace many of these tragic occurrences
to the giver of every good and perfect
gift. And yet it cannot be denied that
He permits many things to happen
that He may make the wrath OF man
to praise Him
The voice of God is every where
heard-in public in private, in the
streets and in the house. Common
sense, universal experience, and the
law of justice written on the heart, as
we'll as the law of God testify against
evil Of every kind-warn man of it's
final and fearful consequences-tells
him that no man can sin with inn
punity, even though he may repent
and be forgiven.
Even divine forgiveness is not in
consistent with the exaction Of certain
penal consequences of evil doing. God
speaks through his revealed word
iii Oh6A the pIcdAHSQ SOSpei-JIlTOuBn
sickness, Affections and death. Earth
quakes like Mount Pelee; cyclones like
the one in Gainesville; floods through
out the West and in South Carolina:
deaths by reason of the peculiar cir
cumstances surrounding them in all
these sad. sudden catastrophies, is
heard and seen the voice of Almighty
God, calling men to stop and think.
Truly, we are living in the very days
Described IN Matthew
IF ever l had doubted the emphatic
statement in Gods Word. They have
sown the wind. and they shall reap
the whirlwind,' my five years residence
in this city-the lives that have gone
down in shame, sorrow and degrada-
ton, would forever Danish the last YES
tige of doubt
presence of lawlessness and cor
ruption gambling in defiance to
law, sbbath Dissertation of ev-
cry conceivable kind? No, no. a
thousand times no. May we not trust
that the cup of our iniquity is not
yet filed to the brim. Will we not yet
repent in sackcloth and ashes ere the
walls of his wrath be poured out on
us?
AT one time France decided to rule
God and the Bible out of her national
under the condemnation of Almighty
God. To-day the French Republic stands
.quivering over an internal volcano
and that is liable to burst at any mo-
ment. Strange II we see the sword
coming that we should remain silent
and utter not a word of alarm. 1t
has been said that a man freezing to
death does not want to be disturbed
as he sleeps his life away.
There are multitudes in our midst
that are asleep morally and spiritual
ly but they resent any extra effort
put forth to snatch them as brands
from the eternal burnings. Every time
moral reform has had to run the
gauntlet of merciless criticism and
fiery persecution.
THE reformer under fearful respon-
sibility, in the effort to step in and
stem the tide, has been looked upon
as impractical, visionary, and cranky
They will tell you that you are simply
wasting time and labor over certain
efforts that cannot be successful. And
vet Mr. Gladstone said: Every man
who is not producing something bene-
fetal to society is a hindrance and a
curse to any community
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MECI EX QI HEMTCMADV