Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-08-20

thing more for those who need their
aid in the struggle tn earn Il living
they would do more good than they can
10y converting men about To- hc hanged"
All. yes. there was thundcrbolt of
terrible truth hurled in that one say
! ing by Il man who was facing eternity
! But. though in some eases the rcspon
sibility of sin may be placed upon 9th
er shoulders. this was not true of Adj
ANS sin. Ii was not true of Ewes sim
1t is not true of your sin. Ii is not true
of my sin. God is willing to give you
and me enough spiritual strength to
resist any temptation which confronts
us If we only go to him for help. as he
was ready To help Adam and Eve
And. my friends. i'm reference to our
own sins let us have the manliness to
acknowledge them. In the courts even
criminal earns the contempt of his
fellows when. as they say. he pleads
the baby act" The way To forgiveness
! Is by humble confession. and there Is
no other way If man will not take
that way he ought To realize that he is
booming himself to destruction. that
excuses are of no avail and that he
| himself and no other Is responsible.
Never charge your doom upon your
mother your wife. your child. your
surroundings. when You have no one
to blame but your own sinful self DO
| not try To conceal sin with cowardly
words such as those which Adam ut
tered when he said. Yes. sinned but
the woman whom thou gavest To be
with me. she gave me of the tree and
did eat"
But why should our first ancestors
have concealed themselves in their hid
ing places Of sin? Why should they
have run away after the fruit of
| the forbidden tree was eaten? Why
did they incriminate each other and
the serpent after they were brought
forth from their arbOreal retreat: Did
God want To destroy them. as SO many
seem to think? ! confess that in my
younger days | used to picture God as
tyrant II monster, when he was seek
ing those two frightened fleeing sin
ners. used to think his voice was
harsh and condemnatory. that the call.
adam. where art thou?' had In il the
roar IT a wild African lion starting
| forth at night To seek his prey But a
few years ago my mind entirely chang
ed in reference to this for then | heard
great English preacher say: This
call Of God in the garden Of Eden was
not the call To death. but To life Gods
call. Adam. where art thou?' was the
| pleading call of q Sorrowing father
| seeking lost and maynard child"
II is the same kind Of u call the pill
| grim fathers used when as 81 searching
party they went forth into the dark
woods seeking lost child II " the
same call that yon would give If your
boy We're lost in the jungles of the
Indian hills. Then you would call My
child. oh. my child cannot you hear
my voice. As God was calling tn our
ancestors tn come forth ont of their
hiding places of sin and they would be
forgiven. God the Father is calling to
you and to me: Come home ye
wearied and lost sinner. Come home
Love Reigned Everywhere.
Thus we started this sermon with n
garden. we are going 10 end il with =
garden. The apostle l'aul secs ~ the
story Of orr first homestead a wrecked
and disorganiZcd animal and vegetable
and ichthyological and ornithologicai
and human world. He leads us Ia see
how the whole creation the birds Of
the mir. and the fishes of the sea, and
the beasts Of the forest. and the flow
ers OF the fields were influenced
| by the sins Of man. Once lore reigned
everywhere Now the law of life Is
dependent upon the survival Of the
| fjttest" The eagle begins to mount
higher and higher and higher not to
| come nearer TO the heavens to see God.
| but that On account Of the greater
| altitude he can have wider horizon
to swoop: that with his keen eye he
may see the helpless dove afar off.
into which the feathered murderer can
| plunge that terrible beak and rip and
tear and slay Once the trees as lovers
| stretched forth their arms of branches
and with rustic and moan talked to
each other until for very love they
trembled with delight Then il was
affection. wooing affection. and tender
ness. enchanting tenderness But now
the batteries of the storms are IN
limbered. and the thunderbolts are
aimed at their hearts. Now the mighty
forest giants. not as lovers. but as dy-
ing warriors. groan and totter and
fall Once the lion and the lamb lay
down side by side TO sleep. But after
the sin Of man the caress of the shag-
gy brute was the prelude tn bite
by which the helpless lamb was CASH
ed and torn and became a meal for its
| foe.
But this is not the end. The same
| inspired writer tells us that the time
will come when creation itself also
shall he delivered from the bondage
OF corruption into the glorious liberty
| of the children of God" Then shall
the day Of universal peace dawn. which
the ancient prophet described. when
not only will men cease from war. but
the animal creation will cease To de
your one another and again 1.-THE wolf