The Cairo bulletin., 1904-08-21

of my sin. God Is willing 10 give you
and me enough spiritual strength TO
resist any temptation which confronts
us II we only 20 to him for help. as he
was ready to help Adm and Eve,
And my friends. In 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 viii not take
that way he ought 10 reallZe that he ia
booming himself to destruction, that
excuses are of no avail and that he
himself ana 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 gayest 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 eatent Why
did they incrmnate each other and
the serpent after they were brought
forth from their arboreal retreat? Did
God want to destroy them rs so many
seem to thinkf ! confess that in my
younger days | used 10 picture God as
tyrant. monster when lie was seek
Ing those two frightened, fleeing sin
ners. used to think his voice was
harsh and condemnatory, that the call,
"Adam. where art thouT had in il the
roar of wild African lion starting
forth at night to seek his prey. But a
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 thouT was the
pleading call Of "A sorrowing father
seeking a lost and hayward child"
1t Is The same kind of n call the pill
grim fathers used when as a searching
party they went forth into the dark
woods seeking a lost child, 1t is the
same call that You would give if your
boy were lost in the jungles of the
Indian hills. Then you would call, My
child. oil. my child, cannot you hear
my volce?" AS God was calling to our
hiding places of sin and they would be
forgiven God the Father is calling to
you and to me: Come home, We
wearied and lost sinner. Come home.
Love Refened Everywhere.
Thus we started this sermon with
garden; we are going TO end ii with
garden. The apostle Paul sees III the
story of orr first homestead n wrecked
and disorganized animal and vegetable
and archaeological and archaeological
and human world. He leads us 10 see
how the whole creation ihe birds of
the air, and the fishes of the sea. and
the beasts OF the forest and the flow
ers of the fields were Influenced
through and had their natures changed
by the sins OF man. Once love reigned
everywhere. Now the law Of life is
dependent upon the survival of the
Attest The eagle begins to mount
higher aud higher and higher. not to
come nearer TO the heavens to see God,
but that on account of the greater
altitude he can have a wider horizon
to swoop: that with his keen eye he
may see the helpless dove afar off,
into which the feathcred murderer can
plunge that terrible beak and rip and
tear and sIay. Once the trees as lovers
stretched forth their arms Of branches
and with rustic and moan talked 10
each other until for very love they
trembled with delight. Then II was
affection. wooing affection, and tender
ness, enchanting tenderness. But now
the batteries OF the storms are I'M
limbered, and the thunderbolts are
aimed at their hearts. Now the mighty
forest giants, not as lovers, but ms dy-
ing warriors. groan aud totter and
fall. Once the lion ana the lamb lay
down side by side TO sleep, But after
the sin of man the caress Of the shag-
Nv brute was the prelude 10 bite
by which the helpless lamb WAS gnsh-
ed and torn and became meal for its
foe.
But this Is not the end. The same
inspired writer tells MS that the time
will come when creation itself also
shall be delivered from the bondage
~ corruption into the glorious liberty
Of the children of Cod" 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 10 de
your one another. and again the wolf
shall also dwell with the lamb. and
the leopard shall lie down with the
Kid. and the COW and the bear shall
feed. and their young ones shall lie
,iown together. and the lion shall eat
straw with the OK aud the sucking
child shall play on the hole Of the
asp. and the wcaned child shall put
his hand on the cock airiee'S den. They
iii - i.,,tt mop .lasfraV la all my