The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-22

San Francisco: Men dwell in such re-
gions and erect cities there at their
peril. They cannot be ignorant Of the
danger" Even If churches, hospitals
m~onastaries, asylums, schools, and coll
legeS, were to be erected there II would
not delay 4 single day the coming CT
the earthquake or lessen in the least
It's violence. Il is ridiculous TO 4ues-
ton the b~enevolence Of Deity in this
matter. Our emphasis should rather be
on the faulty and idiocy Of men who
fly IN the face Of natural law. Even
the angles must weep when they be-
hold the Communicative folly OF human
ity.
GODS PLAN UNFOLDING.
As men solve more and more OF the
problems of nature, the plan OF Hod
is slowly unfolding. We are beginning
10 recognize that nothing in nature IS
left TO chance; that all things are sub
iect to some well defined law, which IL
recognized and respected is benefcient
in its action; but if d~isobeyed or dis
regarded is maleyOlent in its results.
The plea OF ignorance can no more save
US from the penalty Of a violated nat
ural law than cal the plea OI ignorance
save US from the violation OF a stat
utorv law. It is the duty Of men to
make 2 most careful and exhaustive
studv of the earth to the ~ that they
learn the nature OF the forces Wnlcn
guide. preserve and conserve IT. II IS
our duty 10 learn which are the con-
structiye and which are the 1nstruc-
tive forces. To turn the CONSTRUCTIVE
forces TO a benevolent end il possible
! as n the case of electricity, steam Ii
fire and. where this is not possible, 20
avoid them, or minimize their intensi-
ty for forbidding habitatlons near them
or constructing buildings that may
withstand them, IS in the case OF VOL
canoes, tidal waves and earthquakes.
CONCEPTION OF SPECIAL PRO
v1DENCE.
You might say that this conception
does away with Gods providential care
of the individual. You were never
farther from the truth Of the matter.
In his universal reign Of law, one OF
the most unique facts is Gods special
care of the Individual, of each and eV-
cry life. To cay that God leaves eacn
man to Jog along at his own sweet will
uIt1l q u 1913 14C lVISAo
a driver would check a spirited horse,
, is a kind Of special providence against
which even the prophets of old hurled
their infectives: Call on your God,
~perchance he is asleep, or he is walk
inc. or he is in council and does not
hear vou.' One of the most marve-
lOus facts in nature is the persistence
of life. The heart, the nerves, the
: Lua:a ~ oo-hhoIiuno tho m9iuII9. are
} not the centers and sources of life. The
physicians will tell VI that he ultl-
mate center of life is in the vasO-motor
center of the brain. This center is a
T minute congery Of nerves. Not different
in nature than any other nerve in the
; bodv and vet if It were injured IN the
I least it would result in immediate
1 death. How this maintains our )ofe
I will doubtless never be known. We are
X driven to the inevitable conclusion tha1
y lust as, if God withdrew his laws IRON
:. the World it would crumble into &
L mist wave of atoms lying in space
Y 50 if God were to withdraw his law:
e that maintain the vaco-motor center II
1 man for a single instant, life would IN
u stantlv cease. The Divine in Us is eve
present not only maintain ing but als<
Sustaining life. God is with us ever.
moment of our lives. We exist by an<
through Gods will. We are a part Q
e His laws which are universal and II
# exorable in their operations. The on
y supreme fact that stands GU amid tn
= Hux and flow of nature is b peTma
D nance and unchangeab1eness OF CO.
!: and His laws. This is the rock upol
= which we build u faith in Deity
, Though all the World should fail u
n we are buoyed up by the thought an
l. conviction that God, as He manifest
e himself tomorrow to humanity.
'e DIVINE VS.. HUMAN REWARD.
d Let US compare Gods way and nan
is way of regarding and furnishing. Eve
G of the victims of the San FTancisc
l. disaster were sinners, the punishment
se would not fit the crime and henc
would not be divinely just If you in
!Eist lat God brought the disaste
upon tn because they were sinner:
Is l ask ya.. how will you account 10
it the death g the righteous, the inne
IL cent, the children and the destructio
of so much sacred and secular PROF
81 perty that belonged to the guiltless,
" religious and to charitable organize
Il lions? The innocent shall not sune
with the guilty. is a divine law. Go
does not punish as man Furnishes, nc
does He reward as man reward
= Human reward and punishment
IL rarely just, it either falls short {
y overshoots the mark. A governor-ge1
eral of a Russian Province has bee
~ assassinated, the Car Immediately d.
=! mands that justice be done; Whlc
~ consists in killing forty or fifty poop
;" and sending one hundred Or so to 5
IL IBERIA by way of warning Does &c
punish this way! Some thing so.
We benefactor Of humanity is left to pc
VI ish Of starvation and hunger. Perhal
he is a martyr to his principles.
uo r.-a~oa oftor tardv n1mani1