The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-04-27
notable ,sERGSN |.
HIsa b Greed, s,Area aessnsss, Selfish.
ness, Reckl sssness, q Passio
the Cause pf Human Affiic- y II, s3

Tor, ReY. sl4. Sea bro OF, ,spre acted Ia |
notable serrnon taking bis text from
JOB ls15:1l-l3, (Revised Version)
4. Afs the consultations Of God too.
small for thee Z And is the word Of
small account that dsaleth gently with
thee7 Whitherdo thy heart carry
thee away7 And what do thy eyes
wink att That thou turnest thy spirit
against God, and lettest such words
go out Of thy mouth z" 'sy q
The sermon was entirely extempo-
raneous, and the report following gives
only in barest outline the thought Of
the speaker. ili ....~ j!
After speaking of the two declara-
tions heard during the previous week,
one in which God had been character
lied as cruel, and the other in which
it had been said that the dreadful ca
lamity had been sent Of God upon the
people Of the Pacific slope in wisdom
and justice, as punishment for their,
sins, the preacher declared his hor-
ror Of such misconceptions Of God.
There is little wonder when afflic-
tions come, and men are told that it
is the will Of God, that it is for them
to bow in patient submission, that the
heart protests. And we'll it may. The
greatest need Of mankind is an over
whelming, all pervading, realistic be-
lief i'll the personal Jehovah, Jehovah
Christ, and right conception of His
relation and attitude toward the indi-
vidual man and to the race. In mans
thought Of God he must reject every
surmise or opinion that is not in har-
mony with the truth so thrillingly ex-
pressed inBr >wning s immortal line III
"Paracelsus" "God, Thou art Love
l build my faith on that" In order
Co vindicate Gods sovereignty and
recognize His hand in the events Of
life, it is not necessary to regard "the
pestilence that walketh in darkness
and the destruction that wasted at
ncn day" mysterious dispensations
or visitations of His providence.
Man was not created for sorrow but
for joy. Gods thoughts Of man are
"precious "thoughts good and not
Of evil" When man was in harmony
with God, he was in harmony with
himself, and with nature. He was
placed amid conditions fitted to be-
stow upon him perfect and everlasting
happiness. There was no illness, no
calamity, no death. BY man came sin.
Where once was harmony, now there
is discord. Where once was order
now there is disorder. "By man came
death;'' and all sorrow, all the per-
version of instincts and passions, all
infrmities Of the body and weakening
of intellect, all that eliminates in
death, all "came by man." This is
not God s order, Gods purpose, God 8
thought for man. Man is out of har-
mony with nature because he violates
natures laws. Back Of every afflic-
tion is human sin. 1t is to blaspheme
| against the God Of love, when rail
road train is wrecked and its passen-
gers hurled into eternity, to say that
it was wrecked by His hand, or that
the awful destruction of life and
property. in San Francisco was caus-
ed by Him. Nine tenths Of all the
losses, Affections and sorrows Of this
life are the direct result Of human ex-
travagance, human Ngrasping after
larger profits, human. greed, human
carelessness, human selfishness, hui
man :recklessness, and Of the other
tenth they are indirect cause. Take
the case Of San Francisco by way Of
illustration. Tie earthquake came,
it is true. But it came not without
warning. Men have known for nges
that this is a volcanic section, or a
section liable to experience the EARTH
quake shock, and yet they have chos-
en- to take the chances. True the
earthquake came, but how cnmpara-
lively small the damage. frrn the
earthquake, if men choosing to live.
where they were exposed to these
mighty forces Of nature had struc-
turally prepared themselves to resist
its power. The Board of Fire Insur-
ance underwriters declared long ago
that it was a miracle that San Fran
cisco was not swept from the face Of
the earth, "that it was built TO-
burn" It was currently reported
that in the construction Of a building
now being erected in Newberry, some
o. 4 =. |. 9 =.