The Newtown bee., 1906-04-27

l. 3
are in the earth the Inhabitants of the world
will learn righteousness"
lam sure that it will be in accord
should speak of the great disaster
which has befallen one of the large
and important cities of our country by
earthquake and fire; and draw such
lessons from it as come to the Chris
tian.
And first, wish to say that Chris
tian people will not hold that such a
disaster has come to San Francisco be-
cause that city was more wicked than
other like cities. Our Lord taught US
better than that long ago. When
some told him of the Galileans whose
blood PLATE had mingled with their
these Galileans we're sinners above all
men because they suffered such things;
1 tell you, nay; but except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish. Or the
twelve upon whom the tower in Sloan
fell and slew them, suppose We that
they were sinners above all men in
Jerusalem, I tell you, nay, but except
We repent, We shall all likewi perish. i
Again, there is no Christian who
thinks that God set aside his natural
laws to send this special disaster.
Earthquakes, like other crises in ma
ture are the results Of the slow work.
ing out of these same laws which rule
the world of nature every day.
But Gods judgements are abroad in
the world by such events and it is for
US to learn righteousness from them,
and
1. They teach us the helplessness of
men and the omnipotence of God. We
all love to be independent. 1t is a
worthy ambition, if only we remember
that under all our plans and provision
lies Gods almighty power. 1t makes
US labor hard in our youth and middle
life to make provision for our old age.
1t gives rise to all that is meant by In
surance. A man builds house and
knowing that, if IL were destroyed to-
day, he would be unable to rebuild, he
insures it aga1nt fire. He insures his
upon his labor should be left helpless
and dependent upon strangers. But
there are some things against which
there can be no insurance and those
are the terrible commissions Of nature
whose laws are still so obscure that
men cannot reckon upon them. We
can guard against some things and be
independent but we are reminded that
God is not machine, that there is a
personal element back of nature,
whose orderly laws are but the meth
DDS of His general working, that God
is a force and power which works in
the world about us. We 60 on forget
full of God and our own helplessness
until some great catastrophe reveals
the personal being Who clothes Him.
self with visible nature.
IL. The second lesson which such a
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are other things more important than
property; yes, more important than
human life itself. We are too prone
to live and build for time and temper.
al objects. We disregard the great
future. We build great structures
we perfect great systems, as modern
city, and then we stop.
But such disaster teaches US, ever
when we are alive, that all these
things are temporal. We do all these
things in and for time; because Goo
has set us that work, and we SHOULD
do it as we'll as we can; but we are re
minded that all these things must pas
away. But there are things which en-
ldure, and these are the souls of men
The spiritual can pass through al
earthly disaster. And the great US
of temporal things is to tit the spiri
of man to live on into eternity
AS the scientific men say, we must Fl
it for its environment. The fitteS
will survive. So what we 90 in train
ing and perfecting our spiritual natur
is life's abiding work. Did you eve
think that when you teach your littl
child to pray, you are doing create
work than building a great city. Yo1
teach him to have conscience, to b
honest, to be loving, to be generous, t
be pure, and you are carving out
character, which is more enduring
monument than bronze or granite
To perfect the soul SO that it sha
stand pure and beautiful in the pres
ence of it's Lord at death is the great
est work we can do. And it is for thi
reason that life is so precious, becaus
the longer it is the more time we hav
to do this work for eternity. 1t is th
opportunity to prolong our school day
the better to tit US for the final exam
nation of the day of Judgment.
In the destruction of great city "
see thus exemplitied the love Of Goo
If its great buildings and wonderfl
improvements were the best work tina
men could do, God would never d,
stloy it. That would lead to despai
BY the very fact that He does swee