Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-10-18

Is the absence of sound; Darkness is
the absence of light; Cold is the alb
sence of heat; Death is the absence
of life.
Now, it was in these circumstances
this void, eternal, infinite, silent,
cold, dead, that the voice of the Al
mighty was heard, breaking the ST.
lence of eternity, 1inging the light
out into this infinite and eternal void, |
and saying LET there be light: and
there was light" And Paul says that
very God, who commanded the light |
to shine out Of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts to give the light |
of the knowledge Of God in the face |
of Jesus Christ" I believe In de-
pravity, in total depravity. That is
to say, believe the natural heart is
totally dark and cold and silent and
dead. That babe born into the world |
is a mere lump of flesh through
which the blood is coursing: in which
the sinews and bones and muscles
are forming. It is the possibility Of
a man. It must be built up into a
man. It must attain unto the full
ness of the stature Of manhood in
Christ Jesus It requires God to
handle the situation; to illuminate
that natural darkness; to impart
spiritual light and heat and life. It
requires God to break the silence OF
nature. After all, this depravity
arises from deprivation. It is not
that there was any injection OF
moral poison into the system by the
hand of the Almighty. The human
heart is not a foul pool sending up a
stencil. Depravity is pre-eminently
a deprivation. It does not involve
guilt. 1t involves a beginning. 1t is
that it may be made a habitation of
God through the Spirit of God. The
God who commands the light to shine
| out of darkness shines in those dark,
sad. cold, dead hearts of ours, and
shows to us the beauties of religion
| and exhibits His matchless grace In
| the gift of His Son, in order that we
| may see "the light of the knowledge
Of the true knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. =
Now there is depravity that is not
negative. It would be the greatest
boon granted to many a man it past
sin was easily shaken off; but there
Is not q single act of your life that
has not left it's deposit in your char
acter. Although, on the authority
of Huxley, the human body is COM
pletely renewed every twelve months
yet the old scars remain as per-
} petual memorial. So, deep down In
your moral nature, there is the rec
!: ord of your first lie, first impure
thought and all that has blasted your
: life from then until now. 1t takes
, the power of God to break that bond
? age and it is only through Jesus
r Christ that you and can shake on
2 the awful incubus of the past.
rrr,o~o o~o uoct 6iffQrpnc0S In the
: forms and degrees of sin, and there
= are vast differences between becom
/: ing a Christian in early life, in ad
vanced life and in old age. If yo1
r have not already become Christian
e the practical thing is to begin now
o There is no moment so absolutel.
e sane and solid, so certain or alto
l. gether utflizab1e, as the present
F. There will never be another momen
II 50 golden as the moment you are al
J. lowing to slip away. The longer tn
1t devil has you in his grasp the NOR
g, deadly the grip becomes and the 81
it verer will be the struggle REQUIRE
lie to secure your freedom In Christ -
to sus. If I we're an unsaved man, o.
k. fore all other duties l would assel
n the supreme duty OF saving my son
e. The supreme duty of life Is to shaA
gS | ourselves clear OIL IHe uo'ni'oIiou
ss sin by the help of Almighty Go
be Rut YOU say everybody does not s.
k it that av. 1t was so in the anost'e
Id dav. and here in the context 1t Civ
1t. the reason, eff our gosnel is bid 1t
a hid in them that are lost" Do "
at rail- a blind man to give test1r onv
er- The beauties of an electrical displa,
,ly The devil has constructed MAJ
zee kinds Of wells to blind the eyes
ire men. These are the vefs OF SELLS
re- ness, worldliness, pride OF life, t
,ut lust of the flesh, avarice and ma
his others. to pull over the human hea
ad. NV friends, there is no more "a
ath mistake than to be1ittle and und'
eet estimate the task Of the rehglous |
ot, and what has to be done in orc
nd that a human soul may be recrea'
ace in the likeness Of God. 1t is a ts
the of infinite deljcacy, requiring nlv1
on. mower and wisdom and one which,
Ind accomplished. ends in glories as ct
are nal as the throne OF Goo. Inc
be- Cod that if we get the victory
as victory is one that shall heco
Did, greater and greater, certain
ned more certain in the midst OF an
nly conflict we wage in this world "
on the enemy of our souls. | was
the hronght up to believe in the doctr