The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-05-04
SATURDAY., ij.NIEHT
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REvSAMUELW ". puTpyIS.D.D
THE GOD OF TIE FIRE.

gee llie utHNiilteN Stdib' NJ NOHuNh
the Prince CT Peace irebrand!
Queer teaching. IN the agent of
death, not life. The world gasps with
horror at san Trauc!sco's holocaust.
Mothers earliest admouiton to chill
dren is not 10 play with matches. The
clang of the iron throated fire bell in
the night arouses man in terror Mid
die ages put the devil in authority on
lake of fire: Dante describes those in
fernal regions in blOOdcurdling strain;
Dore sketches them with livid brush.
If the devil is ruler of the region OF
fire, how strange to read that our God
is q God of fire! Isn't that an anom-
ally? No. Fire Is the chosen sign of
God from flaming sword ut paradise to
flaming tongues at Pentecost. Every
new epoch initiated with fire. Pillar OF
fire in wilderness: fire at dedication OF
tabernacle; Shekinah fire burning con-
tinually in temple. The figure is woven
into our daily speech. Ardent natures,
enthusiasm that kindles, passions that
burn. We complain of GOODNESS, icy re-
serve, cold manner.
No vegetation above timber line on
Pixies peak-too cold THE utter alb
sence of heat and life. in the arctic
makes our existence intolerable," OBJ
serves hansen. All animal and vege-
table life depends on fire and heat for
creation and development Flowers,
bees birds, mankind, thrive in the
sun. Say, auntie," | call to the old
black nanny working in her garden,
"why don't you plant your garden on
this side the house? Then us white folks
could see 1t from the road" "Humph,"
she grunts, "some preachers got re-
| ligion n not much else. Mawnin' sun
straks this pooh an In de aftanoon de
flowah bed. Nuthin' grows on that
nawth side. Grouns too cold. Seeds
got to have wa'mth to grow" The sun
shines, blossoms come, harvest fields
bow their heads with golden grain,
orchard branches weighted with fruit.
/ know q church that needs warmth.
Chill of worldliness is there. Sermons
are beautiful, but it's the frigid beauty
of winter landscape. Affairs are there,
but fires are out. Wish some Elijah
would challenge them to prove "the
God that answereth by fire." A cook
stove In the church basement doesn't
always mean spiritual warmth.
Fire Means Testing.
Know Americas greatest extrava-
gance apart from drink? Fire! Last
year more than half the value of all
the years building. Millions go up in
smoke. Loss covered by insurance"
Never! Any more than lost sleep or
lost years can be recovered. But while
fire destroys it reveals much. When
the quake and fire were over in Frisco
what revelations! Vanity and dis
honesty in building lay bare. Pre-
tentious ornament and fiimsy construc-
ton everywhere. Say, Jim, see that
man going there? That's Smith, the
builder. All his buildings stood!"
There's eulogy! I'd rather be Smith
than commander of a battleship feet.
Chinatown had a cleansing. first time
in fifty years. Stand at the kiln door
of Trenton pottery. why do you need
such heatP' "To bake the impurlty
out of the clay" ! peer in at the men
moving like figures In Dante's 'Tnfer.
no" at Steelton. why such great
blast furnaces?" No steel without
removal Of baser metals and alloys
Fire either changes or destroys.
Beacon Fires of Triumph.
aonna n bpino cvrnrd cave
Christ Sometimes it's the fire OF
battle. There's time of war and a
time of peace" says solomon. WAL
.. is hell" indeed, but many a move
ment for the betterment of humanity
has gone forward on a powder cart
Many fearful wrong has been stop
ped only by fire and sword. The rec
ord of the sixties tells when surrende
of Lee was announced throughout thu
north, and many portions of the soutf
l peace fires were lighted. Men an(
women shed tears of JOY about them
No more cannons belching forth fire
no more rifle barrels splitting tongues
of fame. Now only campfres o
peace. Two years later England wa
burning beacon fires of jubilee in hon
or of her queen. From Malvern HI
the signal was given; in eight minute
1t flashed from every hill all the wa
to the lake country in Cumberland
8 If Christ came to bring fire and
sword He also came to bring peace.
81 When Christ went home the fire o
the Spirit was flung earthward. Xii
3 died in upper room at Jerusalem.
soon spread through the city, then il
Z dea and Sumaria. Presently Asia NJ
nor was blazing through that othe
q firebrand. Paul. the Christian. SCI
4 the sparks fly across the archipelal
q into Macedonia. then into Greece |
"a self BY and by Rome is visited /
,k the gospel fire. then from Eurol
across the Atlantic TO America, e
4 erywhere his ministers flame
. J fire." tellins the story with words TIL
. b glow and burn and kindle. At q