The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-07-12
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Take Ye Away the Storm.

Resuming where left off in my last,
let me say. the stupid Sodomites
thought Lot was fanatic. They were
not afraid of fire and birthstone, so
they Knocked at his warnings, despised
his entreaties and lived in open and de-
fiant wickedness and rebellion against
God. until they reached the climax of
RIGHTEOUSNESS and depravitv on the
night the angels came to warn Lot of
the doom of the city. Even the blind
ness with which they We're struck was
not enough to arouse them and the
sounds of revelry and debauchery were
heard till the fire fell from heaven and
Sodom was swept out of existence by
the mighty power of God.
The Lord told the Jews that Jerusa-
lem would be destroyed that not one
stone of the temple should be left upon
another. yet they would not believe 1t,
until they found the Roman armies
about them and saw the place out side
the walls so full of crosses, bearing
their fellow men that no more space
could be secured; saw the temple in
flames and themselves falling before
the sword of their cOnquerors or being
carried off tor a worse fate. All, then
they believed the word of the Lord,
but it was too late. The very fate they
had been appraised of was a surprise to
them and was the means of their
destruction. 1t is as true today as it
was then. Sinners know that the end
will come soon they are warned of their
danger, yet will not heed the warning,
but continue as stupid IN sinful course
as they did in the days Of Noah as reck-
less as those SOdomite sinners and as
careless and Indifferent as those Jeru-
salem sinners. Its the old way that
has characterized sinners from the be-
ginning. Men stumble along and at
last, surprised at the destruction that
cometh upon them, fall into hell ex-
claiming perhaps like the dying man to
his pastor, The day when | should
have worked is now gone and there
comes in upon me the blackness and
darkness of night and | am lost" AS
it was in the days of Noah, so shall 1t be
at the coming of the son of man. As
the Jews were surprised at the de-
struction of Jerusalem SO will the world
be at the coming of the King to the
Judgment of which the destruction Of
Jerusalem was the type. Here we
learn the suddenness of the second com
ing of Christ. 1t shall be in an hour
We think not Of; as thief in the night
and when He comes, He will find the
same condition of things that charac-
terized the world in the days of Noah.
too is the condition of things we may
expect when the Lord comes in the
glory of His Father with the holy
angels. He shall find the world in the
same indifferent, careless condition and
in open defiance Of His authority and
unbelief of His promises. 1t is danger
Gus. not only to individuals but to
nations and the world at large What
a day that will be! There will be sud
den waking to a sense of danger and
unfortunate crying for mercy. but alas,
too late for mercy. Justice shall be
loosed and with flaming sword will de-
YOUR the adyersaries. Men will be
heard calling on the rocks and hills to
fall on them and hide them from the
presence of the Lord, but whittier shall
they GO? They cannot hide from the
Omnipresent One. If they take the
wings of the morning and fly to the
ends of the earth, He is there.
If they go down INTO the depths of the
ocean even there He is; and if they de-
scend into the awful anguish of hell,
they can not hide from Him, for they
are still conscious of bearing. His wrath
and curse due sin.
As it was in the days of Noah with the
righteous SO shall it be with such in the
days of the Son of Man. When He
cometh in judgment. they shall be SAFE
It shall be well with them. Righteous
Moan obeyed the command of God for
be believed the promises. He entered
within the Ark and when the flood
came and lifted the Ark, he and his
were safe. Could he look out upon the
seething flood. may be he could hear
t. cry of despair, the wailing of the
ost, and the shrieks Of frightened