Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-04-13

lie asccnds to the lofticst heights
of moral grandeur only via the valley
of humiliation, finding always that the
way up leads down.
lis widest freedom is achieved only
In the depths Of servitudc TO Christ.
lie is "SorrOwfut yet always rciuic-
ing; poor yet making many rich; rs
having nothing and yet possessing MI
things UI Cor. 6:l0).
So in our text we arc confronted
with Il paradox Of contradictory emo
tionS both to be held in Il balance Of
po'se In our service Of Jehovnh we
are to "rejoice with trembling"
And do not these pnradoNes root
back into the paradoXes Of God? We
read God is love-" and we rejoice;
we read also that God is light" and
before that burning we tremble.
"If thou, Lord, shouldest mark In.
iquity, 0 Lord, who shall stand?"
Here Is the light. and the trembling
"But there is forgiveness with thee
that thou mayest be feared" Behold
here the love, and our consequent re.
joicing psalm 1908, ~.
"lf Thou ShouIdest Mark lniquity."
'"This. then, is the message
that God is light and in Him is no
darkness at ALL" He Is sniL to "dwell
in the light which no man can ap.
proach unto" the pure white light Of
His awful holiness and truth, burning
so bright that no mclcAn, iniquitous
thing can abide 1t.
w hear little these days about tho
wrath OF God,n and yet the Bible Ia
lurid with the red signnls Of His warn.
ings. 1t Is still on the pages Of Holy
Writ that "He hath appointed day
In which He will Judge the world in
righteousness by that Man whom He
hath ordained"
John, the apostle, saw that Man
and so bright was the light Of His
shining that he fell at His feet rs one
dead. But Of that day and its fierce
burning we hear little nowadays. We
have presumed in our ignorance and
hardness Of heart upon an imaginary
goodness In God. which winks Mt sin
and passes lightly the iniquity of men.
We have lost our fathers reverence
FOR the Book, and have consequently
forgotten the "fear Of Jehovah"
Who Will dare to say that the wave
of crime that is now sweeping the
whole world is not due to the loss of
this trembling before Holy God7
Read that terse searching summary "t
apostolic logic In the third chapter Of
Romans, 10 to 18, which Is a cluster
of burning Goals from Off the Old
Testament altar. 1t begins with:
There is none righteous no, not one"
h,,
"There is no fear of God before their
eyes"
"God Is love-" infinite fathomless
love. but "God Is light" too-awful,
burning, searcliing light. He may he
merciful my friend, but he MUST be
just. ut Is fearful thing to fall
into the hands Of the living God"
UIeb. 10 :3D, "for our God Is q con.
suming fire" (Heb. IL :20).
"But There is Forgiveness Will Thee"
Oxygen gas is a terrible engine of
destruction. car of dynamite cx.
plodcs and a city Of n million homes
is rocked to Its foundations. The cx-
ploslon was oxygen gas Fastening into
union with carbon; just concentrated
combustion, and yet that gas which is
the principal agent Of destruction I'm
the consuming fire" Is the most harm
less Of gases. Submcrgc the most deli
cate dyc-tlnts in Il bath OF oxygen and
not the least effect can be discovered,
and the filmiest down Of thistle Is
safe In the waiting Of its zcphyrs. All
animate creatures are dependent upon
this gentle, harmless, yet terribly de-
structvc gas. !
And so 1t Is with God; He that can
consume in the fiercencss of His anger
IS "merclful and gracious, slow to m.
ger, and pcnte0us in mercy" and ellis
goodness lcadcth thee to repentance"
"Let the wicked fOrsake his ways
and the unrightcous man his thoughts;
and let him return unto the Lord, and
He will have mercy upon him, and
unto our God for lie will abundnntly
pardon" (Isaiah 55:O. This He
can do because "the Lord hath laid
on Him (Jcsus our Savior) the in
iquity Of us all."
"On tho mount Of Crucinxion
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the flood gates OF Gods mercy
Flowed vast and glorious tide.
Love and grace like mighty rivers.
Flowed incessant from above;
And Gods perfect truth and justice
Kissed n guilty world In love"
Old Welsh Hymn.