The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-11-23


church Of God it shall end when that
next prophetic Day-the Day Of
Christ-shall dawn.
Mans Day, like the other days OF
Scripture, has its own characteristics.
all set forth in the Word of God. The
Bibic is us fully up to date as though
G&d had but this morning placed it
In our hands, and there is not design
nor an achievement Of man In world
affairs, in politics. in religion, not
wurld-movement that has not been an
1cipited by Holy Scripture.
The most striking mark OF Mans
Day is the silence Of God. In the ages
before the cross God spoke oby the
prophets, and in the last OF thdse days
He spoke by His Son. Since that
blessed voice was stilled Mt Calvary
God has remained silent and man has
been speaking and manifesting his
folly. "Thcy speak every man vanity
with his neighbor" "Profcsslng them
selves to be wise, they became FOOLS
because "they became vain in their
rensonings and their senseless heart
was darkencd." All the powers Of his
soul have been corrupted by sin. yet
he eXalts human veason above all
things, criticiDes God, contradicts His
Word, makes light Of His wisdom, re-
5ects His Sen and laughs ut His pre-
| cious blood as the divine remedy for
sin. He imagines that God endowed
| him with reason to equip him rs q
critic" OF His Wcrd and Ills works
and His ways instead Of using thi
power, along with the other powers
of his soul and spirit. for becoming ac-
quainted with God and finding his
highest JOY in fellowship with Him.
| He denies that he is a fallen, ruined
creature, without God and without
hope In the world, and prates of his
divinity, admitting that the Lord Jesus
Is divine only as all men are divine.
He debases God with his panthcism
and speaks, with shftich show Of learn.
ing, of the divine immanence. With
resountling phrases he talks much Of
| the dignity md glory Of manhood.
while he humanizes God or drags Him
from His throne. He proposes all
sorts Of remedies for the evils which
he would fain remove while he SCOTS
at the one only remedy revealed in Holy
! Scripture. And the evils increase and
men die In their sins. He talks of
science and education by which he
proposes to lift up the masses, and OF
reform and self-culture by which Ike
promises to empty jails and penten
tiarics. Still the masses are down and
the penitentlnries are full. He .,oasts
of his science and his progress una
calls his fellowmen to his fairs TINT
| 1,nI %b< % |,
hands.
And God remains silentl "rhcSp
things hast thou DONE" says He, "and
KEEP; silence. Thou thoughtcst that
I was altogether such an one rs thy
self"
The reasons for Gods silence are
sasy to discover.
/. Iie has given to men His Word.
complete and finaA and confirmed ny
to it's truth and truStworthineHs by
thousand infallible proofs. The climax
of divine revelation has been reached
and there is no reserve of mercy yet
| to bo unfoldcd. Those who come to
that Word need no other voice, for the
one voice that spoke II in the begin
n;ng speakcth in 1t still to all who
! have ears to hear "Oh, earth, earth,
earth, hear the word of Jehovah" is
Gods challenge to all the world. LET
God speak" cries the skeptic, "and
will believe" The answer is that
God hath spoken" in His Word.
2. Gohs present silence proclaims
this as the accepted time ana the day
Of His grace. "rhe longsuffcring of
our Lord is salvation" and "Ile en-
durcd with much longsuffcring the
vessels Of wrath fitted by themselves
to destructiOn.' The infinite sacrifice
BY which Ills righteous claims have
been satisfied has been accepted, the
great amnesty has been declared, and
He keeps back the storm Of Judgment
while He waits in grace and mercy to
save. I hear men speak Of golden
silence" How golden this silence of
God! How eloquent for sinners.
3. l;ut Coils silence, though it has
continued i,rT. Is at length to be
broken WEtn he speaks again 1t
sl'al! lr by Il III nc In whom He
sro''c last. moment Is coming Of
which u - written. "The mighty God
I.nil spoken ard called the earth from
'"' '>i'. ~ tup sun unto tnc SoHH
down urrrof." zen, "our God shall
come and Shall not keep silence"
These th!hgs hnst thou done and !
Kept silence. But Will reproye
thee"
Mans Day Is going out in awful
night Oh soul. while Gods gracious
silence remains, be saved and escape
that night Of DOOM. Accept tie walt.
'ng Savior now and He Will accent
| thee