Columbus enquirer-sun. (Columbus, Ga.) 1886-1893, December 26, 1886, Image 2

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€ DAILY ENQUIRER • SUN : COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. SUNDAY MORNING DECEMBER 26, 1H86. GOI) IN NATURE. The Earth Waa Created for Man and Man for the Glory of God. tilith of a Srrloa of Noi-mon* lining Hi llzornl b; RoTorend II. H. lUrrln, I’aotor of the Klrut Rap. tint Oiorrh, (olnmlnii,«». Rev. R. H. Harris, pastor of the First Baptist Church, of this city, is preaching a series of sermons on “Qod in Nature.’’ Hi delivered the sixth of the series last Bun- day night, and it was ns follows: tbxt; “I am formed out of the clay." Job, 33:6. "The breath of the Almighty hath given me life." Job, 83:4. "Whom ye ignoAntly worship, Him declare I unto you; God * * • * who hath made • « « * men, » • • • that they should seek the Lord, if, haply, they should feel alter Him and And Him, though lie be not far from every one of us; for In Him we live and move and have our being * * * • (or we are * • His offspring." Acts, 17:23, 26, 27, 28. "If a man die, shall lie live again? Thou sdialt call, and I will answer." Job, 14:11,15. "The earnest expectation of the creature wait- eth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” Horn , 8:19. For some tirao past wo have been ' in vestigating facts, os they hove been pre sented to our consideration, in various phases and phenomena of nature. Those leading features which shape the who'e outline have been carefully and conscien tiously studied, on lines suggested by un biased reason, and thus we hnvo found that there is no Iconflict between the revelations of nature in physical matter and the revelations of the Biblo, on the same subjects. The two lines of revelation have been shown to be parallel throughout the entire physical domain, and even into the coniines of tho spiritual realm. Now, "let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter.’’ We have studied genesis, life, develop ment, physical providence and the appar ent object of all natural processes and S henomenn, and our investigations have emonstrated tho fact of perfect unity in f ilan and perfect conformity of Bible teach es; to the revelntions of nuture. The discoveries of astronomy confirm the observations of Job, with reference to fundamental principles. “Ho hungetli the earth upon nothing." He suspends it in ice. “He stretchetk out the the void of space. north over the empty place." First, tne powerful telescope of Herschel, and since, all the improved instruments of modern astronomy, confirm the Scripture teaching, corroborated by tho observation of the naked eye, that the north is the compara tively empty quarter of the sky. Look out, when you leave this house to-night, and you will discover fewer stars to tho northward than are to be discerned in any other quarter of the heavens. What is tho “influence of the Pleiades?” Astronomy has discovered that Alcyon, one of the stars in that beautiful constella tion, at this moment beaming upon us from its eastern elevation of sixty degrees, is the apparent centre around whicli all other stellar bodies swing. “Mazzaroth. in his season and Arcturus, with his sons, moving along their tenuous paths, and Orion, that most splendid of nil the con stellations, now wheeling up above the eastern horizon, held in their orbits by the eternal “bands,” and mapping out the cir cles for all other orbs. The cent re of uni versal gravitation was indicated by the in spired Job, and astronomy confirms his Observations. The geography of the Bible has stood the crucial test of later discovery ; “the round world” of the Psalmist “the circuit of the earth” and the “quarters” thereof, wiht the “lands” described, or alluded to, by the inspired writers, east, west, north mid south, were matters of fact, with which thousands are familiar now. We have found, in the science of geolo gy abundant demonstrations of correct ness in the genesis of things, as de clared in the Holy Scriptures, from the “founding of the earth upon tho Boas and its establishment upon the floods," ofwkick David suntyo the perfect develop ment of physical life in man, of which other inspired writers spoke. The up heaval of tho lands and tho partition of the seas by ttie power of Him who said to the ocean; “Hitherto alialt tliou conic, but no further, aud here s .ill thy proud waves be stayed;” the adjustment, of the atmos- f ihere by Him who “raaketb weight for no winds;" and the establishment of the great system of currents in sea and air, of which Bolomon bore witnesswhen he said: “All the rivers run into the sen, yet the sea is not full—unto the place from whence tho riverseomo, thither they return again.” The order of creation, from atomic plants through the vegetable kingdom to ineipi ent animal existence and on to its Anal perfection in man. Circulation of a vital fluid, the chief characteristic of life in plants and animals, was known to Solomon two thousand years before Harvey was born, ns indicated by the poetic language of t bat wisest man, “or (ever) tho pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern;” and the delicate, nervous sys tem brought to its perfection in tho human being, so “fearfully and wonderfully made,” was not unknown to the inspired king, who wrote, “Or ever tho silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken.” In botany, physiology and anatomy we have found confirmed tho principles of -hysical life, enunciated in many parts of 'ie Holy Writings. The same correspondence has been ob served between the respective teachings of nature and of the Biblo with reference to t he development of forms of life, from tho lowest type of plant to the highest type of animal; types and antitypes, one form often pretlgurinc another far above it, in tlv oncoming scries, but each genus absolutely distinct from every other. So, also, have we found it with regard to physical providence. Herein, the facts as observed in nature and the Bible teachings agree; in the maud's of food supply, pro tection, preservation and perpetuation of kind. And. at last, we have, in nature, discov ered the object of all else—a grand pro vision for the benefit of the human soul. “All roads lead to Loudon.” Travel what soever course you will; take your departure from whatsoever point you may; move in whatsoever orbit you please; man is the objective point at which you will flually arrive, ana the soul of man is found to be nature’s chief concern. And nature in this, as in all things else, has been found to confirm even in their details the teachings Of the Bible. In my treatment of the questions dis cussed I have endeavored to be simple rather than ornate. I have made no effort to cover the whole ground. On the con trary I have been much concerned about What to leave unsaid. There has been no attempt at display of learning. I have realized how little I can grasp in all the boundless universe. But while I appre ciate the modesty which prompted Socrates to say. “All that I know is that I know nothing.” I can enter still more into the feeling of Sir Isaac Newton when he said in his la3t moments: “I have spent my life upon the shore of the ocean of -knowledge and, after all, I have only gathered up a few peb- bl is from the beach.” Yes, only pebbles; but pebbles are real—are substantial. There are some things that we do know smd some conclusions that are manifestly true. And, in the search for truth, I fi ve carefully avoided theories. I have ..liously abstained from speculation. In .muse of technical terms, os has some ties been unavoidable, I have disregard icchnicul applications, seeking only to alto my meaning plain. It has been m> .rposo, merely to traco lines and locate rners; to make an open plat, rather un a topographical map, delineating all u mountains, and hills, aud valleys, and ..iins, the rivers and the seas. And what has been the result? In the .mple, even child-like method of inquiry illowed, we have ascertained facts and cached conclusions that defy the ombined assaults of all the skeptical eieutists and infidel dogmatists that the vorld has ever produced. There have ecu, and there are, Christian scientists as nous as erudite, the peers oi uic moat ■aimed infidel philosophers, and their iinclusions, reached on different lines, ii common with ours, sustain joth the demonstrations of science and the • eclarations of the Bible. There is no con- lict between true science and the Script- ires: on tho contrary, wo have found that he doctrines of the one confirm the dog- mis of the other. But the revelations of nature ore not oded yet. Observation shows that all iliysical matter returns to earth. In the last analysis of anything, we find the de limits of which it is composed. The Platonic doctrine is relatively true, that “from nothing, nothing can spring.” I say relatively, because the doctrine of an abso lute Creutor, which Plato seems to have relieved, is inconsistent with the indepen dent existence of matter, howsoever in organic and infinitesimal the component atoms. The Urocian philosopher main lined that crude matter is co-eternal with die one originnl Hod, who has moulded it into shape, and that all we see is the product of power conquering resistance. This view would demolish the idea of a Creator who is supreme. But it must re main true, that dissolution resolves any body into its original dements; md thus chemistry proves that tho solids, tho liquids and the gases, into which all living creatures are decomposed, are “of the earth, earthy," and verifies the declarations of all the holy writers who have alluded to the gene sis of man, os summed up in the language of the inspired philosopher of Uz: “I am fo/med out of the clay.” We have seen that all men are innately conscious of immortality. Plato was, per haps, tho first uninspired man to formu late the doctrine of intuitive perceptions— or, as ho called them, “innate ideas”—but all men huve developed such a conception. The doctrine of tho soul’s immortality was not original with Socrates. The primitive Indian of America believed in that doc trine, in common with every other savago on earth. Pluto, the brilliant disciple of Bocrates, seems to have become tinctured with the heresy of Pythagorean metemp sychosis, and others may have departed, somewhat, from the Socratic faith; but it was reserved for Buddhists and modern followers of “The Light of Asia” to pro claim the annihilation of the soul. That “will o’ tho wisp” of doctrine which is leading into bottomless marshes even some Christian ministers of to-day. Aud that spiritual intuition, which we call consciousness, a revelation of nature, confirms the teachings of inspiration, summed up in tho passage of the text: “The breuth of the Almighty hath given me life.” This same principle looks beyond the death, which is certain, to another state of existeneo and the question asked by Job; “If a man die, shall ho live again?” with the reply, “Thou shall call and I will an swer,” has been asked and answered in the heathen breast of the Andean savage. Does any one call a halt hero ? or protest that I have advanced too far? Why, nuture leads onward, farther still, and proclaims ttie doctrine of the resurrection as one of her tenets. The Sadducees, while profess ing a belief in spiritual immortality, struck a blow at the fundamental principle, com mon to both natural aud revealed religion, and opened the way for the materialists of a later day. The religious idea attains per fection ouly in the resurrection of the body. This is essential to complete ness; and’without it, even the natural sys tem is incomplete. Tho red man of the American forest had placed in the grave by his side the bow, the tomahawk and other implements of tne chose. What for, if not for use in the “happy hunting grounds?” whither the body was expected to follow the spirit; and in every nation, history, tradition and inscriptions upon stone prove universal belief iu the resur rection of the dead. And this natural in tuition of the spirit is ii; perfect harmony with the Scriptures, us witness I’liul to the Corinthians und the exclamation of Job: "In my flesh, shall I sea Hod!” And thus is the demonstration clear, Unit “the earnest expectation of the creature wuit- eth for the manifestation of the sons of clod,” in tho ilcsh. These spiritual intuitions inevitably pro duce corresponding spiritual operations. The soul of man naturally reaches out and “feels afier God,” groping in the dark ness, that “haply (it) may find Him.” Hence, the temple of the Athenians, dedi cated "to the unknown God.” They were pantheists and their imagination Li ad peopled the sky, the air, the waters, the forest and the subterranean caves, with deities of various ranks; but iu their hearts they felt that there wus One above and beyond all the rest, to whom supreme allegiance waa due. And that was the God of whom Haul preached to them on Mars Hill, proclaim ing the doctrines of my text in this con nection, and teaching tnem upon the line of their own natural intuitions aud spirit ual operations. Why tho temple? why the worship? if the "Men of Athens” were not conscious of an estranged and helpless condition, and of utter dependency upon the “Un known God." In conscience they heard the “still, small voice” that all men hear; in common with nil other men they real ized their fallen condition and desired re conciliation, and as it has been appointed unto all men to do, they wero “feeling after Him” iu the hope of restoration to II is favor. What is tho meaning of the word relig ion? It is a heathen word—coined by heathen men. Re-lego, re-ligo, I take back, I bind ngain. The bond has been severed. Religio is the rebinding. And there is a nutural religion, the expression of a natural intuitive desire on the part of man to become reunited with God. And this natural desire found its uatural operatiou iu sacrifice. Propitiation is sought in the surrender, in the giving up of something. This is worship in its essence, and there is a natural universal conviction that the most uotent and effectual sacrifice is ac complished in the shedding of blood, and the propitiation of hignest virtue is naturally sought in the libation of human blood. Else why the human sacrifices of the druids among our forefathers long before Christianity had been introduced into Britain from Gaul ? Why this sacrificial custstom among the ancient Celts, the Baxons of the north, the Goths and Van dals, not to Bpeak of people more ancient still ? Why practiced by the Hindoos in their jungles, the African in his noisome swamps, the inhabitants cf islands in the great South sea, the Peruvian and the Aztec? Slaughter! Why ? If ourcon- clusion is not true, why should history and tradition teem with evidence? Why the significant emblematical inscriptions, on broken columns of ruined cities, on crypts and tombs and old sarcophagi? And, now, we fiud that God, in the Mo saic law, accommodates Himself, as it were, to the natural predisposition ol man. He has, from all eternity, planned the intui tions and operations of the human soul, that, in His own good time, He might bring the terms of reconcilliation to the “apprehension” of the human mind. The ceremonial law of Moses, “in the letter,” demanded the sacrifice of blood, as the “figure” of the Great Sacrifice, prospects iwly revealed “in the spirit” of that law. ■ The law is our achool-master, to bring us to” the perfect means of propitintion—that Which, through natural channels, the soul bus ever sought in vain. Nature convinces us of the existence of the immortal soul and its departure, uu- maimed, from the lifeless body; nature speaks within us, of helpless, hopeless ruin and warns us of a divine judgment to con firm our perdition; nature proclaims the resurrection of the body nnd its final reunion with the spirit; nature prompts an attempt to appease an offended God and even suggests the characteristic of accept able sacrifice: but, here, nature stops. Na ture cannot find tne offering that will pro pitiate. Nature bas brought us to the brink of the horrid chasm, where we stand upon the crumbling edge and with strain ing eyes peer down into the fathomless darkness in vain attempt to penetrate the bottomless depths. Man stands shudder ing upon the dizzy verge and strives, with futile gaze across the gloomy gorge, to dis cover the farther side. For ages, meu have searched around in despair for mate rial with which to bridge the dreadful abyss, or for some buoyant vessel, light as air, to waft them over tho yawning gulf. Alas! unaided nature can do nothing for us now. i.:.D But there is a bridge! and tho chasm has been spanned! Nature, as we bavc seen, confirms the Bible up to this point, in all respects, physical und spiritual. We have found that the teachings of tho two are parallel and never in conflict. Cun we not, now’, trust the Bible further on, and follow its guidance into realms that nature cannot reach? Cau wo not exercise faith, even “blind faith,” in the God whom uatuie reveals to us? That God, who is behind and'beyond all nature, “though He be not far from every one of us,” controlling everything by llis own special providence from all eternity. That God, who, as we were taught, this morn ing is above and behind all natural law. which is but the expression of His will,ana who can and who does suspend and hold in abeyance, at His pleasure, even basic laws, in answer to the prayer of faith. He hath given and He hath perfected the complete spiritual revelation of His will and pur- rose upon the inspired pages of this blessed rook, nnd thus He meets and satisfies “the earuest expectation of the creature,” for this life nnd for the life which is to come. In nature, and infinitely beyond, is God ! All things point to Him. He slirs tho in tuitions of the spirit, arousesthe operations of the soul and, having awakened man to a realization of his lost and helpless con dition, He reveals to him tho bridge of es cape—“the way” to His forgiveness and His love, through faith in the vicarious atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. VITIATED BLOOD Scrofulous, Inherited and Conta gious Humors Cured by Cuticura. r pHItOUGH the medium of one of your books 1 received through Mr. Frank T. Wra^, Drug gist, Apollo, Pa , I became acquainted with your (JUTIJURA REMEDIES, and take this opportu nity to testify to you that their use has pernunently cured me of one of the worst cases of bl >od poisoning, in connection with erysipe las, that 1 have ever seen and this after having been pronounced incurable by some of the best physicians iu our county, I take preat pleasure m forwarding to you this testimonial, unsolicited as it is by you, in order that oihers suffering from simi ar maladies may be encouraged to give your CUTICURA REMEDIES a trial. P. 8. WHITLINGEII, Leechburg. Pa. Reference : Frank T. Wray, Druggist, Apollo, Pa. fidROFIIUMJN HA IMS. James E. Richardson. Custom House, New Or leans, on oath says: "In 18/0 Scrofulous Ulcers broke out on my body until I was a mass of cor ruption. Everything known to the medical facul ty was tried in vain. I became a mere wreck. At tunes could not lift my hands to my head, could not turn in bed; was in constant pain and looked upon life as a curse. No relief or cure in ten years. Iu 1880 I heard of the Cuticura Remedies, used them, and was perfectly cured.” Sworn to before U. S. Com. J. D. Crawford. ONE OF THE WORST (lASES. We have been selling your Cuticura Remedies for years, and have the first complaint yet to re ceive from a purchaser. One of the worst cases of Scrofula I oversaw was cured by the use of five bottles of Cut’cura Resolvent, Cuticura und Cuticura Soap. The Soap takes the "cake” as a medicinul soap. TAYLOR ft TAYLOR. Druggists, Frankfort, Kan. ftCItOFri.OrN, INHERITED, And Coi tagious Humors, with Loss of Hair, and Eruptions of the Skin, are positively cured by Cuticura and Cuticura Soap ex ernally, and Cuti cura Resolvent internally, when all other medi cines fail. Send for Pamphlet. Cuticura Remedies are sold everywhere. Price: CUTICURA. the Great Skin Cure, Rods.; CUTI- r*UUA SOAP, an Exquisite Beautifkr, 25 c\s ; CUTICURA RESOLVENT, the New Blood Puri Her. $1.00. POTTER DRUG AND CHEMICAL CO.. Boston. IYIMPLKS, Blackheads, Skin Blemishes, and * Baby Humors, use Cuticura Soap. How My Back Aches ! Back Ache, Kidney Pains and Weak ness, Soreness, Lameness, Strains aud kPnin relieved in one minute by the Cuti- loura ANTI PAIN PLASTER-INFAL- tJLlBLE. 8e wedfcw FOR SALE. A substantial Six-Room Residence, centrally located; quarter-acie lot; convenient to business, churches, schools and street railroad. Owner removing fYom the city, and will sell cheap for cash, or on time. Temperance Hall. The Wilkerson Residence. Tho Harrison place, Beallwood. Store No. 143 Broad Street. Quarter-Acre Lot north Second Avenue. FOR KOEHSTT. Rooms over 8in^er Machine Office. Six-Room Dwelling, Rose Hill. Col. Holt's Store and Dwelling, near Swift* Mill. L. H. CHAPPELL, Broker, Beal Estate and Insurant® Agent. dtf g. Our Book, Th Requires no cooking. Our Boole, The Care and Feeding of li..'9nts, mailed free. DOUBER. OUODALS a CO.. Boston. Meaa. Mi wSIrh he will ienii FREC to'hii fello' Atldreu, C. J. MASON, r. O. Box »1T«,; 8c2oeod&w ly 1)1) T7D Send six cents for postage and I XV1 /i III. recceive free a costly box of goods which will help all, of either sex, to nuk more money right away tha« anything elsel this world. Fortunes await the workers abso- utely sure. Terms mailed free. Tsua * Co. Auguste. Maim*. (D o 5T 3 w C/3 c=v> CD CO era CO ^1 ZS CL (I> 05 "U 05 o zs (Ii ON CONSIGNMENT, 500 Boxes Oranges! Choice, bright St. John’s River Oranges. No rusty or sour oranges in this lot. PRICE UDO PER BOX, The following number of Oranges are in each box—select sizes that suit your trade: 250 Oranges to the box at about l%o each. 2 c 2Vc 2|!jC 3V„c 4 c Iu 15 to SO box lots will make special prices. Apple. and can t 40 Bbls Fine Northern All the above goods now in store orders promptly. J. J. WOOD Next above Central Hotel. Qeod tf Di. J. W, CAMERON, Practicing Physician. \ D ISEASES of Infancy and Childhood a special ty. . Dr. j, W . Cameron can be found c-t Eva ns ft Howard’s Drug Store. Office b ours fYom 8 to 10 a m and fYom 2 to 5 p m. Residence No. 310 Tenth street, opposite the synagogue. decl4 lm FOR SALE. VyiLL be sold, on the first Tuesday in January next, at the auction house of F. M. Knowles & Co., one hundred and twenty acres of land in Hums rnnntv (la „ n **'-’“* "‘xvvoruic. aiucs gooa. ierms ' For particulars apply to . „ HATCHER ft PEABODY, dec22 eodtd Attornm.1 COLUMBUS ron Works COMPANY, Columbus, Georgia. FOUNDERS AND MACHINISTS. DEALERS IN Lime, Shingles, Dressed and Matched Ceiling and Flooring and other Lumber. Specialty mcade of Dress ing Lumber for other parties. AGENTS FOR Royal Pumps, Judson Governors, Eberman Feeders, Standard Injectors, Hancock Inspirators and BROWN COTTON GINS MANUFACTURERS OF Stratton’s Improved Absorption Ice Machines, Saw Mills, Pumps, Hollow Ware, Syrup Kettles, O-OLIDEInT cotton presses The Improved Calender Rollers. The above, cut represents the Improved Calender Rollers, so much admired and extensively used by Cotton Manufac turers of the present day. They consist principally of five Rollers, six inches in diameter, 40 inches long; two of them hollow, being a receptacle for steam. They are furnished with all necessary pipe and valves, fitted up ready to be at tached to a Boiler; has all the latest improvements on same, including the Selvage Rollers ane Cloth Yard Folder ; a taut and loose Pulley, 20 inches in diameter, 4 inches face, all ready to be connected to a line of Shafting. It only requires a trial to demonstrate their indispensibility. ie20 wed.seAwfim A IS TEEMIN'Q- WITH Bargains for the Holidays. The entire stock of Winter Goods reduced in price to close before the end of the season. Blankets, Flannels, Cassimeres, Jean^, Balmoral Skirts, Dress Goods, Merino Underwear, all marked down. Our Bargain Counters are replenished daily with goods at prices that cannot be had elsewhere. You will save money by calling on «T. IE. G-A-DRO-ILL op10 <taw8m 7 Ag’t. $50 REWARD. cureVrmanently il taken according to directions. We mean just what we say. This won- derful^onie and Blood Purifier is for sale by all first-class Druggists. J. M. HUNNICUTT & CO.. Atlanta. Ga.