The Colored Tribune, 1875-12-04

creatures, would. it to me. onlv be questioned by those who cannot rea reason - son reason : yet there an 1 many people in this world who were born and raised under Christian influence, that dare to do it I heir theorv is, that things move on by a fortuitous concourse of circumstances, with no definite or centralized power, but that men are under a watchful and protecting providence from their cradles i to their graves, is too evident for dis- I mission at this day ; were it not so.what 1 a doleful state of existence wrmld life be. Think for a mom nr myW'riends of being in a world of sc much adversity, misfortune and crime as this, and no arm to lean upop bid the phantom of. blind chance. /Let us think of the in injustice - justice injustice we ;we too frequently subjected to : the persecutions we have to endure, and the poverty that many have to en encounter, - counter, encounter, and .of ail iTe disappointments and ills this life is heir to ; and yet no friend, no watching eye, no loving heart caring for us, but the cold, bleak heart .. La l otherwise Hagar spod watched over her in the wilderness, with her eyes turned toward heaven and her heart overflowing with joy, she exclaimed - "Thou God seest me." It is the same God that.saw Moses at the foot of Ho Horeb* - reb* Horeb* the Israelites in Egypt, Daniel in the lion's den, Paul and Silas in prison, Luther in hi 4 tatters and all who have been delivered from their sorrows and degradation. Yes, His sleepless eye scans from the tall archangel to the sparrow, down to the creeping insect. He saw the world of mankind groaning beneath the tyrant trea'd of Satan and his hellish crew, and gave Jesus Christ His only son to ransom us from his power, and through His blood to make us the sons of God.

^The Colored Tribune. R=== . SATURDAY. DECEMBER 4. 1875. Sketch of a Sermon by Rev. H. M Turner, LL. D., Delivered in St. James' Tabernacle, 11 o'cock A M.% Nov. 28,1875. REPORTED BY A. E. C. God Seest Med' Gex. 16-13 The words of my text, as you ail see. are inscribed upon the front of our pul pulpit, - pit, pulpit, and they seem to be highly appro appropriate - priate appropriate for our consideration, upon our first attempt to speak a word for our Maker after the consecration of this edifice. "Thou God seest me.'' These words s were uttered by Hagar,the handmaid of | Sarah. the wife of Abraham, while she a fuy^kye in the wi I derness.e, IST TOMape -rrum -Arre SKLasure ot Sarah. You are likely too acquainted with the narrative for nite to expend your time in reviewing it: should there be any who are not. how however, - ever, however, I would recommend them to read and study this chapter, as it very aptly pictures God's dealings with us in a manner tbo significant to ever be forgot forgotten - ten forgotten afterward.

3d. There is fact more calculated ' 1-*' sr- tv i o*.- n< and action, than a recognition of the' truth, that God sees and takes cogni cognizance - zance cognizance of our behaviour : that he hears our words, watches us on the highways sees us in the family circle, inspects iis when buying and selling all notes, frauds, all falsehoods, all evasions, pre prevarications. - varications. prevarications. and everything that is un unholy. - holy. unholy. And, that on the other hand. He sees and fully comprehends the strength of our faith, mitience, self-denials, re religious - ligious religious zeal and all that builds up Christ Christian - ian Christian character. > 4th. People are too much deposed to look upon God as being far off, in the mighty distance, and not as ever-present in his immediate power What a mis mistake - take mistake they make. It is justAo the con contrary. - trary. contrary. Of all beings He is tne nearest: nearer than your mother, nea^r than

If thore 'is one evil that is more detesnMß l thaw 'l'lMotlmr, certainly it is the crime of wilfully Casting the Sab" bath day. I look upon a man or woman who neglects the church, who spends their Sabbaths sleeping, babbling and lounging around, but an inch above a brute. 1 care not how yich a man may be, how well educated,Miterally, he is, i^vertheless, wanting inthorough civili civilization, - zation, civilization, the most that can be said for him is that he is a semj-barbari^. f never neglected to go to church once every Sabbath, when I used to curse and swear. Phis very moment 1 ven venture - ture venture to say there are ten thousand peo people - ple people in Savannah akpo church at all.and there is not a colored churcfTin thia hjty half filled. But »od sees dlemJ^Jp is coming - hell is moving - and in a very short time the reward of their hands will be given unto them. Oh, my friends, think and tremble, hear it and quake.

your wife, nearer than your hus husband - band husband : yes. nearer than the shoes on your feet and the hat undo voujl heat]- » 77m power, theil^F Knowld^g®, therd in Moving mercy. Jmd there in His wrath to vengeance upon the ungodly. " Phou God.seest mte, ihdivldWTfvl not my nation, my State ? my citv, rgv neighborhood, my family circle, but me as a personal entity. Take this text home with you. Study and digest it, and do not forget it, and you who dis disregard - regard disregard the law of morality, weigh these words, and remember, that this God who sees you will sorm judge yon at His bar, that He will be judge, jury and witness combined. that leaven may sanctify these remarkxjMfc eter eternal - nal eternal salvation is 'prayer. ' ' ' x -b 5 H

In this age of scepticism, and what is worse, pantheism - a 11-'Godism. if you choose - when men are trying to over overturn - turn overturn the truth of revelation, and make the Bible a myth, and the religion of ages a mere passion of fanaticism or superstitious frenzy, we cannot exam examine - ine examine this question too closely. The times are evil, ami doctrines are put forth in incessantly, - cessantly, incessantly, fraught with danger though ^bbed iu thcA^est fabric of apparent Va«on. ami reitg.^n S philosophy. - tThou Go 4 geest me.'' That there is a tod. that He Is omnipresent, almighty, {nd possesses th^ attributes accorded

them'. Well says the Pstymist. "Thou hast set our iniquities behre Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy counte counteance." - ance." counteance." One of the Proplats exclaims, "For the Lord is a God or knowledge, and by Him actions are WOghed' ' He sees our conduct from (lu jteginning to our end ; He numbers tWhairs of our heads. * -< t What solemn awe theTjdeclarations should produce I Hotr < eful should we live 1 And yet how <. Jess do we live. What a host of\psc e through throughout - out throughout this city are frifterii away their precious moments, this 'k morning, who ought to be at take elJch of God.

sumption we proceed to notice - Ist. That God is everywhere present and no where absent. Says the Psalm Psalmis, - is, Psalmis, : "Whither shall 1 go from Thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy presence. If 1 ascend^up into heaven. Thou art there, if I if^ke my bed in hell, behold Thou art there." Again, "If I say surely the darkness^hall cover me, yea the darkness hideth not from Thee, but the night shineth as the day. The darkness and the light are both ajike to Thee." That God the sover sovereign - eign sovereign of the universe fills all space, and comprehends all the conditions of His