p. 135 | Reward of Blasphemy by Mrs. I. J. Hankins

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 23, 1882

Reward of Blasphemy.

By Mrs. I. J. Hankins

By Mrs. I. J. Hankins.

BECAUSE sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. The following incident shows that God's judgments are not always deferred until some distant day :—

"In Union County, Arkansas, on the fourth of November, last, three young men were discussing the probabilities of rain from a cloud in the west. The youngest one of the group, John Freeman, referred to the drought, and remarked that a God who would allow his people to suffer thus could not amount to much. Instantly a bolt of lightning flashed from a cloud overhead, and the young man fell dead. Nearly every bone in his body was mashed into jelly while his boots were torn from his feet, and his clothing from his lower extremities.

"The body presented a horrible appearance, being a blackened and mangled mass of humanity. His companions were stunned and thrown on the ground, but not seriously injured. The funeral of the unfortunate young man occurred next day and attracted a large crowd, the larger portion of whom were drawn thither by the rumor of the strange events preceding the death of the deceased. When the body was deposited in the grave and the loose earth had been thrown in until the aperture was filled, and while the friends of the dead yet lingered in the cemetery, a bolt of lightning descended from a cloud directly over the burial place and struck the grave, throwing the dirt as if a plow had passed through it. No one was injured, but those present scattered, almost paralyzed with terror."

Do not say that a freak of nature caused the young man's death. There is a God, and the day of judgment hastens on. Soon it will dawn upon our vision. Do we realize it? Can we know the misery and suffering that will be brought to the wicked? Oh, could we once realize these things as we will when they burst upon us, how different would our lives! How careful would we be of our words and actions, and how hard would we try to walk in the narrow path. Probation still is lengthened out to us, and let us improve it as we will wish we had when the dear Saviour comes to gather his jewels.