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PSALM xlvi. 1, 2.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though
the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.
No one, my friends, wishes less than I, to frighten you, or to take a
dark and gloomy view of this world, or of God's dealings with men.
But when God Himself speaks, men are bound to take heed, even though
the message be an awful one. And last week's earthquake was an awful
message, reminding all reasonable souls how frail man is, how frail
his strongest works, how frail this seemingly solid earth on which we
stand; what a thin crust there is between us and the nether fires,
how utterly it depends on God's mercy that we do not, like Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram of old, go down alive into the pit.
What do we know of earthquakes? We know that they are connected with
burning mountains; that the eruption of a burning mountain is
generally preceded by, and accompanied with, violent earthquakes.
Indeed, the burning mountains seem to be outlets, by which the
earthquake force is carried off. We know that these burning
mountains give out immense volumes of steam. We know that the
expanding power of steam is by far the strongest force in the world;
and, therefore, it is supposed reasonably, that earthquakes are
caused by steam underground.
We know concerning earthquakes two things: first, that they are
quite uncertain in their effects; secondly, quite uncertain in their
occurrence.
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