The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1846-11-18
MISCELLANEOUS.
TIE WILL O, THE WIsp,

W
You. ht anc time il is called will % tl,t
w'sp' and at another jack o'3tIie lantern
ont b"th these names ,nrun The sume thug
w''i u The wisp is not always tn be
soen. t'r have looked fnr hours wi,l,0u
lin'lingIt; while. at other sensons. .wi;hon
i""klng i"r one atuIi, n will u the wisp lla.
i appeared before me.
4 ~ 10y on need not look for will ~ ihe
"'sr on the top Off mountain, or in dry
SAND corn field, or in II warm sunny sIopc
i"r thcsc arc not the pinces where il is IA
nc seen. ltis'n low, mnrshy meadows
!" swnmPs and boggy ground that il il
most likely to be found.
"a viii o the wisp is vapor, lhal In L es
i'gh'. AMI fits and dances abnu, among the
Dogs tf'at it comes from. Many nigh
traveller has taken it for n taper in n cot.
,agc window. or for friendly lantern, ant
has been SO far mslcd by il as it, lid hin.
| SELL before he was aware. in the watery
swamp. Have care, boys, and lei no,
Wills o. the wisp deceive YOU.
| "But, besides the will o. the wisp Of The
swnmpy ground, there arc hundreds ofano,.
her Kind that will besct your pathway
through the world-and some Of them are
very dangerous. II you never meet with
any but those o: the bog, You may not be in
very great peril, but il is against others
that wislit to warn yel.
"'lcdsurc isa will o. The wisp that has
led many astray. When we follow our
own will, anil not the will ofGod, we are
sure To get into dangcr.-Pleasure has
drawn many from the path ofdu,y into the
qungmIre nf sin. Never let pleasure lead
you into evil; for one false slep may plunge
you into destruction.
"io some, praise is will o. the wisp:
Tor II altogether dcceives them, and makes
them think more highly OF themselves than
they ons ht to think. When a boy grows
conceitcd and proud there is little hope Of
him. ll"is out Of the right road, and is in
great danger.
Learn 10 con.cmn all praise bcti,ncs,
For au,c'y is the nurse Of criLes."
"Fincry Is will o the wisp ortcn, 10
bo.t, buys and girls, and ought not ,0 b,;
followed. The love Of fine clothes hus
brought many to rags. o, what misery
pair ot earrings has before now broup h,
upon the wearer' Be neat, be Clean, Iu,
beware of fine clothes! The rich man
dressed himself III fine clothes, Luke xvi.
10. but after Tint he lifted up in his ewes
III torment.
Hundreds have found money will O.
The wIsP. II has glliered before them, and
dazZlcd their eyes, so that they have been
deceived into the belief that :: would make
them happy, whereas "thc love Of money
IS the root Of all evil" "Givc me neither
poverty nor riches" is proper PRAYER.
Tho love Of God can make you happy, bul
the love Of money never can. A content.
ed mind is worth all the money in the world.
"a bad companion is q will o the wisp.
beware Of him; for if there lie one thing
more likely than another 10 draw Won in,o
trouble, he is That very thing. lie will pre
tend 10 be n friend. hut he will prove him.
sell your enemy; he will seem To- ho Hight,
but he withdraw ynn ipi~ darkness. If YOU
wish to ge, i".o miry places you do i, n,
oneeby following bad companion. Tha,
will be the way 10 lnse the right path; this
will be the way to fall headlnng into ruin.
"ihe sparkling glass is a will o. the
w's?. y, what numbers has il led astroy!
low tempting il is in its appearance! How
pleasant il is to The taste How il cheers
the spirits! But by degrees the deceit un-
coils itself as n snake, and bites as a SER
pen!. 1t shows itself to be will o. The
w'sp, and those who have beer deceived
ny i, find out, too late, tha, it has lured
them TO destruction.
Cards and dice are wills o. the wisp ,hnt
have led bodies and souls astrav with
ou' numhcr. person begins by playing
for amnsement-,hcn for small sums; bu, his
desire for gain grows greater, and his vice
increases; he wins or loses lust as the will
O the wisp That dcccives him shines on,
or withdraws lis light; but on he goes, and
his downward road ends in q miry swami
without bottom
"Bad looks arc will o. the wisp ,la, fear.
fully lure astray, leading the simple aside
from holy things, and tempting ,he roo, ia
say in his hcarl,-
"rhcrc is no God" Gods holy book
tells us we arc sinners. and ,ha, Jcsu.
Christ is the only Saviour; but had book!
deny this truth, and paint sin in gay colors
that it may deceive. A bad book attract,
the eye, but poisons the soul; i, is vii
u The wisp that has bcckoncd on thousand
To destruction.
81 might tell yon of many more wills o
; the wisp. for as ! said, there are hundred
besides those "f The swamp and the boz
but remember that sin Of every kind is
will q The wi>p-il will take all sorts q
! shapes. Al one time il is as bright ns
friendly lantern, and at another as chrerf,
, as taper ina cottage window; but il is a