Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-12-09
From the AugH.to Constitasio#sii't.
A Sermon Suited to the Times.


A Sermon Suited to the Times.
BY n. h. CRAWFORD, PRESIDENT hEKcER uEI-
vEKsIrY.
Prov. xI, Is. "He that wihholde.h corn.
the people shall curse him but blessings shall
be upon the head OF him that selleth it."
This 10 tie only text III the Bible that au.
lhorizes men To curse any one aud is in
strange contrast with those passages which
reuuire us tu love even pur enemies. II Our
enemy huugers We are to feed him. We are
to pray for those who despitefully ua. and
pcrsecute US. We are to return good for evil
and blessing for cursing. How great, then,
min at he that crime OIL which the Almighty
has fixed this seal OF reprobation, and how
greatly wicked liz that man whom God points
out for the people 10 curscl
What, then, ID this crirne2 Withholding
corn or tood--that is, refusing to sell it, aud
boarding it for greater price.
Why ia this SO great crime, ard its per-
petralor 80 great criminalY Did he not
make the corn in his own field, or buy it with
his own uloney2 Las he NOS right Lo d"
with his own as he pIeases? Is Ee not en-
titled to the market price7 And ifthat is not
utRu cuVuEu INV, A0o hSs nS q t'6Ae w "o'1
till it gets bigher2
The ways Ol men are not Gods ways, aud
Gods thoughts are not nens Thoughts. He
gave the rain and the sunshine to make the
curn grow that there night be f,od for all
even for the poor, and '.the poor shall never
cease cut Of The land" And wSi,e you sre
Withholding your corn for the pr.ce To raise,
some poor man, or sick woman, or helpless
child, will starve and you will be the. lnur-
,lerer! II sou had -way!aid an enemy and
stabbed him to the heart, almen would have
cried out at your crime. But is your guilt any
less when you turn aside from the gr,,un ot
the huhgry to glo.t over your pile OF corn,
calculating how long it will be before the price
is mgh enough to satisfy your raIacity Nvr
is the crime any less because the .riminals
AZ mul iplied. A thousand may combine To
withhold corn before starvation is the result,
vet is each one Of tho thousand a murderer 7
Nor can you plead in extenuation O: your
guilt that you did rm interd to stn-ve him :;
yon on Y INTENDED to raise thu piice Aid mis-
calculated his power Uf endurance.
Let us anaitze the Gu .rauter of him who,
in times vi distress, withhuds corn.
|. It is obvious that he is destitute Of ben.
ew,lence, for be is indifferent 10 distress, if
be can oily make money.
2. Bat it is Gear that heis even maleyolert,
for he wishen the price OF his coru To be Ligh-
er, which it Can be ouy by the distress be-
coming greater.
3. He ha. the spirit of cxtorrion. fer he is
trying to make money cut Of the poor ami
hungry, the ick aid starving. Ii the times
are hard, he wish,s them to become harder
still, that he may make yet more money. If
the screws ars tight, he wishes to give them
another turn that be may twist out a greater
prcit.
H. In the present circumstances he is cn-
operating with the public enemy; for the enc.
my is trying to starve us, ond so is the with
tiirg with him by destroying all Tue provision
within Lisreacn. thus making cora still Jearer.
5. Such lnan may be prominent in the
Church; but in'tead Of q Christian, be ID a
h.athen. For be who not only makes money
uu. Of the su!frr;ngs Of his neighbors, but de-
Fires Lis neiglbnrs to suffer still more that
he mny gam mm"re. i. I'D stitute Of natural at
fection." Ro. Isl.
&. His spirit is such MS BELTS "an enemy
pl,asu in gains exactrd from The distress #
countrymsn, kindred, and neisbbors.
Z. Finally, Re is the counterpart Of The un-
just judge, for he neither fears God nor re-
gards man. 49,.
It is no wonder then. #. God and the people
alike curse the individual who desires 10 gro W
rich upon the dest:tution of us cwn people, |
GINNING their tears nro gold. and tIf,.ir siyhs
into silver. And Whenever tHr poor mad cf,rs
IL God for his hungry child hecarse his neish
bor is Withholding corn, clirse is registered |
on high against the criminal.
1t is the happiness of the serrnoniz.r to
know many owners Of corn wlo do not with |
hold it, but nell st fair pri...: Blessing
shall be upon their heads" Nav; when their
-Deighbor ishot able 70 pay .,hi, price they !
take less, aud even give to hose who ree,l.
Noble mon, humane aud kindl The bless
ing of him that was ready TO parish comes
upon them. ard they cause the widow heait
to sing for joy" 49,. ....s.,--.
There are now many illustrations of the
proverb that 4 He who muketh haste to lie
rich shall not be innocent" But if any who
in their greed Of gain are withholding corn
ShOuu reSl tnese iileS De<eecll th"In w
ponder Gods solemn word. Let them repent
no'., and at once r-G'rn, for thus only can
they escape The curse and enjoy the bless
ing.
Norr.-Tho principle Of the text applies to
all the necessarirs OF life. clothing and fuel as
we'll rs food "God s not mocked," and ia
Il not innckery, when those who get rich on.
If pnhlic suffering. fancy they can escape by
making contributions apparently large, bnt
n comp par.on with their gains, peltry. to re-
ie,e the tlistresses OH which thsy fatten! It
. attempting to bribe God for pernssiostto
erve Mainnon. The time is coming whom
hose WIN have got rich by extortion aud
pecuIatinG on the woes Of their country, will 2,
,e glad to sct rid of all their gains for the
privilege of holding up their hands and saying,
These hands arc ccanm