The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-07-01

SlrulES llS praises.
If those who had not the Christians
faith to direct, nor the Christians hope
so snstain them, could so justly apprecl-
ate the charms Of virtue and the obliga-
tions Of duty, how imperative is it OH us,
whose hearts have been ilumincd by the
Divine light OF Revelation, to govern our
lives by the great truths it teaches. 1t
may be that in your passage through life,
when you sec the good man fail while the
wicked prospers; when you see truth,
Justice, piety, trampled under foot by
iasche cd, injustice, inidclty when you
see a brave and gallant people, who gave
their all for liberty, crushed TO earth by
despotism, pure faith in the justice OF
God may be staggered, and you may De
tempted to call in question these great
truths. But it will be not only narrow
view of the great system oil which the
Creator is the center as well az the au-
thor, but fata delusion if you yield to
these doubts. II this earth was mans
only abiding place, if after his allotted
space here lie was to pass away forever,
sinking beneath the boundless ocean OF
Time, us pebble sinks beneath the wal
ters of the sea, leaving only n ripple on
their surface, then indeed might we eX-
pect to see the hand of God interposed
to reward virt.e and to punish vice in
this world But when you reflect that
this is merely place of probation TO TIT
you for another and q higher life; when
YOU consider how short is the lite OF man,
or of nations, in the eyes Of Him in whose
.ssiglt thousand years are but AS yes
tcrday :" when you contemplate the
grand scheme of the universe uhiolded III
all its vast proportions, you can readily
comprehend what would otherwise secm
dark and incomprehensible. You can
then understand how vice SO often goes
apparently unpunshed in this world,
while virtue bows beneath herheavy load
OF sorrow; you can understand how the
good man is called to bear his cross on
earth, whilst the wicked has his hearts
desire; YOU eau understand how the no.
blcst cause that evor reused people ir.
its dcfence may seem 10 perish, tor you
know that not until the last great day
will the final reckoning come. when all
will be weighed in the great scales held
bv the impartial hand of a just and al
mighty God. If your faith is steadtast,
reflections such us these will reconcile
you to many things which would other
wise appear Inconsistent with the perfect
Justice and the infinite mercy of the AL.
mighty, and they will teach you that You
should not rashly presume to question
His wisdom, nor call upon Him 10
.vindica,e the ways of God to man."
It is not for me, however, to venture to
tell you Of your duty 10 Heaven. have
spoken OF your obligations as citizens,
| but l leave it to your reverend AMI holy
teachers to point out to you man prlma;
dutv-that TO his God. From their lips
and their lives YOU must learn the divine
truths of Christianity wilich teach you
your duty to your Maker. Mine is but
! the humb!cr task to urge upon you the
faithful performance OF those daily du.
ties TO man and to your State which will
meet you on all sides in your journey
through life, aud 10 cautoli you not to
be led astray by the glare OF success, nor
to allow yourselves for one moment to
suppose that it is OF itself an evidence OF
riuht All history, sacred as well rs pro-
fame. would CONT avenc any such doctrine
as that success IL the criterion Of right.
You Yourselves have seen the wicked
prosper and the evil cause triumph, when,
m the inspired language OF the Psa lmlst,
| the vilest men nre exalted. Nature
herself works by violent revolutions: and
il is from chaos that she cvokes order.
storms uurity the moral as we'll as the
materiu world. and from the wild contu
sion OF the political elements now prevail
ing we may hopo to see eliminated these
butter principles which will give new litc
10 the country. Be not disulaycd, then,
because in tho great uphcaval society has
undergone you see the dross now upper
most, nor be misled by those false lights
which arc hung out by worldly prosperl.
ly or unworthy success. Your historical
researches will have made yon familiar
with the wonurous story OF that spoiled
child oi fortune, Syla, who gnined, from
his uninterrupted career OF success, the
title of Felix, and you will remember Tho
remarkable words with which he closed
his commentaries just before his death
'I saw in Il dream one CT my dead cliil,
dren. who gave me his hand and eShoried
mo TO abandon the affairs OF earth, ana
To como and enjoy eternal rcpose sna
peace. Thus terminate my days, as the
ChaIdcans predicted, who declared to me
that after having overcome envy by my
glory, should Lave the happiness of dy
ing in the flower ofmy prosperity" These
were the almost dying words OF enc who
was, perhaps, the most successful man,
using The term in its more worldly arcep-
tat:oi,, who rlved-who. satated will'
success, di>gusted with pleasure, 'lsins hls
very vices us the nacans OF his pfom"l'on'
arose to bc dictator of the Roman Rcpnb-
lie; who having crushed all his enemies
emancipatcd the slaves and trampcd on
L. Iroan,an of his conntrV died lamghinr