Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-04-24
OBEDIENCE,

wow
upon which to stand. The great mountains
which shoot their tops far up into the air,
have broad and firm bases. Upon these bases
the huge masses Of rocks, and all that COM
pose mountain peak, rests. Something can
not be builded upon nothing Such a thing
is contrary to all the known laws Of nature.
The same principle holds good in everything.
Would We be great and good, loved and re-
spected during life, and mourned and lamen-
ted when dead, we must build upon firm
basis. We canuot unbosom ourselves, right
or wrong, into the affections of others. We
may grow rich. but still not be loved nor
respected; we may gain position, and still be
destitute of any influence, save that which
the strong arm of the law gives ps.
Everything in this world takes place in
strict accordance with fixed and unchangea-
bic principles. The same cause, under simi-
lar circumstances, invariably produces the
same results. One of the laws of nature is,
that like produces like. So important and
so universal is this law of nature, that with
propriety, it may be said with emphasis, that
it is the law of nature. 1t is true in physics,
and it is true in morals. 1t is true in things
which pertain only to the present, and it is
true in things which extend through time
into the endless future. .-.
If it be fact that like produces like,
throughout the vast domain Of nature, there
must be some cause which produces some
principles, from which springs some base upon
which rests all true greatness If any one
single thing may be regarded as the base of
true greatness, that thing is obedience That
individual who would be obeyed implicitly by
others, must himself first learn to obey. He
who would lead veteran forces to victory,
must first learn the duties of a private soldier,
and obey the commands of his leader. All
duty is embraced in obedience. That indi-
vidual who obeys does his whole duty. The
duty of the child is to obey. In this lies its
present happiness and the germ of its future
usefulness and greatness. Everything in the
universe is under law. The heavenly bodies
move in their respective orbits in accordance
with law. In strict conformity to law, the
leaves grow on the branches of the forest oak,
and the grass springs up in the meadow. In
obedience to law, the blood circulates in the
bodies of animals, and the sap in the trunks
of trees: Disobedience to any Of these laws of
nature would bring instantaneous ruin upon
the world.
With propriety, then, it may be said, that
the true base upon which all genuine great
ness rests, is obedience. The individual who
is great in science, searches after knowledge
in conformity to the laws of the mind. The
man who is great in morals, is simply obedi-
ent to the law of God. There are laws of
health, laws of mind, and moral laws. He
who would live to good old age, free from
disease, must obey the laws of health he who
would acquire much useful knowledge, must
obey the laws of mind; he who would de-
velop his moral nature, must obey the moral
law. There is no such thing as disobsying
and not suffering. Pain follows disobedience
as the shadow follows the substance. All the
misery in the world can be traced to disobe-
dience. From disobedience spring infamy
and disgrace, shame and confusion, regret and
remorse. 1t fills the body with disease, and
the soul with horrid forebodings.