Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-02-19
[Original.]
STRAITS.

In our pilgrimage through this world we
often find ourselves in condition similar to
that of traveller in strange country. Late
in the evening, when he is Fastening to reach,
before the darkness sets in, certain place at
which he may spend tie night, he comes to a
point where the road forks. The forks d.
verge from each other only little. Some
times he thinks the left hand fork is the one
which leads to the place of his destination ;
at other times he thinks the right hand one
is the road he should take. There is nothing
which will lead him to correct conclusion.
Both roads have recently been travelled. There
is no sign-board, and no dwelling near. He
has never travelled the road before, and has
no correct notion of the direction of the place
to which he desires to 60. Just so it is with
US often .+e-al point of view. We come
to the forks of the road and are unable to de-
termine whether we should take the right
hand or the left. One of them is right F.; the
other is wrong. One is the path of duty and
safety; the other is the wrong road and dan
gerous. Many have found themselves in that
peculiar condition which may be called a
strata difficulty. They are convinced that
they have duty to perform; but what it is,
and how it is to be performed, they are una
BILE to determine
We usually get into these straits by a regu-
lar process The traveller in a strange coun-
try should be very careful in making inqui-
ries respecting the general direction of the
road he is about to travel. He should inform
himself concerning all the forks, bends and
general character of the road, and the char
acter of the country which it passes. Neg
lect of any or all of these points may lead to
serious results. In the same way the man
who would pass through this world of sin and
sorrow, and arrive at the New Jerusalem,
must make particular inquiries respecting the
road that leads to the New Jerusalem. The
roads that lead to heaven and perdtion, are
often near together and seem to run parallel.
Unless we are critically informed respecting
them, we will find ourselves, at every fork and
bend and crook, in a strait. A traveller
should, if possible, procure map Of the coun-
try through which he designs passing. For
the traveller from time to eternity there is
furnished map. In this map every fork Of
the road is marked out. This map is the
Bible. 1t was designed b. its Author to be
not only a map of the country through
which we are to pass, but a light to our feet
and lamp to our path. When we get into
straits and difficulties, our duty and interest
is to 20 to the Bible for light and direction.
In it we will find all the instruction we need.
Again, we often get into straits by neglect
ing to observe the manifestations of provi.
deuce. God invariably gives some intima-
ton of what he designs doing before he acts
1t is characteristic of wise man that he seeth
the danger and fleeth, but fools 60 on and
are punished "A stitch in time saves nine"
may be an old and homely phrase, but it is
full of sound philosophy and orthodox theol-
ogy. Many are the straits into which we get,
by simply shutting our eyes to the drifting
tendency of events. Morally, any man can
throw himself down from a towering emf
nence; but no man can raise himself up when
once down. So it is respecting getting into
straits. Any one can, by thoughtlessness or
neglect, pet into strait, but none but God
can extricate us.