The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-20

y 'aThus saith the Lord, Stand va In the
ways, and see, ard ast for the old paths
where Is the good way, and walk therein
Jeremiah, WIG. X
The Prophet jeremiah lived B. G.
Go0-bS0, and prophesied. during the
reigns OF JOSIAH, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin
and Zedekiah. He lived in on age OF
great national and Bpiritnsl decline, and
his prophecies are either ~ exhortations
10 repentance, (2) warnings and threat
enings against the impenitent aud incor-
yigible, or (Sl lamentations over the ruin
and desolation of Judea, that followed
the burning Of jerusalem and the cap
tlvity of the Jews under Nebuchsdnezzer.
King of Babylon. Ho lived among O
people. whose moral natures had been
biunted and calloused by wars and idol
atries, and who toved the sraus of ain in
aoh'ch they had been born and reared. His
prophecies-calliDg to reform and revival
TO former piety and uprightness-grated
on the oar OF both kings and people. He
never delivered q single message that was
acceptable to his countrymen. He never
preached sermon that did not render
him more unpopular. He endured re-
preach and persecution. He was the
victim Of murderous conspiracy, and was
more than once doomed to death, but
escaped at the last extremity by the in
terposition Of friends. He describes him.
self as one IN sUhose. boncs message OF
God burnt IKE fire, and had to DO delivered.
And yet when delivered they but stirred
the rage of al emasculated people, who,
rather than mend their lives, preferred to
XIII the man of God, who faithfully told
them OF their sins.
The words Of my text seem to be q
special message from the God Of Israel
TO his wandering, lest, bewildered' people.
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in she
ways, and sec, and ask for the old paths,
where 20 the good way, and walk therein,
and ye shall find rest for your souls."
The words stand ye in the ways
und see" mean: come to o halt in your
journey, and consider if ye be in the
right road. "Stand aud seo," look at
your guide-bo 'E, examine the Way-marks,
aud you will discover that you are out OF
the highway and have wandered in come
by-path.
~ Having stopped to consider-au the
mariner would say, to get your bearings
SuhO WiouS. w ilat tueu ASK IOr the
old paths" Enquire for the true high
way. Find it as speedily 90 possible.
~ And having found 10, without
further delay, "walk therein.h Beat q
retreat, set yourselves right, then "for-
ward" all along the line. "Walk there
in-show the same eagerness to go right
that you did 10 go wrong.
~ What will be the result OF thiu
Sstt MI
ior your souIs."
know that tho language is highly
hguratiyo and the imagery poetic, but l
think l have given Jou the truo exposi-
ton. In ploin Language, God exhorted
his people to examine their position to-
wards Him-to make inventory of their
past lives, to hunt up their Bibles and
bring. their lives into submission t. its
teachings, to go back to frat principles
/ in religion, and they would be a happie.
and better peopis. And as prophecy
was not given for one people or age ex-
| clusiyely, but for ali time and aIf men
We may with all propriety appropriate
time.
think the tezt is call to mo, al re.
ssun,ption, addressed to men in 1879 a. G.
rs properly MS 625 d. o. History re.
peats itself, sin and iniquity repeat them.
selves, and in this nineteenth century we
4 find suspension of morals just as did
jeremiah twenty-five hundred years ago
After an interval of sixteen years, we
have just had return 30 specie payments
! in the United States. Opinions differ a.
Ito the advisability Of this MEASURE at this
xtime. do. not know; but ! do know
4that moral forces that have been held in
Suspension fer many years ct;g.t. to be re
Sun,ed. In truth, they ought never tc
shave been suspended; and, as they were
suspended, they ought to have been re-
&sumod long ago, but ab they have no,
boen fully resumed, tho work should bs
lone Mt once.
Some, perhaps will say there has beer
no moral suspension. May be not. but
my observation is that the moral force.
9n operation among US before the wal
bnve never been fully resumed. We are
gont to look at the results OF the war q.
Physical, social and political
IL It Is easy for US to call up tho san
urinary fields and review the thousaiid
slain and wounded. We daily lool
pom the armless sleeve, the wooden leg
le SCARED face, the mutilated hand, ant
semei Der that those men now growing
cray, and bearing about them the marks
sE hs..ie, were once the living wall brist
slg with bayonots "along the Potomac
nd 80 we contemplate the physical evil
the war.
(2) We look upon the impoverishe,
ndition of tho old people of our land
no once lived in easy affluence. w,
81
and broken BY mighty npheaval
9e have seen, some thousands of mil
ms of dollars of property wasted. w
9. s!:s s:.!ows and orphans, and DC
Id children descended from the fra
nilies IN the land grown up in igno
pee and vice, Whose patrimony, swep
ucation. And we are familiar wit
= e social evils Of the var.
81 The changes wrought In the politi
sphere are moro marked than tiios
the social or physical. Several mil
ls, of low order Of intellec -haye bee
ed to position and power, wholly in
npatible with :hcir safety or the safct
their rulers. Not capable of appre
ing liberty they have turned, it int
ntiouBnesa. Invoking the torch an
they have dotted our land witl
MT homeE.oada and smouldering ruins
busts Of Habetsham and Berria
Walton aud Hall have looked dow
i d their inches, in the Georgia Ste,
;se, ppon the Rfetched farces enacte
miserable abortions, white and blacf
rlaimed 20 be tiieirl successors an
boiies Of Mc Dnfie and Hayno an
~ ~, y, 80 Il Rnftos hav1a fisSl :. ,, fi, q;