Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-03-10
.eadiuq fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(origInal.l
OLD WAY.

[orlgInal.l
OLD WAY.
Eliphaz one of Jobs prcfessed friends but
"miserabe comforters," asked the afflicted
patriarch this very suggestive question Hast
thou marked the old way which wicked men
have trodden ?" Job % Is. From the con-
nection in which the words occur, it is not
difficult to decipher what Eliphaz meant In
the holy, but surely very mysterious pro7i-
dence of God, Job, a man of exemplary piety,
and, formerly, greatly blessed in worldly
point of view, was reduced to the verge of
poverty. This was not all. His sons and
daughters had perished in a storm, and he
himself was covered from the sole of his foot
unto his crown" with "sore bois." Eliphaz,
misiuterpreting the providence of God, con-
cluded that all these sore calamities had be.
fallen Job because his wickedness was great,
and his iniquities infinite.
The principle stated in the question of Eli.
phaz is correct but he made a wrong appli
cation of it. No truth is oftener denonstra.
ted in the providence of God, or more plainly
stated in his holy word, than that sin and suf-
fering stand to each other in the exact rela-
tion of cause and effect All suffering has
its origin in sin, just as all good proceeds from
| God But short.sighted mortals, such as we
are, cannot understand how it is that some
times the affections of the righteous are many.
and often the wicked become great in power
and spread themselves like tree, which
grows in soil and under a sky every way
congenial to its development. Hastily, like
most men, Eliphaz assumed that because
Job was greatly afflicted, therefore, he had
stripped the naked Of their clothing" and
denied water to the thirsty, and bread to the
hungry. That he had sent widows away
empty and broken the arms of the fatherless.
Notwithstanding the fact that EIiphaz
made misinterpretation of the providence of
God in the case of Job, he gave utterance to
truth both interesting and instructive. Two
facts are embraced in his question. The one
is plainly stated, and the other is fairly infer
red from the context. He states that the way
on which wicked men walk is an "old way"
Inferentially, it is taught that it is way that
leads to destruction. 1t is hard way-a
rough way. For many reasons it may, with
eminent propriety and scrupulous truthful:
ness be said that the way of the wicked is
an old way. 1t is the way on which all sin
ners have been treading for near six thousand
years. In point of time, it is an old way.
1t is the way on which Cain, the first murder.
er, trod. 1t is as old as Adam. In fact,
Adam blazed it out and all his posterity, not
turned back and put in the path of life by
the spirit of God, have been wandering in
this old way ever since. We speak some
times of new errors. This is not correct.
Long ago, the devil exhausted his originating
powers. Old and long neglected devices are
revived and pushed with energy until found
Intellectual, then something else is tried.
About this "old way" on which wicked men
are wont to tread, there are many things wor.
thy of note.
1t is not public highway. This is the
road upon which the righteous travel. Tbi
old way upon which wicked men travel, is an
unauthorized way. Hence, to travel upon
is trespass. 1t is dangerous way. In it
there are .innumerable impediments. obstacles
and hndrauces. 1t is rough way, full of
dangers. The poet, Burns, said the Roman
way which ran through Britain, iran into the
mire;' but the way on WHICH wicked men
travel, runs into He'll.
Those who are now travelling on this "old
way" are exactly like all those who have
preceded them. They have the same traits
of character and are called by the same
names. They are murderers, liars, fornica-
tors, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous,
drunkards, revilers and extortioners. Con-
trast this old way with the highway which
Jesus opened, and which is recognized as a
highway by God the father. This last is q
new and living way. 1t leads to ife-to
heaven-to eternal bliss. To travel on this
new and living way is no trespass. God ap
proves of it, and an enlightened conscience
approves of it. The "old way" is danger
Gus way. The new and living way is safe
way. There are no impediments, no obstruc.
tious, no hindrances in this new way. No
lions there
The characters of those who travel on these
two ways are as unlike as the ways them
selves. Those who travel on the "old way"
are congenial companions for no one, not, even
for each other; for what love can exist be-
tween the liar and the liar, or between the
adulterer and the adulterer, or between the
murderer and the murderer? Those who 60
down to hell, 60 without single friend.
Forsaken, hated and dispised by men aud
devils, is their fearful doom. Picture to
yourself the poor prodigal in foreign coun-
try. His property all gone and with it all
the friends of bis former prosperous days.
There he stands, hungry Snd covered only
with rags -disgraced, despised and neglected,
with no one to love him and no one to be
loved by him. Turn from this sad picture
and contemplate the condition Of those who
tread the new and living way which leads to
heaven. From Jesus, who opened up this