Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-05-17

us ana De nappy Ill Oui pcaulS. ooCH CiiS
rerder think John Ploughman is childish? 9?
ali right; perhaps he IS, and certainly he
delights in such joyous childhood, and
wishes the same to every friend whose
eve shall look on this and to all honest
hearts besides. The thoughts of God, ex-
pressed in Scripture, are spiritual meat
for men as we'll as for babes. He is the
happiest man who obeys the word of the
Lord---.Spuryeon.
THE ,REFLEx1vE7 INF1iDENCE.-W When
prayer is under discussion, and especially
the question of immediate and specific an
swers, it should not be forgotten that there
is blessing i'm it even without these. They
do not embrace the entire value Of it. Some
times men grow to feel that though they
have prayed long and earnestly, there is no
result, and that therefore, praying is useless.
1t is a mistaken and fatal conclusion. The
assumption that their prayers are not replied
to, or because they are not answered at once
thew will not be at all, is of itself blunder.
There may be answering and they dO not
know it, or the answer may be sure, but
only waiting till God, at the proper time,
will make it tknoWn. 3D.. -. l,..I -,,lf
But apart from this the influence of pray
ing, on the man who properly does 1t, is
so hopeful that no one can afford to omit it.
It teaches him to feel and acknowledge his
dependence, to humble himself in the pres
ence of One infinitely better and greater
than himself-to confess his sins honestly,
and in the sight Of Him who will bear with
no omissions, and who will pledge himself,
| in circumstances the most serious, to the life
of duty which is an acknowledged part of
his profession. No man bows reverently
and in his heart, with congregation, with
out receiving neutrality-suspicious.. The fam
ily worship and the closet devotion have
moulding power that make them mighty
forces in determining mans character.
| And when one accustOms himself to utter
his petitions as he walks and labOrs, although
he may not know an instance when he re-
| ceived reply, the effect upon him is rich
reward for his obedience. 49,
They are great lives that fashion them
selves in prayer. Their communion with
| God gives them something of the dignity
of their associations. All the belittling
things of life are Obscured and hidden un
der the august conceptions that engrOss the
mind when it is holding fellowship with
God. Outwardly, such life may be plain
and even bare, but inwardly it is filled with
the peace and warmth of the gospel, and it
is fruitful in spiritual results that shall be
counted among the treasures of heaven.
STRIKING THE BIBLE.-!The religious
world has been recently agitated by a deter
mination on the part of theologians to square
off and fight the religion of their fathers.
Some think it argues great pluck for man
to assail the Bible and the Church and set
up a new religion. The fact is, it requires
no courage at all to do so, for he is always
sure of the favor and applause of a multi"
! tude who hate the Bible, and would be .glad
| to see it struck on any side, and to have
Christianity crippled. The Bible'santagon-
lists do not realize that they they are at.
tempting to stop an express train by putting
their foot on the track, or to arrest an Alpine
avalanche by bracing themselves against
one of the ice-cakes. The Bible goes right
on, and the Church Of God goes right on:
and Christianity goes right on, and the chief
damage is done to the critics. There have
never been SO many live churches in the
| United States as to-day. More people be"
lieve the gospel than ever before, and vaster
multitudes are attempting to practice its
precepts The attempt to Shatter the Bible
for the last three hundred years has not rent
asunder or dislodged single doctrine or
would get tired of bombartlment of the
Bible castle when with all their cOncentra-
ted fire of three hundred years they have
not been able to knock out a splinter large
enough to make the most sensitive eye-ball
culver. Oh | am so glad we are in the
army which will finallyWin the day. Here
and there repulSe. may come through the
perfidy of some officer, or the backing out
of some traitor in the camp; but there are
enough of the mounted cavalry of the King
to ride down opposition, and to dismount
the guns of the enemy. L have no nervous
ness as to the result. I am only anxious to
be on the right side in the contest, and to 90
nv share of the hard marching and hard
C,y,/Jo1 lTIr0uzjOp
TIE SEALED HAND.-TO the most Of us
it happens at sundry times that we are set
aside from our ordinary service, and it is
well if we improve the hour. One is never
absent from his desk, another is regularly
behind the counter, a third is always dill
gent in his travelling but sooner or later
there comes a day Of weakness and pain,
when the usual course of life is interrupted,
and the busiest man lies still. In the sick
chamber for weeks and months God seals up
the active hand, and thus he presents to the
busy quiet season for reflection. In France
they call the hospital 'the house of God,'
and it is we'll when it becomes so. The man
who will not think of God if he can help it,
while he is busy in the world, is by sickness
blessed with time for consideration, and
being set aside from turmoil he is invited to
rise above his engrossing cares. The great
Father seems to say, "Lie there alone; lie
awake through the night-Watches, and think
of your past ways, and what they lead to.
Listen to the tick af the clock and mark the
flight of time till you number your days,
and apply your heart unto wisdom. Your
own work you cannot touch; now, therefore,
think of the work of your God and Saviour
till YOU obtain the blessing which comes OF
it.' This is the design of sickness and ina
bility to follow our calling; thus is our
hand sealed from it's occupation that our
heart may be unsealed towards God and
heaven and eternal things.-pMyeon.
assn 1t ought to be the great care of every
one of us to follow the Lord fully. We must
follow him universally, without dissemb-
ling; cheerfully, without disputing; con-
stantly, without declining; and this is fol-
lowing him fully.