The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-01

They are aimed unQneStiOnabiy aC Tue cHiSE
cnce of a Personal God, ana cSpeclaiIS .t Ia; I
themselveS of the restraints WHICH SUCH
truth imposes.
THE sAcREDNEss OF TIE SABBATH DAY AM
IT'S UNIVERSAL OBSERVANCE THE COR
SER.sroSE OF AMERICAN LIBERTY.
Certain tendencies in legislation also
which serve to weaken the authority
of Gods law, give countenance to tht
same sentiment. There are, e. e. those enact
ments which legalize the violation OF the sap
bath in Sundry ways. the effect OF which Is tt
nulllfy, so far as human cnactmcnts can. tht
statute of the great Am-"Remember the
sabbath day to keep it holy These ordi
nanccs, which authorize the running or sap
bath trains and the transmission OF Saboatl
mails, vacatc the authority of God in the
premises. They compel thousands upon
thousands to disregard its sanctiiy, or elSr tC
forfeit their means of daily subsistence. Ihey
empower certain great corporations TO require
of their employees labor upon that day
thereby denying TO them that rest, which the
Word of God and the necessities of nature de
mand, to say nothing OF the claims OF the
soul to preparations for another world. Ihey
also permit and encourage thousands more To
deSecrlte the day for convenience sake, or fol
mere personal gratifcation. ,
Now, these might seem to indicate an athe'
istic tendency on the part OF the american
people. But back of all these "SociHliStic
and "anti-sabbatic' movements there Is y
deep underlying religious sentiment, whicf
has stamped its imprint on all our lnstltu
tiuns: n religious sentiment whose roiclngs
may not be smothcred, and which at times
like the rumble of an approaching earthquake
evincc the presence Of mighty th0uSn un.
seen power. Ever ard anon 1t makes 1lscl
felt, and like giant, reused from his slumber
brushes aside these futile oppositio1s! Not
even the Chief Magistrate of the Republic
may disregard that sentiment. Whatever be
the splcndor and glory of his exalted station,
whatever the gitterng and fascinating Temp
forget that this grand snpcrstructure ol
American liberty rests upon the recognition
of and belief in God, as its cornerstone! He
may never forget that this Is the unifying
principle which gives stability and strength
to the entire structure; ana to wea ken Whicll
is to vile destruction! 1t was this prlnci:
pie which inspired our colonial ancestors oi
blessed memory-the Puritan, the CovenaIi.
ter, and the HuGuenot-to cross the mighty
ocean, enter the great and terrible wilderness,
endure the rigors of the climate, and brave
the opposition Of hostile SaVngcS. TO found
here IN empire whose God Should be the
Lord.
No, the Chief Magistrate of the REPUBLIC
may not disregard that religious sentiment
which forms alike the foundation and the
cope-stone of the whole structure! Willing.
iy, or unwllingly, he Is its official mouth
piece He knows that In it lies Il force whose
power may not I've brdved with impuniiy. lie
knows, as we all do, how quickly ii is appeal.
ell to, and how cftrctually, In every time ol
national peril; and how there crysttaliHes
thieSt in the nations life!
His proclamation TO observe this day. NOT
less than the custom which called it forth, Is
but the emphatic expression of this religious
sentiment, that the American Republic is no.
q nation of atheists. The very fact that we
observe this day, and that ten thousand
church bells respond TO the call OF our pe.
loved and illuStrious President, Is proof that
5,nli,, in, istn n
God, and are sensible to some extent, at least,
of our dependence upon him. BY this act we
recognize Him not only as God, but further
still as the God Of Providence whose blessing
is essential to our very being and prosperity:
The "socialiStic." and "anti.sabbatic," and
other equally obnoxious movements, are no
proofs to the contrary. They are, at best. but
large and unsightly "wenS" that have listen.
ed themselves upon the system: and "wcnS'
never taStcn upon dead corpscS, bnt always
upon living bodies. They are possible only
where there is life!
But as "wcns.' if permitted 10 grow, may
endangcr life, their removal should DC sought.
And so with these noXlouS INFLUENCES. We
need to watch them with untirinS rigllancc,
TO oppose them with determined resolution,
and never to slumbrr over the perilS they
fore.Shadow. In every legitimate way; by
ins,ructing the public mind; by aronsing the
public conscience; by stimulating the public
heart; and by purifying the very blond. as II
were which thrObI through it's arteries, We
should seek to rid the nation OF them ere thcii
expanding power choke out the nation s life
Tic blessings we enjoy should not be sarri'
feed 10 such unworthy influences. The All
Wise God thought them worth the bcStOwinS
tcem them worth the observation-disclosures not
all Ills benefits"
TRUTHS RECEIVED AND ACCEPTED.
Now, In the text this twofold principlc-be.
lief in the existence of God, and felt depen'
,l0,,n Il
IL forms in fact. the warp into which iSwoven
the exhortntion to "forgct not all His bene.
fits" The pSallnist does not enunciatc them
in so many words, rs truths to be received
for he felt this to be unnecessary. lie was NJ
the time addressing himself, 10 stir MP his owl,
soul to this dnty: "BcsS the Lord, my soul
ard forget not all His benefits That soul
was already mbucd with these great prinri
pies: the foundations had long been securely
placed, aud hence required not to be rc-laid
The thing which most engaged his thought
was 10 rear the cSupcrStrucfure upon them. SC
he touches upon them only by implication
and passes directly to the work in hand, the
duty of remembering the mcrcics of God.
II Is not my purpose, however, to construct
an auGumcnt in support OF the existence o
God; nor TO trace from II the necessary lines
of dependence uron Him. To do SO would bt
foreign to the design OF this day, which is not
to thcoriZc, but 10 pracice-n0t to speculate {
on the possible, but 10 act ON what is already
known and accepted. So like the psalmiSt,
ciplcs. and pass directly to their application
forget not all His benefits"
FATAL EVIL RESULTING FROM FoEGETFuL
NESS.
To "forgct" is to let thing slip through thc
memory, juSt us water does from the leak i'll &
vessel; to lose, through mere want OF rcten-
ti0n. what might have been preserved 10 IT'S.
II Is q species OF mental Inertia, which makes
no effort to retain: and which by simply re.
laXing its hold, fOricitS the possession OF what
had already been acquired.
Such is the fatal facility Of letting slip tho
truths of God and the concerns OF the soul
that we are Snlcmniy cnjuinrd to 'givc tho
more earnest heed to the things which We
have heard, lest aL any time we should let
them slip" The memory iSan important fac
tor in our relations to God. Many of th'
most solemn and impr, Ssire commands O
Scripture are addressed to II. With what tre
mendous power that word 'rcmcmhcr' is
made to ring in our ears. Truths that we ART
particularly in danger Of forgetting are In
this way brought home TO the consci"nc!
"Rcmembrr the Sabbath day to keep i
"holy." "Remcmbcr now thy Creator in The
days of thy YOUTH "ltcmcmhcr whence
thou art fallen, and repent, ami do the first
works" We are i'll danger, through the ab
sOrhing pursuits and pleasures of life, OF for
getting even our blessed saviour. SO He ha:
given us II sacrament 10 keep Himself and tht
benefits of His redemption ever before III;
That ordinance, in the most impressive an'
effective manner, bids us to remember Chris
this do in remembrance of Me-"
Not only is there danger OF forgetting God
there is danger also In forgetting Him. For 4
sick man TO forget the prescriptions OF hi:
physician is highly dangerous. so also for ;
mariner to forget the location Of pcrilon:
shoals; or for Il traveller to forget the dircc:
lions OF his way, 10y which alone he may hnpt
to find his path amid the mazcS Of tho tangled
Wilderness Eut not more prrilOuS are these
than for men, or for nations, to forget God
Ian
the nations that forget God"
THE HIGHEST FORM OF INGRATTTrDE.
To be unmindfnl of Gtvors is tho highcs
form of ingratitude. IL * recorded to the last
ing rcproach OF the chief butler, thai IN hi
nrnsnt,ritN he "rOmcmhrre not .jOScpE." So