The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-04-10

An angel writing in book OF gold
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence In the room he said.
"What writest thou ?"-The vision raised lts
head,
And. with look made of all sweet accord,
Answered, "The names of those who love the
Lord"
"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not
Replied the angel.-Abou spoke more low.
But checrly still and said, ~ pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men."
The angel wrote, and vanished. The next
1t came again, with great Weakening light,
And showed the names whom love OF God
And, 10! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest
These brethren have gone so far on
their journey to the River that they
may almost hear the angelic sympho-
nies beyond the swelling tide. They
still, in old age, cling in childlike
faith to the religion Of the Saviour,
whose precepts taught and whose life
eXemplified that blessed religion OF
peace on earth and good will to men.
These loving and beloved brethren
take no part in the apostolic doctrine,
wherein the simple enunciation OF
"faith," is sufficient excuse to justify
kiln-dried whited sepulchres for rob-
bing, under the guise of a contract,
any unwary neighbor who might fall
under his power; they take no stock
in that "faith" which would counte.
nance the bearing down of the weak, OF
would Cypress the poor; they think q
simple proclamation of "faith" does
not warrant any of Gods self-appoint,
ed elect, in putting cruel foot on the
neck of the humblest-though it may
be the best-of Gods created beings.
No; they partake of none Of that
harsh religion of the apostles, that
would encourage any whited sepul-
chre in the belief that the people
would give him credit for serving bis
Lord and Master, while driving the
steel deep down into the soul of any
poor unfortunate creature who may
have fallen under his power.
No; none of the harsh, cruel, and
ugly religion of those "who are better
than thou" find any lodgment in
their hearts.
But they embrace the religion, the
preccpts, and the practices of Him who
first loved us, and died that we might
live.
They preach the doctrines of broth
erly love and practice the principles OF
humanity as eXemplified in the life OF
Him whose incompatible beauty OF
character, and whose exceeding love
of mankind would lead US up to our
Fathers house.
Having worked so faithfully for the
advancement of the Redeemer's king
dom, in overcoming war and blood
shed among the sons of men, these
brethren will no doubt receive the
we'll done of Him who is to judge the
earth.
The world is better for the lives OF
Sidi H. Browne and John Hemmen-
way.
The following is the letter and the
editorial to which reference has been
made:
Letter OF Rev. John IIemmenway to
the Editor of the "Christian
Neighbour
received last evening the SD num-
Der of the CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOR for
the year 1883. I always read the
NEIGHBoR with much interest, and
yet with a measure of sadness, for
think its future life cannot be long
one. The Editor is now nearly seven.
ty years old, and when his Master
shall call him to the holy world OF
everlasting peace, 1 think the NEIGH
BoR will stop forever, for cannot see
how its life can be longer than the life
of it's Editor. If Brother Browne can
see longer life for the paper than his
own life, I hope he will be so kind as
to tell me in all editorial or by a pri-
vate letter. I had for years hope
that the dear, loving children of the
Editor would be able to continue it,
and that it might be published as long
as Sidi H. Browne should have q de-
scendant Oh earth. And this was the
wish and hope of my precious wife,
now in heaven. She wrote to the old:
est daughter of the Editor in Novem.
ber, 1875, thus: "The CHRISTIAN
NEIGHBoR comes to us weekly 'as
cold waters to thirsty SOUL May
that dear NEIHGBoR's life be as last
ing as time" The CHRISTIAN
NEIGHEoR was her favorite religious
paper, and as for me / would rather
have any religious paper in the South
or in the North die forever than the
NEIGHBOR. The Editors son / see
has left the NEIGIIBOR, and L suppose
forever.
| am glad and thankful that the Ed
itor is still so cheerful, and does not
regret but rather rejoices that he start
ed the paper twenty-one years ago. /
would like to know how much he has
lost or gained by the paper from its be-
ginning to the present time: I hope
he has not seriously injured himself,
but cannot see how it can have been
profitable to him, excepting in a con-
sciousness that he has been patiently
laboring, for the last twenty-one years,
i'm behalf of the precious and glorious
cause of "peace on earth and good will
toward men,
The cause of Peace, and every other
good cause in the world, would have
progressed very rapidly for the last
twenty-one years, if every religious
paper had been as religiously and phi