The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-22

All Is not lOSt Wnen any nylNlnS Soeo
contrary to you.
Some people only understand enough
of truth to reject it.
We cannot control the evil tongues
of others, but a good life enables us to
despise them.
A holy act strengthens the inward
holiness. 1t is seed OF life growing
into more life.
Men who cover themselves with glo-
nv sometimes find that they are, after
all, very thinly clad.
No good act, however small, is too
small for the greatest man i'll the
world to gladly perform.
The reflections on a day well spent
furnish US with joys more pleasing
than ten thousand triumphs.
Never take away from man even
the shadow of spiritual truth, unless
you can give him substance in return
Apart from Thee all gain is loss,
All labor vainly done;
The solemn shadow of Thy cross
Is better than the sun.
Watch for the Divine leadings.
"Get thy spindle and distaff' ready,
and God will send thee flax" But
have one hand free to take the flax.
There is in truth scarcely more ef-
ficacious way of honoring the Deity,
than by observing constant Christian
manner of conducting our intercourse
with men.
What we are afraid to do before men,
we should be afraid to think before
God. He is the best Christian, not
who talks most of God, but who walks
most with God.
Bernard Of ClairvauX says: "Discre-
ton without zeal is slow-paced, and
zeal without discretion is trong.head-
ed let, therefore, zeal spur on discre-
tion, rein in ZEAL" q.
Numberless indeed are the mercies OF
the Lord, and as numberless the ways
through which they are extended to
mankind but all are graciously de-
signed to bring US nearer to himself.
There is no substitute for personal
piety. 1t is the true influence against
which sin cannot stand. Herein is
my Father glorified that ye be my dis,
ciples. This is Christ's recognition OF
his people.
Man by living wholly in submission
to the Divine Influence, becomes sur
rounded with, and creates for himself,
internal pleasures infinitely greater
than any he can otherwise attain to-.a
state of heavenly beatitude.
1t imparts an abundant sweetness t.
any mercy to see it growing out Of the
root of promise. The good things OF
the saints are not dispensed out OF the
basket of common providences, but
out Of the ark of the covenant.
No ones life is so sorrowful and
.wretched as to he without a great many
mercies for which 10 thank God and
taking the whole life into the account,
we have far more mercies than suffer
ings. And even the sufterings may all
be made spiritual mercies.
Gods answer to prayer is sometimes
only promise to answer. TO the cen
turion who pleads for his servant, he
SAYS: II will come and heal him.
There was the promise, and by and by
Jesus came. So Gods promises are
ever the answer to our prayers, break
ing the silence and comforting the
heart till he comes.
Our devotion to material pursuits
will ruin us unless we consecrate the
results of them to God in some form OF
benevolence. Growing rich will in
lure no one if he be rich IN faith, and
be careful to honor the Lord with the
substance which he recognizes as a
gift. in the first place, from Him. 1t
is the selfish spirit that spoils and de-
stroys.
A life spent in brushing clothes. and
washing crockery, and sweeping floors
"a life which the proud of the earth
would have treated as the dust under
their feet: life spent at the clerks
desk a life spent in the narrow shop;
life spent in the lab0rer's hut-may
vet be a life so ennobled by Gods low
ing mercy that for the sake of it king
might gladly yield his crown.
Look once again, poor heart, into
thine own bosom, and see whether
thou findest not some strength sent in
to thee which thou didst overlook be
fore. This may be, yea, is very ordi
nary in this case when God answers
our prayer not in the letter, or whcl
the thing itself is sent: but it come:
in at the back door, while we are eX
pecting it at the fore: and truly thu:
the friend thou art looking for may b'
in thine house.
A Philadelphia optician alleges tha