Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-06-12

| preventative OF unfiinching godliness
| Such were the usages of society In ancient
| times that, had this Israelite bowed to the
Prime Minister it would have been an
| acknowledgment OF respect for his
| character and nato on. Mordecai would
therefore, have sinned against his religion
| had he made any obeisancc or dropped his
chin half an inch before Hannah.
| When, therefore, proud Hannah attempt.
ed to compel an homage which was not felt,
| he only did what the world ever since has
| tried to do when it would force our holy
religion in any way to yield to its dictates.
Daniel, if he had been q man Of religious
compromises. woull never have been
thrown into the den of lions. He might
have made some arrangement with King
Darius whereby he could have retained
part of his form Of religion without making
himself so completely obnoxious to the
idolaters. Paul might have retained the
favor Of his rulers and escape martyrdo m
if he had only been willing to mix up his
Christian faith with few errors His
unbending Christian character was taken
Us an insult.
Fagot and rack and halter in all ages
have been only the different ways in W. ich
the world has demanded obeis inca. 1t was
once, away UP on tho top of the temple
that Satan comm ,nded the Holy One of
Nazareth to kneel before him But it is
not now so much on the top of churches as
down in the aisle and the paw and pulpit
that Satan tempts tho eSpouscrs of tn,
Christian faith to kneel before him. Why
was it that the Platonic phil osophers of
early times, as we'll as Toland, Spinoza and
BolinRbroks of latter days, were 50 M ably
opposed to Christianity Certainly not
because it favored immoralities, or arrested
civilization, or dwarfed the intellect. The
genuine reason, whether admitted or not
was because the relig on OF Christ paid no
respect to their, intellectual vanities
Blount and Boyle, and the host Of ia fides
Matched out by the vile reign OF Charles
the Second, as reptile crawl out of q marsh
Of slime, could not keep their patience
because, os they passed along, there ware
sitting IN the gate OF the church such men
as Matthew, and Mark, and Luke. and
John VINO would not bend an inch in respect
to their philosophers
Satan told our first p,rents that they
would become as gods if they would only
reach up AMI take u taste OF the fruit They
tried it and failed, but their descendants
are not yet satisfied with the experiment.
We have now many desiring to bs as gods,
reaching up after vet another apple. HUI
man reason, scornful of Gods word, may
foam aud strut with the proud wrath OF a
Hannah, and attempt to compel the homage
Of the good, but in the presence of men and
angels it shall be con founded. "Gol shall
smite thee, thou whitel wall" When
science began to make its brilliant discov-
cries there we're great facts brought to
light that seemed to overthrow the truth Of
the Bible The archHologist with his crow
bar, and the geoloyist with his hammer, and
the chemist with his batteries charged
upon the Bible Moses account OF the
creation Sc ,med denied by the very struc.
ture Of the earth. The astron omar wheel
| ed round his telescope until tn, heavenly
bodies seemed to marshal themselves
against thu Bible, as thu stars in their
courses fought .ainst SiserA Observa-
tories and universities rsjoics1 at whit
they consi lered thu extinction OF Christ
ianity They gathered now courage at
| what th.y consid cred pas, victory, ami
pressed on their conquest into this kingdom
OF nature until, alas for the n! they dis
covered too much. Coils word h I'd only
been lying in ambush that. in soma un-
| guarded moment, with sudan bound, 1t
might tear iatidslity to pieces.
1t was as when JOshua attacked the city
OF Al. He selected thirty thousand men,
and concealed most OF them: then with u
few men he assailsd the city, which poured
out its numbers and strength upon Joshua's
little band. According to previous plan,
they fell back in seeming defsat but
after all the proud Inhabitants of che city
had been brought out of their homes, AMI
had joined in the pursuit Of Joshua, sud.
denly that brave man halted in his flight,
and with his spear pointing toward the
city, thirty thousand man boun lei from
the thickets as panthers spring to their
| prey and the pursu .rs were dashel to
pieces. while tho hosts Of Joshua pressed
up to the city, and with their lighted
torches tossed it into flames. Thus it was
that the dis coveriss OF science seemed to
give temporary victory against Go and the
Bible, and for while the church acted as
II she were on retreat; but, when all the
opposers OF God and truth had joined in INT
pursuit. and were sure of the field, Christ
gave the signal to His church, and turning
they drove back their foes in shame
There was found to be no antagonism
between nature and revelation. The uu
iverse and the Bible were found to be the
work OF the same hand, two strokes of the
same pen, their authorship the Same God
Again: Learn the lesson that pride
goes lefore fall. Was any man evel
50 far up as Hannah. who tumbled 81
far down, Yea, on smaller scale every
day the world secs the same thing. Against
their very advantages men trip into de
struction. When God humbles proud m IN,
it is usually at the moment OF their gre 1t
est arrogancy. II there be a man in your
community greatly pulled up with worldly
sue ess, you have but to stand a little while
and you will see him como down. You
say, wonder that G)I allows tina. m an to
60 on riding over others heads and maxim
great assumptions OF power. There is nc
wonder about it.. Haman has not yet go
to the top. Pride Is II commander. wei
plumed and capar. soned, but it leads forth
dark and frowning host We have the bes
Of authority for saying that "Pr.de goett
before destruction, and h.ughty spiri
befors fall" The arrows from the Al
mighty's CULVER are apt to strike mar
when on the wing. Goliath shakes hi
great spear in defiance, but the small stone
from the brook Elah make him stagger and
fall like an OK under the butchers blu tgeo !.
lie who is down canno. fall. Vessels scud
ding under bare poles do not feel the force
| OF the storm, but those with all sails sc