The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1890-06-05

| 1nch DefOrc 1amaQ. Nneu, bucIcfofes
proud Haman attempted 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 its dictates. Daniel,
/ IL he had been man OF religious COM
promises, would never have been thrown
| into the den OF lions. lie might have
made some arrangement with King
Darius whereby he could have retained
part OF his form of religion without
making himself so completely obnox-
ious TO the idolators. Paul might have
retained the favor of his rulers and es-
capped martyrdom II he had only been
willing to mix up his Christian faith
with few errors. His unbending
Christian character was taken as an i'm
suit
Fagot and rack and halter in all ages
have been only the different ways in
which the world has demanded obei-
sance. 1t was once, away up on the top
of the temple, that Satan commanded
the Holy One Of Nazareth to kneel be-
fore him. But it is not now so much ON
the top of the churches as down in the
Satan tempts the espouser OF the
Christian faith to kneel before him.
Why was it that the Platonic philoso-
pliers of early times, as we'll as Toland,
Spinoza, and Bolingbroke of later days,
were SO madly opposed to Christianity?
Certainly not because it favored immor-
talities, or arrested civilization, or
dwarfed the intellect The genuine
reason, whether admitted or not, was
because the religion of Christ paid no
respect TO their intellectual vanities.
Blount, and Boyle, and the host of inf
dels hatehed out by the vile regin OF
Charles H., as reptiles crawl out of
marsh OF slime, could not keep their
patience because, as they passed along,
there we're sitting in the gate of the
church such men as Matthew, and
Mark, and Luke, and John who would
not bend an inch in respect to their
PHILOSOPHERS.
Satan told our first parents that they
would become as gods if they would
only reach up and take 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 be as gods, reaching
up after yet another apple. Human
reason, scornful of Gods word, may
foam and strut with the proud wrath of
Hannah, and attempt to compel the
homage of the good, but in the presence
OF men and angels it shall be confound-
ed. ''God shall smite thee, thou whited
wall" When science began to make
It's brilliant discoveries there were
great facts brought to light that seemed
to overthrow the truth of the Bible.
The arch@otogist with his crow
bar, and the geologist with his
hammer, and the chemist with his bat
teries charged upon the Bible. Moses
account of the creation seemed denied
by the very structure of the earth. The
astronomer wheeled round his telescope
until the heavenly bodies seemed TO
marshal themselves against the Bible,
as the stars in their course fought
| against Sisera. 0bservatories and uni
versities rejoiced at what they consid-
cred the extinction of Christianity.
They gathered new courage at what
| they considered past victory, and
pressed on their conquest into the king
dom of nature until, alas for them! they
discovered too much, Gods word had
only been lying in ambush that, in
some unguarded moment, with sudden
bound, it might tear infidelity to pieces.
1t was as when Joshua attacked the
| City of All. He selected thirty thousand
men and concealed most of them; then
l x.rsfh fatts ho lal +6ac 81 ~
which poured out its numbers and
strength upon Joshua's little band. Ac-
cording to previous plans, they fell
back in seeming defeat, but, after all
| the proud inhabitants of the city had
been brought out of their homes and
had joined in the pursuit of Joshua,
| suddenly that brave man halted in his
| fight, and with his spear pointing to-
ward the city, thirty thousand men
bounded from the thickets as panthers
spring to their prey, and the pursuers
were dashed to pieces, while the hosts of
Joshua pressed up to the city, and with
their lighted torches tossed it into fame.
Thus it was that the discoveries of
science seemed to give temporary VIC
tory against God and the Bible, and for
awhile the church acted as il she were
on a retreat; but, when all the opposers
of God and truth had joined in the pur-
suit, and were sure of the field, Christ
gave the signal TO His church. and, turn
| ing, they drove back their foes in shame.
There was found to be no antagonism
between nature and revelation. The
universe and the Bible we're found to be
1 a. l. g A,
of the Same pen, their authorship the
same God.
Again: Learn the lesson that pride
goes before fall. Was any man ever
so far up as Haman, who tumbled so far
down? Yes, on smaller scale every
day the world sees the same thing.
Against their very advantages men trip
into destruction. When God humbles
proud men it is usually at the moment
OF their greatestarrogancy. II there be
a man in your community greatly pulled
up with worldly success, you have but
TO stand little whiie and you will see
him come down. You say, | wonder
that God allows that man to go
on riding over Others heads and max
ing great assumptions of power.
There Is no wonder about it, Hannah
has not yet got to the top. Pride is a
commander, well plumed and capari-
soned, but il leads forth a dark and
frowning host. We have the best Of au-
thority for saying that Pride goeth be-
fore destruction, and a naughty spirit
before fall" The arrows from the
Almighty's culver are apt to strike a
man when on the wing. Goliath shakes
his great spear in defiance, but the
small stones from the brook Elah make
him stagger and fall like an OK under
the butchers bludgeon. lie who is
down can not fall Vessels scudding
under bare poles do not feel the force of
the storm, but those with all sails set
capsize at the sudden descent Of tho
tempest.
Again: This Oriental tale reminsd
us of the fact that wrongs we prepare
for others return upon ourselves. The