The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-06-11

10 tlleii puliosopntes.
Satan told our first parents that they
would become as gods if they would only
reach up and take a taste Of the fruit.
They tried it and failei, but th,ir descend
ants ara not yet satisfied with the expert
ment. Wehave now many desiring to be
as gods, reaching up after yet another
apple Human reason, scornful zof Coils
word, may foam AMI strut with the proud
wrath of Haman and attempt to compel
the homage of the COOL. but in the presence
of and angels it shall be confounded
"God shall smite thee. thou wnitei wall"
When science began to make its brilliant
discoveries there were great facts brought to
light that seemsi to overthrow the truth
of the Bible. The archaolo5ist with his
crowbar, AMI the geolo5ist with his nam
mer, and the chemist with his batteries
charged uoon the Bible. Moses account Of
the creation sssme1 denied by the very
structure of the earth. The astronomer
whesled round his telescope until the heaven
ly bolies seemed to marshal themselves
against the Bible, as the stars in their COURSES
fought against Sissrd. ODservatorles ano
universities rejoica1 at what they co1sldered
the extinction of Christianity. Ihsy gam,
cred new courage at what they considered
past victory, and pressed on their conquest
into tae kingdom OF nature, until, alas, toi'
them! they discovered too much. Gods
word had only bean lying in AMBUSH that,
in some unguarde1 moment with sudden
bound, it might tear infdelity to pieces:
1t was when Joshua attacked the city o:
All. He selected thirty thousand msn, ami
concealed most OF them; then with few
men he assailed the city, which poured out
its numbers and strength upon JoShuas liz
tie band. According to previous plan they
fell back in sea ming defeat but, after al! ths
proud inhabitants of the city had bss3
brought out of taeir honss, AMI had lo;nsi
in tbs pursuit of Joshua, sl 1denly that brave
man halts in his fiigat, and with his spear
pointing toward the city, thirty thousand
men bounded from the thickets as pauthers
spring to thsir pray. and the puf-
suers were dashed to pieces, while
the hosts of Joshua pressed up to the
into flame. Thus it was that tn, discoveries
of science seemed 20 give temporary victory
against God and tho Bible, and for while
the church acted as if shs were on retreat;
but, when all the opposerS OF Col and truth
had Joined in the pursuit, and were sure OF
the field, Christ gave the signal TO HI;
church. and turning, they drove BACK tier
foes in shame. There was foln1 to be M
antagonism between nature and revelation.
The universe and ths Bible were found to be
the work OF the same hand, two strokes of
ths same pen, tisir authorship thu sams
God.
Again: Learn tns lesson that pride goes
before fall. Was any man ever 50 far up
as Hanaa, wao t1m5lei So far down;
Yes on a smaller scale every day ths world
sees tho sam, thin; Against tisir very
advantages men trip into destruction.
R.isn Cod hunb;es prou1 msa, it is usu-
ally at tina monent OF their GREATEST arro-
gancy. II thare be man in your COM
nlunity greatly pufel uo with worldly
SUCCESS, you have but to stan1 q little
while aud you will seq him coma down.
You say, I wonder that God allows that
man to on riding over otaers' heals
and making great assn n2tioas o. power.
There is no wonder about it. Hanan has
not yeS soS to the top. Prids is a CON-
mander, we'll plume1 AMI caplrisonel, but
it leafs forth darl AMI frowning host.
We have the bsst of authority for saying
that "2ride gos5l beforo destruction, and
a naughty spirit before fall" the arrows
from the Almigaty's quive: are apt to strike
a man when on the wing. Goliath shakes
his great spear in defiance, but the small
stones from tae brook Elah make him stag
ger and fall like al OK under thu butchers
bludgson. He who is down cannot fall
Vessels scudding under bara poles do no
feel the force of the storm, but those with al
SdllS SsI CdpSiZS au VIC SUSi1Sn uOSScuo " un
tempest.
Again: This oriental tale reminds us o
the fact that wrongs Wa prepare for other!
return upon ourselves. The gallows tina
Haman built for Mordecai bee lme the prim:
minister's straugulation. Robespierre, wht
sent 50 many to guiltotina. had his own heaC
chopped off by that horrid instrument. Th'
evil YOU practice on others will recoil upor
your own pate. Slanders come home. Op
preSsions come hons. CrueltleS come home
You will yet be lacSey walking beside tn
very charger on which you expected to rid;
others down. When Charles l., who ha;
destroyed Straford, was about to be be
headed, he said: II basely ratified al unjust
sentence, and the similar injustice am now
to undergo is sensible retribution for tn;
punishment I inflicted on an Innocent man.
Lord Jeffries, after incarcerating many
innocent and gooi people in Londor
tower, was himself imprisoned in the sans
place, where the shades of those whom he
had maltreated seemed to haunt him so that
he kept crying to his attendants: keep then
off, gentlemen for Gods sake, keep them
off," Ths chickens had come home to rooSt
The body of Bradshaw, the English judge
who had been ruthless and cruel in his de-
cisions, was taken from his splendid tomb il,
Westminster Abbey, AMI at Tyburn hung OIL
gallows from morning until night i'll the
presence of jeeriny mutitudes. Haman's
gallows came little late, but they came.
Opportunities fly in straight line, and just
touch us as they pass from eternity to etsr-
nity, but the wrongs We do others fly i'll q Cir
cla, and however the circle may widen out,
they are sure to come back to the point from
which they started. There are guns that
kic!:
Furthermore let tins story OF Haman
bou trrp al of
fortune One day, excepting the King,
Haman was the mightiest man in Persia;
but the next day. a lackey. So Wa 20 up,
and so we coma down. You seldom fin
any man twenty years in the same circunl-
stances OF those who in political lie
twenty years ago were tho most prominent,
how few remain in conspicuity. Political
parties make certain men do their harl
work, and then, after using them as
hacks, turn them out on the commons to die.
Every four years there is a con2lete revolu-
ton, and about five thousand men who ought
certainly to be the next President are shame
fully disappointed: while some. who this day
are obscure and poverty-stricken, will ride
upon the shoulders of the people, and take
their turn at admiration and the spoilS OF
office. Oh, how quickly the wheel turns!
Ballot boxes are the steps ON wnlcn men coma
down as often as they go up. or thoSs VINO
were long ago successful in the accumulation
of property, how few have not met with re-
verses! while many Of those who then
vera Strengthened in circumstances nov
mold the bonds and the bank keys
of the nation. OF all tickle things
in the world, fortune is the most tickle.
Every day she changes her mind, and woe TO
the man who puts any confidence in what she
promises or proposes! She cheers wnen you
20 up and She langhs when you come down.
Oh. trust not moment your HEARTS affec-
tions to this changeful world! Anchor your
soul in God. From Christ's companionship
.nHa Thnfn