The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-06-25
Various Thoughts.

1t is very solemn and an impOr-
tant act in human life to take the pen
to write thoughts for rational, account
able, immortal beings to read for
thoughts in print will exist long after
the writer shall have passed away
from earth, and will have good or a
bad effect on the readers to all eterni-
ty. My dear reader, do you write for
the press ? If you do, Oh, never take
your pen into your hand to write
without serious consideration and
PRAYER! Remember when you use
your pen, that you may be using it for
the last time, and take heeds how you
write. BE sure to always write agreea-
bly, to the principles and spirit of
Christianity as taught and practiced
by the Great Founder of the Chris
tian religion.
My friend. do you pray every day?
I never heard nor read of Chris
tian who became Christian without
prayer.
never heard nor read of a Chris
tian who said in youth, or in middle
life, or in old age, "I have prayed too
much wish | had prayed less"
Are you, reader, doing your duty
faithfully and affectionately in your
family, and everywhere else, to make
others happy in the ways of a true
happiness.
An inspired writer says: "WisdOm's
ways are ways of pleasantness, and
all her paths are peace" What man
ever found wars ways to be ways of
pleasantness, and all its paths peace?
The ways of war are ata0ays the ways
of Satan, the prince of war, who
twas murderer from the beginning"
and can never be the ways of pleasant
ness and peace.
Only one thing can make any war
justifiable, and "holy war,"-and
that one, that only thing is, a conf
mand from Christ. But where can
that command be found? Surely not
in any Of the words or commands Of
Christ, as recorded in the books of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, nor
in any other part of the New Testa-
ment. What professedly Christian
warrior that has ever lived in the
world since Christ said to Peter "Put
up thy sword into the Sheath" has
had any command or authority from
Him to draw the sword? Will any
Christian, moralist, or sinner tell in
what war in the world the command
or authority from Christ was given to
draw the sword ?
No Christian will deny that it is the
duty of all Christians, according to-
their opportunities and abilities, to-
make this sinful, suffering world bet
ter and happier; and the way to do
this great aud important work is, byI
the grace of God, to make all per'ons,
as far as can be done prayerful, pure,
irsts irs, t:sesiii.n,;Serate, peaceable, kindr~iov-
ing, cheerful, pleasalfr,| and in all
things hoiy. true holiness brings to
fallen man true happiness-lasting
happiness for time and eternity.
MY friend, are you better than you
were Yesterday? Are you sincerely
trying, by Gods help, to live a better
and more useful life than you lived
yesterday? If you are not, you have
very little, if any, reason to call your
self Christian
A cousin of mine once made this re-
ply to this very question to her: care
you Christian ?" "N Is q great
thing to 5e a Christian !" She answer
ed very truly. There is infinite mean-
ing the word Christian. DR.. Young
says: GA Christian is the highest
style of man ;"-that is the highest
name, order, or character of man.
To be a Christian is far higher, in the
sight of God, aud all the angels and
saints in heaven, than to be king, or
a queen of England, or president of
the United States, or eminent as a
statesman, orator, poet, philosopher,
or artist. My dear reader, when you
come to he on your death bed, the
great question with you will be, if you
are in sound mind, not Gam 1 one
of the great ones of this world" but
it will be this, "Am l d Christian ?"
and it ought to be the great question
with you no,O.
j. III. in Messenger of Peace.