The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-05-14

Gnem down lnCO QlSnal QepOuS, anu, Us uOCu-
ments are put in the corner stone of temple.
so in the very foundation of the earth He
folded UP and placed the records of heavenly
truth. The earth's corner stone was laid,
like that of other sacred edifces, iu the name
of the Father, snd of the Son, and Of the
Holy Ghost. The author of revelation, stand
ing among the great strata, looked upon
Moses and said: Let us record for future
ages the worlds history; you write it there
on papyrus; will write it here on the bowl
ders."
Again, nature offers an invaluable contri-
button to Christianity by the illustration she
makes of divine truth. The inspired writer's
seized upon the advantages offered by the
natural world. Trees and rivers and clouds
and rocks broke forth into holy and enthu
siasth utterances. Would Christ set forth
the strength of faith, He points to the syca-
more, whose roots spread out, and strike
down, and clinch themselves amid great
depths of earth, and He said that faith was
strong enough to tear that up by the roots.
At Hawarden, England, Mr.. Gladstone
while showing me his trees during pro-
longed walk through his magnificent park
pointed out a sycamore, and with wave OF
the hand said: I'm your visit to the Holy
Land did you see any sycamore more impress
sive than that:" I confessed that had not
It's branches were not more remarkable than
its roots. 1t was to such tree as that Jesus
pointed when He would illustrate the power
of faith. 'Ye might say unto this sycamore
tree, BE thou plucked up by the root and be
thou cast into. the sea, and it would obey
you" One reason why Christ has fascinated
the world as no other teacher is because in
stead Of using severe argument he was al
those who make great professio-i of piety,
but have no fruit, He compares them to bar
ren fig trees which have very large and
snowy leaves, and nothing but leaves. Would
job illustrate deceitful friendships, he SPEAKS
of brooks in those climes that wind about in
different directions, and dry up when you
want to drink out of them: MY brethren
have dealt deceitfully as brook, and as the
stream of brooks they pass away" David
when he would impress us with the despond-
ency into which he had sunk, compares 1t to
a quagmire Of those regions, through which
he had doubtless sometimes tried to walk, but
sunk in I'D to his neck, and he cried: II sink
in deep mire where there is no standing"
Would Habakkuk set forth the capacity
which God gives the good man to walk safely
amid the widest perils, he points to the wild
animal called the hind walking over slippery
rocks, and leaping from wild crag to wild
crag, by the peculiar make of its hoofs able
calmly to sustain itself in the most danger
Gus places: "The Lord God is my strength,
and He will make my feet like hind's feet"
JOB makes all natural objects pay tribute
to the royalty of his book. As you 60
through some chapters Of Job you feel as it
it were bright spring morning, and, as you
see the glittering drops from the grass under
your feet, you say with that patriarch:
f'Who hath begotten the drops of the dewg'
and now, as you read on, you seem In the
silent midnight to behold the waving Of a
great light upon your path, and you look up to
find it the aurora borealis which Jobdescribed
so long ago as ''the bright light in the clouds
and the splendor that cometh out OF the
north" As you read on, there is darkness
hurtling in the heavens, and the showers
break loose till the birds fly for hiding place
and the mountain torrents i'll red fury foam
over the rocky shelving, and with the
same poet, you exclaim: who can number
bottles of heaven?" As you read on, you
feel yourself coming in frosty climes, and,
in fancy, wading through the snow,
comparatively no meat Oh their bones. They
seemed almost valueless, whether living or
dead. Now, argues Christ, if my Father
takes care Of them, will He not take care OF
you9 Christ would have the Christian, de-
spondent over his slowness of religious deyel-
opement, go to his corn field for lesson. He
watches first the green shoot pressing up
through the clods, gradually strengthening
out with the pressure of the corn: First the
blade, then the ear, after that the full corn
in the ear"
Would David set forth the freshness and
beauty of genuine Christian character, fe
sees an eagle starting from it's nest just after
the molting season, its old feathers shed,
and its wings and breast decked with new
down and plumes, its boly as finely feath-
cred as that of her young ones just begin
ming to try the speed cf their wings. Thus
rejuvenated and repiumed is the CHRISTIANS
faith and hope, by every season OF communion
with God. THY youth is renewed like the
eagles" Would Solomon represent the an.
noyance Of a contentious wonan's tongue.
he points to leakage in the top of his house
or tent where, throughout the stormy day,
the water comes through, falling upon the
hoor-drip, drip! drip And he says: "A
continual dripping in very rainy day and a
contentious woman are alike"
Would Christ set forth the character of
ways telling how something in the spirltua!
world was like unto something in the natural
world. Oh, these wonderful likes of our
Lord! Like grain Of mustard seed. Like
a treasure hid in a field. Like merchant
seeking goodly pearls. Like unto net that
was cast into the sea. Like unto house
holder
Would Christ teach the precision with
which He looks after you, He says He counts
the hairs of your head. Well, that is long
and tedious count if the head have the aver
age endowment. 1t has been found that II
the hairs of the head be black there are about
120, 900, or if they be faxen there are about
14O, 900. But God knows the exact number:
1.-The hairs of your head are all numbered"
Would Christ impress us with the divine
watchfulness and care, He speaks OF the SPAR
rows that were nuisance IN those tlmeS.
They were caught by the thousands IN the
net. They were thin and scrawny and had
YOU say with that same inspired writer,
i'Hast thou entered into the treasures OF thu
snoww And while the sharp sleet drives in
your face and the hail stings your cheek, you
quote him again: Hast thou seen the treas
tires of the hail?" In the Psalmists writings
I hear the voices of the sea: Deep calleth
unto Deep" and the roar of forests: The
Lord shaketh thI wilderness of Kaoss sh;" and
the loud peal of the black temp Isl: The
God of glory thundereth;" and the r'istle OF
the long silk on the well filled iusk:,: "The
valleys are covered with corn;" and the cry
of wild beasts: 'Vrhe young lions roar after
their Prev the hum of palm trees and ce-
dars: THE righteous shall flourish like a
palm tree; he shall grow like cedar in Lab-
anon the sough of wings and the swirl of
fins: Dominion over the fowl of the air and
the fish of the sea-"
The truths of the Gospel might have been
presented in technical terms, and by the
means of dry definitions, but under these the
world wouldnot have listened or felt. How
could the safety of trusting upon Christ have
been presented, were it not the figure of a
rock? How could the gladdening effect Of
the Gospel have been set forth, had hot
Zacharias thought of the dawn of the morn
ing. exclaiming, ''The day spring from on
high hath visited us to give light to them
that sit in darkness" How could the souls
intense longing for Christ have been pre-