The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-10-12
get to look of on the great ocean Of Gods

saws about Ialtn anu WOrkS, auo tnoy Wy
the account of Moses concerning the crea-
tion by mo- oiern decisions in science. and re-
solve that in all questions between the sclen-
tific explorer and the inspired writer they
will give the preferences to the .geo!ogss.
These men these spiders, will say -
suck poison out Of the sweetest flowers.
Taey fattan their inf ielity upon the
truths which have led thousands to
heaven, and in their distorted vision.
prophet seems to war with prophet, ann
avanralist with evan3ast- and anasfla WIN
apostle, and il tnsy can tni some bad TRAIT
OF character in man o. God mentloned IN
that Bible thes4 carrIou crows cav and hap
their wings over the carcass. Because they
cannot understand how tue wnale swai-
lowed Jonah they attempt thu mora won
derful feat of swallowing the monster whale
of moiern sxepticism. They do not believe
it possible that the Bible story should bs
true which says that the du NO ass spaSe,
while they themselves prove tne tnlnS pos
sibls by their own utterances
am amused beyond bounis when hear
one Of these men talking about future
life. Just ask man who rejects that Bible
what heaven is, and hear hun Oetog your
SOUL. He will Stll you that heaven ls
merely the development Of the internal re-
sources of a man: 1t is an efhorescenca or the
dynamic forces into state OF ethereal ana
transcandental lucubration, in close ']uxta-
position to the ever present was" and the
great 'to be- and the everlasting mo:
Considering themselves wise, they are fools
for time, fools for eternity.
Then there is another class Of persons who
come to the Bible as controversialists. They
are enormous Pres oyteriaus or fierce Bap-
fists or violent Methodists. They cut the
Bible to suit their creed instead OF cutting
tuei- creed to suit the Bible. It the Scrip
lures think as they do, we'll; if not so much
the worse for the Scriptures. Toe Bible is
merely the whetstoua on which they sharpen
the dissecting knife of controversy. They
come to it as q government in time Of war
comes to armories or arsenals for weapons
and munitions. They have declared ever
lasting war against all other sects, and they
want so many broa1swords, so many mus
kets, so many howitzers, so many colum-
biaos, so mucn grape and canister, so many
feldpieces with which to rake the field OF
dispute, for they mean to get the victory
smoke and the earth rent with the thunder.
What do they care about the religion OF
the Lord Jesus Christ
have seen some such men coma BACK
from an ecclesiastical massacre as proud OF
their achievements as an Indian warrior
boasting Of the number OF scalps he has
taken. I have more admiration for man
who goes forth with his fists to get the cham
pionship than have for these theological
pugilists who make our theological maga-
zines ring with their warcry. There are me1
who seem to think the only use Of the sword
of truth is to stick somebody. There Is one
passage OF the Scriptures that they like bat
ter than all Others. and that is this: essed
be the Lord which tsacheth my han is to war
and my fingers to fight" Woe to US IL we
come to Gods word as controve versialists, or
as skeptics, or as connoisseurs, or as fault
finders, or merely as poets!
Let us go forth and gather the trophies
for Jesus. From Golconda mines we gather
the diamonds from Ceylon banks we gather
the pearls, from all lands and kingdoms we
gather precious stones, and we bring the
glittering burdens and put them down at
the feet OF Jesus and say: "Au these are
Thine. Thou art worthy" We go forth
again for mora trophies, and into one sheaf
we gather all the scspters OF the earth. OF all
ROYALTIES and dominions, and then we bring
the sheat of scspters and put it down at the
feet Of Jesus and say, Thou art King OF
kings, and these Thou has conquered"
And then We 60 forth again to gather more
trophies, and we bid the redeemed Of all
ages, the sons and dau yhters Of the Lord AL.
mighty, to come. We ask them to come and
offer their thanksgivinys and ths hosts OF
heaven bring crown and palm and scepter.
and here by these bleeding feet, and by this
riven side, and by this wounded heart cry,
"Biessing and honor and glory and power
be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and
and unto the Lamb forever and forever!'
Tell me OF a tear that He did not weep, OF
burden that He did not carry, Of battle
that He did not fight, OF victory that He
great plan Of redemption.
7 orR ia ovnrUthinO
the Christian in time OF trouble. Who has
escaped trouble? We must all stoop down
and drink out of the bitter lake. The moss
has no time to grow on the buckets that
come out Of the hearts we'll dripping with
tears. Great trials are upon our track as
certain as greyhound PACK on the scent Of
deer. From our hearts in every direction
there ore thousand chords reaching out
binding US to loved ones, ami ever and anon
some Of these tendrils snap. The winds that
cross this s,a OF life are not all abaft. The
clouds that cross our sky ara not feathery
and afar, straying like f1ocks OF sheep on
heavenly pastures, but wrathful and somber
and cleaning with terror they wrap the
mountains in fire, and come down baying
with their thunders through every gorge.
The richest fruits of blessing have prickly
shell. Life here is not lying at anchor; it is
weatherng gale. 1t is not sleeping in q
soldiers tent with our arms stacked: it is a
oayonet charsc. We stumble over grave.
stones, and we drive on with our wheel deep
in the old rut OF graves. Trouble has
wrinkled your brow, AMI 1t has frosted your
head. Falling in this battle OF life, is there
no angel to bind our wounds? Hath God
made this world with so many things to
hurt and none to heal? For this snake
bite Of sorrow, is there no herb gro wing by
all the brooks to heal the poison? Blessed
be God that in the Gospel we find the anti
dotel Christ has bottled an ocean OF tears.
How many thorns he hath plucked out Of
human agony!
Oh, He knows too we'll what it is to carry
a cross, not to help us carry ours! He knows
too we'll what it is to climo the mountain,
not to help US up the stesp. He knows too
well what it is to be prosecuted, not to help
those who are imposed upon. Hs knows too
we'll what 1t is to be SICK, not to help those
who suffer. Aye, He knows too well whatit
is to oie, not to help US in our last extremity.
Blessed Jesus, Thou knowest it all. Seeing
Thy wounded side, and Thy wounded hand,
and Thy wounded feet, and Thy wounded
brow, we are sure Toy knowest it all.
Oh, when those into whose bosom we used
to breathe our sorrows are snatched from
us, blessed be God, the heart of Jesus still
beats, and when all other lights 60 out and
the world gets dark, then we see coming out
from behind cloud something so bright
and cheering, we know it to be the morning
star OF the souls deliverance! The hand Of
care may make you stagger or the hand Of
persecution may beat you down, or the hand
of disappointment may beat you back, but
there is hand, and it is so kind, and it is so
gentle, that it wipeth all tears from all
faces.
WORDS OF WISDOM.
Prejudice is bias independent of the