The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-09

/ sldQb lang Oh DiHStSu IOCB. ESPECIALLY 10
it true that no growth in grace is
possible unless, like Daniel, we are
willing to take up the cross, however
heavy it may be and rough with
nails. Moses choIe affection with the
people Of God rather than the plessUr ,s OF
SIN, and if we would be anything like him,
we must he willing sometimes to choose the
hard bread OF sslf-denial rather than the
imperial clusters from royal vineyards. To
get strength and depth enough in rivers for
| turning mill wheels and manufactures,
dams are built across them, and then
through the mill-race the quick floods leap
on the water wheel to turn it with tremend-
| Gus power. 80 natures that would other
wise have been powerless and insufficient by
self-restraints have been damned back and
deepeaed, until, with concentrated power,
! thay ri so into the world, turning its ponder
Gus machinery Of important interests. I'm
restrained men may have much good in
! them, but 1t IS so scattering that you see no
positive effects. Electricity in the air does
not strike, but gathered III the cloud with
| itss bare red arm it cleaves the omuntaIn.
| PASSIONS harnessed and yoked make eXcel-
| lent beasts of burden. However attractive
may be the sinful offers OF the world
| though rich and luxurious as the provision
OF the kings table. we must be willing to
refuse them, if nothing be left US but plain
! pulse. o, how we want the faith and oour-
age of Daniel and a Paul, but how we
dread the hot atmosphere of trial, in which
/ the graces ripened. The richest fruits of
religion grow in the sultry tropics of trial.
| II you want pearls you must dive for them.
II you want gold you must dig for it. The
| richest part OF California and Australia are
under ground. Depend upon it IL no prun-
| ing, no fruit; no climbing, no elevation; no
| battle, no victory; no GROSS, no crown.
! Had there been no Nebuchadnezzar, there
would have been no Daniel Even so
! it has been in all ages. The
flames that have flashed up
! from the stake have been 80 many ilIumina-
tions of Christian triumph. When God
would make great light of truth aud holt
ness in the world, he often takes great per-
secutions, and with them strikes fire. The
DEVILS hate is Gods glory. Had it not been
for the prosecutions of Emperor Valerian,
the world would not have known of the
courage of Cyprlan, and If the tyranny of
Diocletian had never been known, the tri
umphant grace would not have been seen
which made Macmillan, when sentenced
| to death, exclaim: God be praised!'' Had
not the bandits of Piedmont pursued the
! Waldenses through the valleys Of the Alps,
aud the infuriate decree put to massacre the
Albigenses OF France, the world would have
| had fewer illustrations Of Christian heroism.
Be Joseph before Pharaoh. Be Paul before
| Felix. Be Daniel before Darius.
| Again let the story of Daniel teach us the
| beauty Of that youthful character which
| remains unblemished and upright when
| away from home. Had Daniel, on arriving
IN Babylon, plunged into every excess, his
| friends IN Jerusalem would never have heard
| of il. His dissipation and remuneration Of re-
| ligion would not have cast one sorrow on the
! family hearth where he had lived or the old
family Bible which he used to read. But,
| though far away from home, he knew that
| Gods eye watched him and that was
| enough. 1t Is not every young man who
\ maintains the same character when absent
| that was maintained at home. Frederick
Watching his fathers sheep among the hills
or threshing rye In the barn is far different
from Frederick on the stock exchange. How
often does the kind retiring spirit become
| bold etfrontery, and the accommodating,
| self-saorificing disposition once exhibited
among brothers and sisters, becomes a cold
and uuresponsive selhshness, and economy,
wastefulness and open-handed charity,
tignt-fsted stinginess and the
keeping of good hours is changed into mid
night revelry. l probably address young
men now, distant from their fatner's house,
| and others who, still under the parental
roof, look forward to time when they will
depart alone TO conflict with the world and
among strangers be called to build up char
acters for themselves Happy for you, o,
young man, if you shall, ike Joseph, be the
same when living with wicked Pharaoh as
/ with pious Jacob, or Daniel as pure in
| Babylon as in Jerusalem. There is no pas
| sage in mans life OF more thrilling in
terest than the day in which he leaves home
and goes off to seek his fortune. The novelty
and romance connected with the departure
may keep the young man from any poign-
ant sorrow, but parents. who have seen the
destruction among strangers OF those who
were considered promising youths. cannot
| help feeling that this step is full Of moment
| GUS Importance. Before the youth left
home all his conduct was under affectionate
guardianship. Outbursts of folly, care
lessness and improperly Of man.
ner, and looseness Of apeech ,
were kindly reproved, and although the
I restraint seemed sometimes too severe,
| yet hours OF sober reflection have convinced
him that it was salutary and righteous.
| But behold, how athe scene changes. The
father, through the interceding Of metro
! politan friends, has secured the son a place
| in some bank or store or Office. Schoolmates
on the night before his departure come to
| take their farewell of the young adventurer
| That morning he takes a last walk around
the old place, and going past some loved
| spot, sly tear may start, but no one sees
| it. The trunk is on the carriage, and after
a warm good>by, away they speed over the
| hills. Set down amid excitementS and
among companions not over scrupulous
|
| troop around the stranger. The morning
comes, but no.famIly altar, and the Sab
bath. but no real quiet, and perhaps at the
sanctuary the faces are all strange and
no one cares whether he goes to church or
! whether he does not go. Long winter
! evenings arrive, and how shall they be
| spent. On his way home from his place of
business he saw flaming placards announc-
! ing rare performances, and that this was
! positively the last night. At the door OF
his cherries boarding house no one greets
him, and the evening meal is lnsipid for no
| one cares whether he eats or does not eat .
| The room in the third story that evening
seems doleful and repelling. A book
snatched up from the stand proves to be
dull, for no sister is there to look over with
him. In despair he rushes out reckless as
TO where he goes, If only he can see some.
thing that will make him stop thinking.
That night may be the turning point in his
| history. Once within the fatal circle OF sin
and the soul has no power to repel it. On
that dark seq he is launched, where the
CLEAN Of joy is only the flash of the pit and
toe roar of laughter is only the creaking o I
the gates of the lost.
III many a country churchyard is now
the grave of some youthful spirit that went
away 1.-the and bounding, but came home
diseased and crushed and blasted TO dis
grace the sepulcher of his fathers. Yet this
exodus must be made AS from far distant
hills, rivers flud their way through tunnels
60 oya, !. Z