The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-02-24


soon as man is serious he is fit for profes.
sion of religion. What if a man should only
| think seriously of being merchant; would
that make him a merchant? What if man
should only think seriously of being law
yer; would that make him a lawyer? What
if man should only think seriously Of being
a Christian; would that make him Chris
tianS Felix was convicted but not converted.
The jailer was convicted before he got out
Of Paul he believed in Christ. Are you con-
victed but not converted?
| tell you what you make me think H.
| You have made up your mind for proper
consideration 70 deed away property.
| You have drawn the deed. The seal is af-
fixed opposite where you are to write your
name. The commissioner OF deeds is pres
ent to witness. You have your pen in hand.
There is ink in the pen. There is only one
thing for you to do, and that is to sign your
name. Suppose you stop now without
signing your name, what does it all amount
to! Nothing.
So you have resolved to give yourself up
! to God. You propose to sign off to Him
/ your body. your mind, your soul. You have
all things necessary for the transfer. The
angels Of God are here to witness the eter-
nal transfer. Why do you not now with
your win complete the work? Halt where
|
name to this spiritual transfer.
Professor Arago the mathematician, got
| woefuIly discouraged In his work and was
about to give it up when he saw some words
| on the paper which had been used to stifen
the cover of his book, and the words being
indistinct he dampened the cover until he
could take it of and see the words plainly
and he found they were words OF advice
given by UAlembert to O student, and the
words were, ''Go on, sir; 60 onP Dye who
are convicted, "Go onP You must take one
more step or all the steps you have taken
will amount to nothing. Go onl
Again learn from the misfortune OF the
king Of Babylon what terrible thing is the
loss Of reason. There is no calamity that
can possibly befall us in this world so great
as the arrangement Of intellect-to have the
body of man and yet to fall even below
the instinct Of brute. In this world OF sad
sights the saddest is the idiots stare. In
this world Of awful sounds the most awful
is the maniac's laugh. A vessel on the
rocks, when hundreds 60 down never to rise.
and other hundreds drag their mangled and
shivering bodies up the wintry beach, is
nothing compared to the laundering Of intel
lects full Of vast hopes aud attainments and
capacities. Christ's heart went out to those
who were epileptic, falling into the fire, or
maniacs cutting themselves among the
tombs.
We are accustomed to be more grateful
for physical health than for the proper
working Of our mind. We are apt to take
it for granted that the intellect which has
served us so well will always be faithful.
We forget that an en- zine with such
tremendous power, when the wheels have
such vastness OF circle and such swiftness of
motion and the least impediment might put
it out of gear, could only be kept In proper
balance by a divine hand. No human
power could engineer this train OF immortal
faculties.
How strange it is that our memory, on
whose shoulders all the successes and mis-
fortunes and occurrences OF q lifetime are
placed, should not oftener break down, and
that the scales of Judgment, which have
been weighing 80 much and so long, should
not lose their adjustment and that fancy,
| which holds dangerous wand, should not
sometimes maliciously wave II, bringing into
| the heart forebodings and hallucinations the
most appalling. It is not strange that the
expectations Of this intellect should not be
dashed to pieces on its disappointmentss
Though so delicately attuned, this instru-
ment OF untold harmonies plays on, though
fear shocks it, and vexations rack it, and
sorrow and joy and loss and gain in quick
succession beat out Of it their dirge or draw
| from it their anthem. At morning and at
night, when in your prayer you rehearse the
| objects Of your thanksgiving, next to your
| salvation by Jesus Christ, praise the Lord
| for the preservation of your reason.
How many fine intellects are being de-
stroyed by anodynes and anaSthetics, which
were given by Providence for occasional use
| in alleviation Of pain or insomnia, but by be-
| ing employed continuously after awhile cap
ture and destroy. Chloral, cocoaine, bro
| A. Sh6Ivag
| OF seductive etceteras that help turn
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS into imbecility into mad
ness. Do not trihe With opiatss that bsnumb
the BRAIN. If you cannot live without the
perpetual and enslaving use OF them, you
| had better die Better die sane man than
live a fool. What right have you to kill
your brain and put in wild jangls your
nervous systemi But rum is the cause of
more insanity than anything else. There Is
nothing like rum to put man, like
Nebuchadnezzer, DOWN on all tours.
Again, learn how quickly turns the wheel
| of fortune, from how high up to how far
down went Nebuchadnezzar. Those now in
places of position and power, even though
they should live will in few years be dis.
! regarded. while some, who this day are OBJ
scure and poverty stricken, will ride up on
the shoulders of the people to take their turn
at admiration and the spoils Of Office. Oh,
| how quickly the wheel turnsl Ballot boxes
| are the steps on which men come down as
: often as they go up. OF those who were a
! few years ago successful in the accumulation
| of property how few have not met with re-
verses of fortune while many Of those who
then were straitened in circumstances now
hold the bonds and the bank keys OF the ma
ton and win the most bows on the ex'
change.
| or all tickle people In the world Fortune
Is the most tickle. Every day she changes
her mind and woe to that man who puts
any confidence in what she promises or
proposes. She cheers when you 20 up and
laughs when you come down. Oh, trust not
a moment your hearts affections to this
changeable world. Anchor your soul in
God. From Christs love gather your Joy.
Then come sorrow or gladuess, success or
defeat, riches or poverty, honor or disgrace,
health or sickness. lite or death, time or
eternity, all are yours and we are Christ's
and Christ is Gods.
Learn also from my subject the comfort
ing truth that Affections are arrested as soon
as they have accomplished their mission.
For seven years did Nebuchadnezzar dwell
among the beasts Of the field, but at the
expiration OF that timo his reason returned,
and as soon as with proper humility he
acknowledged the God OF heaven he was
brought back to his palace and reinstated In
his former affluence and power. Now il
does seem that when heavy trials come upon
US it is as though they bad no limit We
exclaim, ''Al thy waves and thy pillows
have gone over me-" but forget that the
depth of that sea and the power OF that
billow are definitely determined.
God sees how much our pride is and He
sends j2st enough adversely to humble it.
| uo COCO i,ct bouy yporIdlv rpinApd WA and
pulls us just hard enough to detaca us from
| our fnllies He sees how hard our heart it