The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-25
ESTABLISHED 1914

given to the lives which we are daily living.
If we live according 10 the principles laid
down on the Mount, (of which we hear al
iour, he will provide for us In the world TO
come. We can llust him-have no doubt
on that point. 1t is useless therefore To try To
raise the curtain and peep into the scenes be-
charge our duty to God and man, our Elder
Brother and our loving Father will provide
for us when we go hence. Let us put our trust
according to the lights before us. and all will
be well. There Is neither Christian duty nor
wisdom In such speculations-there Is moth.
Ing In II but vain glory.
CONVERTED.
How often do we hear that great numbers
nave been converted. Such an expression Is
not in accord with the fact. Will a preacher
falk TO me abOut the conversion OF a man
who was born of q Christian mother. reared
by pions parents, and who never doubted
either The saving grace or the divinity OF our
saviour? l believe to-day, and have never
doubted any of the essential or collateral con-
ditions OF salvations, and / am, and have al
ways been, rs thoroughly convinced of the
truth OF the gospel, as the man who breaches
IL, and for this reason, would resent any i'm
puiation or assertion that had just been con-
veried To the Christian religion. In the range
of nj! my acquaintance know Of less than a
dozen unbelievers.
"GOD's PEOPLE,
We often hear from the pulpit the express
sion, Goods people," Such expressions,
that the church-people are Gods anointed,
and that they have superior claims on Him,
and by their superior claims they are lifted
10 higher sphere which is far above and en-.
tirely beyond that OF the average every day
mortal who has not been admitted TO their
charmed circle. They have not exclusive
right To the love and friendship OF our Heav-
enly Father: His Son said he came not to
is our God, and His Son Is our Saviour
Gods people," as others. were born In
sin, and, like others, are subject to be tried In
the crucible which distinguishes the true
from the false.
Some Of the rubbish, or pure rot, which Is
delivered from the pulpit, and which We are
expected to swallow as gospel truth and &C
cept as common sense, is the assaults which
which are made to r.dicule the value of the
observance OF the moral code. A religion
without morality is worthless. A citizenship
without morality Is dangerous. The preach
er, then, wlo would create the impression
that "moral men" are necessarily further
from the foot of the Cross than others outside
the pale OF the church, takes the advantage OF
bis holy office to tell us what nobody, who is
free agent and does his own thinking. will
believe for single moment. The assertion
bears an absurdlty on It's face.
The more OF the Christian precepts and the
greater number of the Christian laws which q
man obeys is just 30 much to his credit, tf we
are TO be judged by the deeds done In the
body. II we are not to be so Judged, then the
office OF recording angel should be abolished.
and the great book might be closed. Effort
TO purify the morals Of those In the church
would be better directed than energy expend-
ed In maligning those outside Of the church.
WHEN THE PREACHER SHOULD BE ExcoM.
.nt>I
We often hear from the pulpit such express
sions as 3 "God,s truth, GODS people, '"God's
Have not laymen and others just as
much right to say "God's apples" Goods
chickens" Goods fields" Gods horses?"
"The earth Is the Lords and the fullness
thereof"
The preacher who uses the expressions first
quoted above should be brought before the
proper church tribunal, and If he show moi
fanity, he should be excommunicated. There
Is not oee law for preachers and another for
the laymen, and he who violates the COM
mand, thou shalt not take the name Of the
Lord thy God in vain," Is amenable to the
law. The average layman uses his profanity
on the highway, In the presence OF men only,
but does not the preacher sometimes indulge
In profanity In the very pulpit ITSELF and In
the presence OF women and children?
"FAITH."
We need to hear less talk of that kind OF
faith which is rs indefinable but as com mon
as the sands on the streets, but which is
worth no more than the mud on our feet
The regions OF torment are full of faith with
out works-faith without principle Is un.
worthy OF the name-faith without love and
obedience TO the laws OF God. Is an insult to
our Maker.
The decalOgue was written on tables OF
stone, but we have no evidence that faith
was written on anything better or more last.
Ing than parchment.
The law as enuncated in the decalogue
should be proclaimed In season and out OF
season. Wherever we turn our eyes It's i'm.
print should meet our vision, In whatever we
may hear the law should greet our ears, in all
that we do, that same rule OF II fe should bt
should be filled with It's truths and our lives
environed by these "lieutenants OF God, sent
with the impresses Of his majesty"
TO sELF-coNcEITED LAYMEN.
To all such laymen as shut their eyes, open
their mouths. and swallow all the rot and
| rubbish that may be thrown IL from the pull.
pit, would refer TO an incident which occur
red to one OF the Governors of Massachusetts
| Being pressed for time and being doubtful ol
his ability TO write a suitable Fast Day proc
| lamation, he selected one which had been
| published many years ago. But the produc
LtOn was thought to be original, and that o
the Governor at the time. The preachers and
nounced IL as blasphemous, and exhausted
their righteous indignation In characterizing
1t. When the newspaper reporters called on
the Governor for an interview on the subject
he merely replied that he wrote only a few
| lines OF IL, but used one OF Governor Cores
| old proclamation. "Gov. Gore was very
| learned and pious man, graduate OF Har
ward College, for whom one OF their principal
halls had been named" 1t IL needless to say
that his critics made figures of themselves.
WOULD HELP THE PREACHER on TO PER
FICTION.
And now, in conclusion, let me impress the
| fact upon the minds of all, that am not de
| preciHting the work of the ministry. The fact
| Is, If know myself, and II have any object
ut all, II Is 10 increase their usefulness, and u
| possible. to "help them on to perfection" In
their work In the highest and most glorious
| OF all the professions.
| DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRINTER AND
PREACHER.
The position of preacher and printer Is
very different, namely: Every body feels II
his duty and privilege TO teach the printer
how to publish newspaper, while on the
other hand nobody feels warranted in giving
the slightest suggestion 10 the preacher, eX
cept to praise his sermons
printer has heard much of fnult-inding
that lie has had all the conceit Knocked out o
him.
The preacher can, now do rs the printer has
dOne-Speak for himself.
h "A \.