The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-08-15
Resignation.
Omy Father, thy will be done.-Matthew
XVI 40

The man o. faith lives with more
satisfaction to himself and with great
er benefit to his kind than the man O.
doubt.
We do not refer to the man whose
brain contains mere muddle OF be-
liefs, who has preiudices and super
stitions instead of convictions, but tt
him who feels sure that there is an
eternal right and an eternal wrong
that the right is worthy of his support
at all hazards, and the wrong will bring
him to physical and spiritual bank
ruptcy in the long run.
We DO not need long creed, but we
do need q few yerities as q basis fol
action. The Thirty-nine Articles may
seem very prolix, and the Institutes o.
Calvin may not commend themselves
to our best Judgment, but our rejection
of them does not constituents heretlcs
in the sight of God, although men may
communicate US.
If we believe that the universe is
ruled by love as we'll as power that
the outcome of virtue is happiness
and the result of evil is misery; if we
see Providence in the events of life
and feel that we can communicate
with that Providence by means of what
is called prayer; if We have faith in
another life where the freed soul will
have larger opportunities than its en-
yironment has permitted here; II we
absorb the spirit of brotherly love and
helpfulness which was incarnated in
the Christ, we need have no fears as to
our fate in the future.
Mans creed is apt to be long one
Gods creed is very short. Short as II
| is, however, you will have no time tc
spare If you shape your years accord
| ing to its requirements.
Your life, everybody's life, has its
pathetic side, and you must have the
sympathy of God if you are to do good
work.
There are times when you are appall.
ed by the situation in which you find
yourself. There is no light anywhere
but darkness everywhere. A score OF
friends stand by you and give you
what comfort can be contained IN
words, but they have lives of their own
to live, and they cannot help you as
you must be helped if you are to re-
cover from the disaster.
Human friendshi is precious but much
more Is wanted. Human love mingles
it's signs and tears with yours. but still
there is an empty place in your heart
which neither friendship nor love car
fill.
We have all had that experience, 8
heaviness which no arm can tighten, 6
dread which no words can dissipate, 8
WEAKNESS which no one within reach
can brighten with hope.
Is there no comfort anywhere, nc
consolation, no unseen influence that
will steal into the soul with transfigur'
ing power
emergency like that, and does mol
speak, because he has nothing, to say;
He can furnish you with additional
despair, but with no thought which
will afford you resignation.
"What kind of world is this" you
ask yourself, "in which what one Graves
most is beyond ones length? ?? Il
there no remedy anywhere for your
disease of mind? Are you left alone
to struggle as you can to find your way
out of the grief by the slow process OF
forgetfulness
We think not. Else it were mis-
fortune to be born, and the chief bless.
ing is to get rid of it all in chl!dhood
before you learn that life is nothing bet
ter than tragedy.
Your father has fallen asleep, per:
chance, and when you call him he VIII
not answer. TIE eyes will never open
again, the lips are like lips of marble
There is a frightful stiffness in the
house, broken only by the muffied
beating of your own heart and YOU
unrepressed moans. Is that the end
Has the story been all told ? Is the
volume of filiaf affection closed ano
clasped with an iron clasp? Have yot
said farewell forever, and has the deal
one taken a sudden departure into the
region of black nothingness. :.
Then what is life worth? What !!
the use of loving if the most sacree
ties are snapped when Death taps a
the door? He is better off than yol
who never loved at all, for he will suf
fer less, and the less love we bestoW OF
any one the larger are our chances 0
happiness. Let us henceforth care TO
self alone and pay no heed to others.
Or, it may be chat child, the ligh
of YOUR home, your joy and pride, lie
in YOUR arms with raging, consuming
relentless fever. Its little eyes look in
to yours imploringiy.; its little arms
are tightly clasped about your neck
Hope dies out of your heart, ana ih'
inevitable, like the 81 a low OF settlnt
sun, throws its gloom over the scene
The babe is slipping away from you
and carrying with it the best part 0
YOUR own life, for in all the earth there
Is nothing so beautiful, so sublime OF
90 impressive as a mothers love.
What say you? What has any on
to say? The man of doubt is at you
side. q tender hearted man. full of hu
man sympathy, and willing to d.
what he can to assuage your grief, bu
what can he honestly say to give yo'
comfort? Has he any balm for you
wounds, any solace for your distress
Then he were better absent than pres
ent. >.
But Christ comes, or some kind frient
who bears His message, and tells you 0
the House not built with hands, of thu
grave as the bronze gate through which
we enter heaven, of time of meeting
beyond this time cf parting, of tha
Being who does what is best ever
when He causes the tears TO flow, onl.
asking you to walt patiently in faitl
that some day you will see that HI
was right.
What change comes over yoursoul
Gods magic has hidden Il smile unde
YOUR tears, hope under your despair
In renoseful faith YOU say, "Thy viii