The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-11-06
The Sin Of ELI.

SARGE PLUNKETT.
The Sin Of ELI.
ellis sons made themselves vile,
and he restrained them not. Theirs
was no ordinary vileness; they were
guilty of no common sin. Appointed
as they were of God to minister in
holy things, to make offerings by fire
unto the Lord, they were not satisfied
with their lawful perquisites, but full
of greed and gluttony made their ser
want to strike down with fesh-hook
of three teeth into the vessel in which
the sacrifice was seething, and took
for themselves all that was thus taken
up; still worse, before the fat and the
parts which were to be specially Of
fered to God were burned in sacrifice,
they took their own, and when he who
offered the sacrifice demonstrated that
if they would wait until the Lord
part was taken they might then take
what they choose, they said: "Not
so we will have it now, and if you do
not give willingly we will take it by
force.
There was not good man in all
Isreal whose sense Of reverence was
not shocked, whose religious sensibili-
ties were not wounded at this impiety
aud irreyerence. Men who knew that
God was Ito be held in reverence Of
all them that were about him. who
knew the solemnity and awe with which
Jehovah should be worshipped, deter
mined that they would not participate
in such wicked worship, and brought
no offerings. Bad men who feared
not God rejoiced at the desecration of
his worship, and came up to the tab,
ernacle to meet priests like-minded
with themselves; "oblations" when
brought were "vain;;" s'the solemn
meeting" became s'iniquity." Instead
of being sources of healing, of strength,
of holy joy, the services of the sane
tuary "foul contagion spread" over all
the land; ''men abhorred the offering
of the Lord"
O for a Luther for Isreal now! O
for the spirit of Him who, armed with
scourge Of small cords, drove from
the temple those who would profane
it's courts ! "The hour" for reform
alton has come; ''the man whore
is he ? "The man is Eli, God 8 ap-
pointed ruler and high-priest. He it
is who, with heart full Of zeal for
Gods glory, jealous for the purity and
decency Of his worship, should now
come forth, and with words of author
ity forbid these denominations, thrust
out these wicked priests, and restore
to the worship of Jehovah its solem-
nifty and purity. How noble is the
part which he may play How pure
the fame which he may hand down to
the generations to come
There is disregard to Gods honor
and glory. Even in the very ante
chamber Of the King, where he is
wont to show forth his glory, is his
worship profaned. Throughout all
Israel good men are shocked and
grieved, and bad men sneer and re-
joice. Gods displeasure is slowly
gathering to burst at last in fearful
wrath over the doers of the wickedness,
and Eli, the man for the hour by po-
sition, by education, by duty, makes
the feeble remonstrance, "Why do ye
such things p His sons are the evil
doers, and that they may retain the
honors and emoluments Of the priestly
office, that they may be spared stern
rebuke and sharp reprimand and per-
.haps dismissal from the priestly office,
Gods displeasure was incurred, his
worship profaned, and evils great and
sore came upon Israel. "Thou hon
crest thy sons above me" was the
verdict Of the Almighty.
1t was sin in high places-he W hose
lips should teach wisdom, and from
whose mouth the people should learn
the law caused many to. stumble
irreverence before the Lord in his
worship, in his very presence it was
a sin that was fearfully punished.
Which of us can see that old man sit
ting at the gate of the city, his heart
trembling for his wicked sons gone
out to the battle, and trembling yet
more for the ark Of God which was in
their keeping. See him start and
stagger as one who receives death
wound as the messenger tells his bad
news from the battlefield, and not
realize that even now both our ears
ttngle !?
Does Ellis sin find no parallel now L?
Are there not those whose lips teach
wisdom and the people learn the law
at their mouth, priests Of dispense.
tion of which the Son Of God himself
is the chief-ministers Of Christ
whose sons are rebuked but gently,
not with authority, for that great sin,
irreverence ir worship, misbehavior
in church, so great, so seen of all,
that men and women irreligious them
selves are shocked, and those who
love Christ and the ordinances of his
house 20 away wounded and depressed.
Many Of the readers Of these lines
are teachers in the Sunday school and
officers in the church. They are god
ly men and women; they love the
Church, the Sabbath, the ordinances
Of the Lords house. But are your
children making themselves vile while
you restrain them not? Are irrever-
ence and bad behavior in the house Of
God dismissed with the light rebuke,
"Why do ye these things?" You
should speak and act with stern and
unyielding authority-the authority
of parent, the authority Of Chris
tian who feels keenly any dishonor
offered to the Lord. One act Of un-
yielding authority will accomplish
far more in securing ODE edience than
many gentle reproofs. Let us all be-
ware of Ellis sin, lest we also be par
takers of Ellis punishment.-Reu.
Herbert T. Bacon, in Southern Chris
tian Aduocate.
"A note from a rural post Office in
Tennessee, reads: "Dear -: The
reason I didn't laff when you laft at