The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-16


while they all wrote from their own stand
point and temperament, 80 that the matter
Of fact man has his Moses. the romantic ma
ture his Ezekiel, the epigrammatic his Solo,
mon, the warrior his Joshua. the sailor bis
Jonah, the loving his John, the logician his
Paul. Instead OF this Bible, which now
I can lift in my hand Instead OF the
Bible the child can carry to Sunday-school
instead Of the little Bible the sailor can put
in his jacket when he goes to sea-if it had
been left to men to write it would have been
a thousand volumes, judging from the
amount OF ecclesiastical controversy which
has arisen. Gods way Is different from
mans. but it is best, infinitely best.
SO it is in regard to the Christians life
II we had had the Planning Of Christian 8
life. we would have said: "Let him have
eighty years OF sunshine, a fine house to live
in. Let his surroundings all be agreeable.
shiver through his limbs, no pain ache his
brow or trouble shadow his SOUL"
enjoy the prosperity OF others so much I
would let every man have as much
money us he wants and roses for his
childrens cheeks and fountains OF gladness
glancing in their large round eyes. But
that is no. Gods way. 1t seems as il man
must be cut, hit and pounded Just in propor-
tion as he is useful. His child falls from
third story window and has its life dashed
out. His most confident investment
tumbles him into bankruptcy. His friends,
on whom he depended, aid the natural
force of gravitation in taking him down:
His life is II Bull Run defeat. Instead OF
80, 900 advantages he has only 10000. Aye,
only 306-aye. none at all. How many good
people there are at their wits end about
their livelihood, about their reputation? But
they will find out it is the best way after
awhile. God will show them that He de-
pletes their advantages just for the same
reason he depleted the army Of Gideon
that they may be induced to throw them
selves on His mercy.
A grapevine says in the early spring:
Chow glad am to get through the winter!
I shall have no more trouble now. Summer
weather will come, and the garden will be
very beautiful" But the gardener comes
and cuts the vine here and there with his
knife. The twigs begin to fall. and the
grapevine cries out: "Murder! What are
you cutting me for?" "Ah," says the garden
er, 81 don't mean to kill you. II I did
not do this, you would be the laughing
stock Of oil the other vines before the season
is over" Months go on. and one day the
gardener comes under the trellis, where great
clusters Of grapes hang, and the grape vine
says: Thank you, sir. You could not have
done anything so kind as to have cut me
with that knife" "Whom the Lord loveth
He chasteneth." No pruning. no grapes; no
grinding mill, no flour; no battle, no VIC
tory; no cross, no crown.
So Gods way, in the redemption OF the
world, Is different from ours. If we had our
way, We would have had Jesus stand in the
door OF heaven and beckon the Nations up
to light, or we would have had angels flying
around the earth proclaiming the unsearch-
able riches of Christ. Why is 1t that the cause
goes on so slowly? Why is 1t that the chains
stay on when God could knock them
off? Why do thrones Of despotism stand
when God could so easily demolish them?
It is His way in order that all generations
may cooperate and that all men may know
they cannot do the work themselves. Just
In proportion as these pyramids OF sin 90
up in height will they come down In ghast-
illness of ruin.
o thou father OF all iniquity! II thou
canst hear my voice above the cracking OF
thy emissaries. build thy temples and forge
thy chains, but know that thy fall from
heaven was not Lreater than thy final over
throw shall be when thou shalt be driven
disarmed into thy fiery den, and for every
lie thou hast framed upon earth thou shalt
have an additional hell Of fury poured into
thine anguish by the vengeance OF
our God, and all heaven shall shout at the
overthrow, as from the ransomed earth the
song breaks through the skies: "Halleluiah,
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth! Hal
lleluiah, for the kingdoms Of this world have
become the kingdoms Of our Lord Jesus
Christi" Gods way in the composition Of
the Bible, Gods way in the Christians life,
Gods way in the redemption Of the world,
Gods way In everything-different from
mans way but the best.
Ilearn from this subject that the overthrow
Of Gods enemies will be sudden and terrific.
There is the army OF the Midianites down in
the valley of Jezreel. suppose their
mighty men are dreaming Of victory. Mount
Gilboa never stood sentinel for so large
host. The spears and the shields OF the
Midianites CLEAN in the moonlight and
glance on the eye Of the Israelites. who
hover like battle Of eagles, ready to swoop
from the cliff. Sleep on, o army or the
Midianites! With the night to hide them
and the mountain to guard them aud strong
arms to defend them, let no slumberlng foe
man dream of disaster. Peace to the cap
tains and the spearmen.
Crash 90 the pitchers! Up flare the lamps!
To the mountains! Fly, fly! Troop
against troop, thousands trampling upon
thousands. Hark to the scream and groan
Of the routed foe, with the Lord God Al
How wild ths CONSERVATION! How utter the
defeat! do not care so much what ID
against me IL God Is not. You want better
sword or carbine than have ever seen to so
out and fight against the Lord Omnipotent.
Give me God for my ally. and you may have
all the battlements and battalions.
saw the 6efrauder in his splendid house.
It seemed as II he had conquered God as he
stood amid the blaze Of chandeliers and pier
mirrors. In the diamonds Of the wardrobe
I saw the tears of the widows whom he had
robbed and in the snowy satins the pallor OF
the white checked orphans whom he had
wronged. The blood of the oppressed
glowed in the deep crimson OF the i'm
ported chair. The music trembled with
the sorrow Of unrequittei toll. But the
wave OF mirth dashed higher on reefs OF
coral aud pearl. The days and the nights
went merrily. No sick child dare1 pull that
silver doorbell. No beggar dared sit on that
marble step. No voice Of prayer hoated
amid that tapestry. No shadow of a judgment
day darkened that fresco. Notear o. human
sympathy dropped upon that upholstery.
Pomp strutted the hall, and dissipation
filed her cup. aud all seemed safe as the
Midianites in the valley ofJezreel. But Co,
came. Calamity smote the money market.
The partridge left its eggs unmatched. Crash
went all the porcelain pitchersi Ruin. rout,
dismay and woe in the valley Of Jezreel!
Alas for those who fight against Go :. Only
two sides. Man immortal, which side are
you on2 Woman immortal. which side are
you on? DO you balong to the 80 that are
goinS to win the day or to the great host of
Midianites asleep in the valley. only to be
reused up in CONSERVATION ami ruin? Sud.
denly the golden bowl Of life will be broken
and the trumpet blown that will startle our
soul into eternity The day OF the Lord
cometh as thief in the night and as
the God armed Israelites upon the sleeping
foe. Ha. Canst thou pluck up courage for
the dnY when the tru u nat which hath never