The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-09
REV, DIR. TAI4MAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "Young Men Challenged to
Nobility.''

TEXT: "And the Lord opened the eyes o'
the young man. Ill Kings vi, II.
One morning in Dothan a young theo.
logical student was scared by finding himsel.
and Elisha the prophet, upon whom he
waited, surrounded by whole army o.
enemies. But venerable Elisha was not
scared at all because he saw the mountains
full Of defense for him in chariots made oi
fire, drawn by horses Of flre-a supernatural
appearance that could not be seen with the
natural eye. So the old minister prayed
that the young minister might see them also
and the prayer was answered, and the Lord
opened the eyes of the young man, and he
also saw the fiery procession, looking some.
what. suppose, like the Adirondacks or the
Alleghanies in autumnal resplendence.
Many young men. standing among the
most tremendous realities. have their eyes
half shut or entirely closed. May God grant
that my sermon may open wide your eyes tc
your safety, your opportunity and your des.
tiny!
A mighty defense for a young man is a
good home. Some Of my hearers look back
with tender satisfaction to their early home
1t may have been rude and rustic. hidden
among the hills, and architect or upholSterel
never planned or adorned 1t. But all the
fresco on princely walls never looked 50 ell
ticing to you as. those rough hewn rafters.
You can think of no park or arbor Of trees
planted on fashionable country seat 80 at.
tractive as the plain brook that ran In front
of the old farmhouse and sang under the
weeping willows No barred gateway
adorned with statue Of bronze and
swung open by obsequious porter in
full dress has half the glory Of the old
swing gate. Many Of you have second
dwelling place-your adopted home-that
first family altar. There your children were
torn. All those trees you planted. That
room is solemn because once in 1t, over the
hot pillow, tapped the wing Of death. Un-
der that roof you expect when your work is
done to lie down and die. You try with
many words to tell the eXcellency OF the
place, but you fail. There Is only one word
in the language that can describe your
meaning. It is home.
Now, l declare 1t, that young man Is com.
paratively safe who goes out into the world
with q charm like this upon him. The mem.
ory OF parental solicitude, watching, plan.
ming and praying will be to him a shield and
a shelter. Inever knew man faithful both
TO his early and adopted home who at the
same time was given over to any gross form
of dissipation or wickedness. He who seeks
his enjoyment chiefly from outside associa.
tion rather than from the more quiet
and unpresuming pleasures Of whish
have spoken may be suspected to be
on the broad road to ruin. Absa.
lom despised his fathers house. and you
know his history of sin and his death oi
shame. If you seem unnecessarily isolated
from your kindred and former associates is
thera not some room that you can call your
own? Into it gather books and pictures and
harp. Have a portrait over the mantel.
Make ungodly mirth stand back from the
threshold. Consecrate some spot with the
knee of prayer. By the memory of other
days, a fathers counsel, and mothers love
and sisters confidence. call it home.
Another defense for young man is indus
trious habits. Many young men in starting
upon life in this age expect to make their
way through the world by the use Of their
wits rather than the toll Of their hands. A
boy now goes to the city and fails twice be.
fore he is as old as his father was when he first
saw the spires of the great town. Sitting in
some office rented at $1,000 year, he is
waiting for the bank to declare its dividend,
or goes into the market expecting before
night 10 be made rich by the rushing up of
the stocks. But luck seemed so dull he re-
solved on some other tack. Perhaps he
borrowed from his employers money drawer
and forgets to put 1t back, or for merely the
purpose of improving his penmanship makes
q copy plate of a merchants signature.
Never mind. All is right in trade. In some
dark night there may come in his dreams
vision Of the penitentiary, bur 1t
soon vanishes. In a short time be will be
ready to retire from the busy world, and
amid his fooks and herds cultivate the do
mestic virtues. Then those young men who
once were his schoolmates and knew no bet
ter than to engage in honest work will come
with their OK teams to draw him logs and
with their hard hands to help heave up his
everyday life. should not wonder If there
were some rotten beams in that beautiful
palace. Ishould not wonder II dire sickness
should smite through the young man, or II
God should pour into his cup of life q
draft that would thrill him with unbearable
agony; if his children should become to him
u living curse, making his home a pest and a
disgrace. should not wonder If he goes to
a miserable grave and beyond it into the
gnashing of teeth. The way of the ungodly
shall perish.
Ny young friends, there is no way to
genuine success except through toll either
o, head or hant. At the battle of Crecy in
1916 the Prince of Wales, finding himself
heavily pressed by the enemy, sent word to
his father for help. The father, watching
son was not wounded and could gain the
day il he would, sent word: "No. will not
come. Let the boy win his spurs. for, If God
will, desire that this day be his with all its
honors." Young man, fight your own battle
all through and you shall have the victory.
Oh, it is battle worth fighting! Two
monarcEs OF old fought duel, Charles V
and Francis. and the stakes were kingdoms,
Milan and Burgundy. You fight with sin
and the stake Is heaven or hell.
Do not get the fatal idea that you are a
genius and that, therefore, there Is no need
Of close application. 1t is here where null
geniuses-men with enormous self conceit
and egotism and nothing else. I had
rather be an OK than an eagle; plain and
plodding and useful rather than high fly
ing and good for nothing but to pick out
the eyes Of carcasses. Extraordinary ca
pacity without work Is extraordinary fail
ure. There is no hope for that person who
begins life resolved to live by his wits, fol
!he probability is that he has not any. I,
was not safe for Adam, even in his unfalleu
state, 10 have nothing 10 do, and therefore
God commanded him to be farmer and
horticulturist. He was to dress the garden
and keep it, and had he and his wife obeyed
the divine injunction and teen at work they
would not huve been sauntering under the
trees and hankering after that fruit which
destroyed them and their posterity-a proof
positive for all ages to come that those who
do not attend their business are sure to gel
into mischief.
do not know that the prodigal in Scrip
ture would ever have been reclaimed had he
not given up his idle habits and gene tc
feeding swine for living. The devil does
not so often attack the man who is busy
with the pen, and the book. and the trowel
and The saw. and the hammer. He Is afralt
of those weapons. But zoe TO the mar
whom the roaring lion meets with his hand!
in his pockets.
Do not demand that your toll always b.
slegan: and cleanly and refined. There is {