Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1898-06-08

E accomplish mucn Tor the world
or the church who is too
watchful and appreciative OF petty
annoyances. There are multitudes OF
people in the world constantly har-
rowCd because they pass their lives.
not in searching out those things
which are attracting and deserving.
but in spying out with all their powers
OF vision 10 see whether they can not
ind a Mordecai.
Again: ! learn from the life of the
man under our notice that worldly
vanity and sin are very anxious to
have piety bow before them. Hannah was
a tair emblem of entire worldlineSS.
and Mordccai the representative OF un-
hinching GodlincSS Such were the
usages of society in ancient times that.
had this Israelite bowed to the prime
minister. it would have been an acilnowl-
edgment of respect for his character
and nation. Mordccai would, there
fore, have Sinued against his religion
mad he made any obeisance o. dropped
his chin half an inch before Hannah.
When. therefore. proud Hannah. at
tempted 10 compel an homage which
was not felt. ne only did what the
world ever since has tried TO do. when
II would force our holy religion in
any way % yield TO its dictates Dam
lei, If he had been man of relig-
iouS COMPROMISES. would never have
been thrown into the den of lions.
He might lave made some arrange
ments with King Darius whereby he
could have retained part of his form
of religion without making himself so
nj Rrs.'r -.
Paul might have retained the favor of
ms rulers and escaped martyrdom if he
had only been willing TO mix up his
Christian faith with a few errors. His
unbending Christian character was
taken As an insult
Fagot and rack and halter in all
ages have been only the different ways
IN which the world has demanded
obeisauce. II was once. away up on
the top of the temple. that Satan com
manded the Holy One OF Nazareth 10
Sneel before him. But it is not now so
much on the top OF the churches As
down in the aisle and the pew and the
pulpit that Satan tempts the espous-
ers of the Christian faith TO lSncel be-
fore him.
Why was il that the platonic philos-
ophcr- of early times. as well as To-
land. Spinoza and Bolingbrolle of later
days, were SO madly opposed to Chris
tianity? Certainly not because it IN.
vored immoralities, or arrested civil
lzatiou, or dwarfed the intellect. The
genuine reason, whether admitted or
not, was because the religion of Christ
/ paid no respect to their intellectual
vanities. Blount, and Boyle. and the
/ host Of intidels Matched ont by the vile
reign of Charles the Second. rs reptiles
crawl out OF a marsh of slime. could
not keep their patience, because, as
they passed along, there were sitting
IN the gate of the church such men as
| Matthew, and Mark. and Luke. and
John, who would not bend an inch in
respect TO their philosophers.
Satan told our first pareuts that they
would become as gods if they would
only reach up and take n taste of the
| fruit They tried it and failed. but THEN
descendants are not yet satisfied Wi I'll
] the experiment. We have now many
desiring 10 be as gods. reaching NJ
after yet another apple. Reason
scorniul of Gods word. may foam anC
| strut with the proud wrath of a Ha
man. and attempt TO compel the HON
age OF the good. but in the presence o
men and angels il shall be confounded
Tod shall smitc thee, whitcd wall.
! When science began 20 make its bril-
! liant discoveries there were great fact.
! brought TO light that seemed to over
| throw the truth OF the Bible
The archaeologist with his crow bar
and the geologist with his hammer
| and the chemist with his batteries
/ charged upon the Bible. Moses &C
| count of the creation seemed denied b,
/ the very structure OF the earth. Tn,
astronomer wheeled around his tele
scoTe until the heavenly bodies SCENE,
20 marshal themselves against th
! Bible as the star, in th,
I courses fought against Siscra
. Obscrvatorics aud universities r..
/ joiccd az what they considered the cx
/ iinction of Christianity. They gather
ed new courage az what they consider
| ea rast victory. and pressed ON thcil
/ conquest into the kingdom of natur,
. until, alas for them, they discovcrc,
I too much. God word had only beer
. lying ambush that. In some un
. guarded uomcut.with sudden bound
. 10 might tear iuidclitr 90 niecc~.
lt was a- when Joshua attacl,s,
thc cI' of A. Tie selected SOD. goo mon
/ ana concealed most of them: then witt
/ 20 fcW mtn boo assaulted thc city. which
/ pou.e out bis numbers auI ,trcnvfl
/ upon J.-Hua.- iit,ic band Acc9rair,
iu previous plan thcv fell ba.k f
. seeming defeat but after au CD.
proud inhabitants of tIc city ha.
U a.