Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1899-08-05
say. 81 love-" Compare it with the
Germania German would say the

Germania German would say the
wicked go to Helle; ours would say the
wicked go to He'll. Pity the man who
| cannot express his feelings clearly,
forcibly, powerfully in our tongue.
Well, did you know that the English
language owes much Of its purity, its
tenderness, it's mighty power, and its
lation of the Bible? Scholars agree
that had it not been for this Bible our
| language might have been weak and
scattering and non sensIcal. But in
that time when our language was
being formed, this word of God be-
came the great foundation stone on
which and about which the grand
structure of modern English was
built.
Again, let us notice the influence
which this word of God has had over
the world at large. might picture to
you the condition of the world when
that first fond pair went forth from
the garden of bliss to face the cold,
stern, bitter life ahead in obedience to
the commands of an angered God.
You might be made to see Cain as he
went forth without the word and with
the curse, crying that his punishment
was greater than he could bear, for he
had no Book with its precious in
vitations to repentant sinners. You
light look to day at the age of Noah,
without any written invitation from
God. when men following their own
wild, selfish desires fell so deep into
sin that when the Lord God looked
down upon the children Of men. He
found only one righteous family. Look
at that righteous man Of his. bound
down, afflicted, miserable in his dis
nil r IN a
Scraping himself with pieces of
broken pot, he cried, "Oh that one
would hear me: behold my desire is
that the Almighty would answer me,
and that mine adversary had written
Il book. Surely | would take il upon
my shoulders, and bind it as crown
to me, | would declare unto him the
number of my steps, as a prisoner
would | go near unto him. o, be-
lieve that no man Of modern times can
in any way realize the intense long
ing which many of those in the days
of old had for written word from
God. At last the Old Testament, from
Genesis to Malachi, was delivered to
the sons of men, and then the New
Testament, ending with the reve-
lations to John; and for ages while
this was being delivered kings and
prophets and apostles went forth cry
ing to the wicked, both the high and
the low, to turn them from their evil
way and to seek the Lord who is God,
and thus centuries after the time of
Christ the hordes Of Northern Europe
oyerran the cultured, Bible reading
South, and following this came the
long midnight of the dark ages. The
wisdom of men departed from them {:
arts and sciences were almost who'll
ly forgotten. Oner, the orator, had
thrilled mems blood with his learned
and fry elOquence, now the tongue OF
the orator was dead once stately piles
of marble had reared their heads to
the skies, now the piles were broken
in pieces, and reptiles and rats made
their homes where once crowned heads
had slept. The twang of the hunters
bow, the din of clashing arms, flowing
streams Of rich red blood, the many
captives In lonely lifetime end is the
cry of murdered innocents-these
took the place of the watchful shep-
herd, the industrious plowman, or the
busy marts of trade. Instead of Just
laws came oppression, instead of right
came might, instead Of government
came anarchy. Feudal lords and
naughty barOns for a time held sway
over their subjects as mighty heather
beN pOIS Tulc over lnelT people. Inc
rights OF peaceful living were abol-
lshed, the sanctity OF the home was
invaded, morality became almost a for
gotten word, and instead Of songs of
praise To the true God, came wild
orgies and baCchanals to heather die
ties. Well was this called the dark
ag"S, for the pail Of midnight dark
ness had settled down on things Spir-
itual rs well "a things temporal, and
gloomy clouds Of ignorance and vice
crowned the whole world. What was
the cause of all this? Look beneath
III" surface and beyond mere details
of profan" history, and you will find
that il was because the word Of God
had SO largely ceased TO be a factor in
human affairs. \ few muSty copies
w"r" hidden away in dark clOisters, n
few "Uuk, in humid cells were trans
-crrhinG the word, but tn" great mass
t., knew not the will of God. But
wien the greet rcfOrmcrs arose with
copy of he word in their hands and
Il copy engraved on their hearts and
H"r!ar"d, "by grace are ye saved :"
when women hid the precious word
brtwerH the beds that the hand Of the