The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-05-08
And as q freckle face boy 20 years
ago he was caring only 81 day driv-
ing stakes

seldom those started in business with
capital, but those who bad nothing to
start with but their strong arms and
active brains.
There are great prayers which like
the old Spanish galleons, cross the
main ocean and are longer out of sight,
but come home deeper laden with
golden freight.
God and his laws work together,
and any nation will find, as did the
Jews, that obedience and freedom dis
obedience captivity, still travel togeth-
er in his train.
Trying to accomplish any appreci.
sble results with divided mind and
unfocused energy, is like endeavoring
to move an engine whose boiler is full
of pinholes, each of which is letting
out steam.
There is sin and trouble everywhere,
whether one walk upon the Bowery
or stroll upon Fifth Avenue 1t is the
same. The Bible is true when 1t says
we are "born unto trouble as the sparks
fly upward"
No one can imagine, until he tries 1t
what realization of Christ's constant
presence will do for him. He cannet
be lonely. He will not be afraid.
Doubts will no longer harass him.
Life will become full of thrilling inter-
est.
Why do our lives bring us 80 much
less happiness than they ought? Is 1t
not because we neglect to gather up
the little enjoyments, the small pleas
ure which every hour offers to our &C.
ce ptance?
Eye hath not seen. nor ear heard |,
neither have entered into the heart OF
man, the things which God hath pre-
pared for them that love him. This
Is true of the Christians life on earth
as we'll as of his inheritance In Heaven.
The best way to seek help In devot-
ions is just for the day. This gives
defiteness to our praying and our read
ing of the Bible. It is one of the many
evidences of Gods thoughtfAness for
us that he gives US time in short meas
ures, just little at once.
Some weeks ago I made the state
ment if one had money he had happi-
ness, and I entertained in my house
Immediately following the sermon a
man of very large wealth who said:
"That statement is untrue, happiness
does not necessarily 90 with wealth. "
There are aching hearts all over this
great city of ours.
How does q man become learned I?
Not, surely, by devouring volumes at
a pulp, but by submitting to the grad.
ual accumulation of little items and
details of knowledge, go enormous IN
the aggregate. day after day, and year
after year.
How does a man become rich ? Not
by huge windfalls, but by minute and
careful accumulations Of years. Mil
lionaires have become such by econo-
MIXING the loose money, the petty
sums which most men deem not worth
saving, the pennies and nickles and
dimes, of which too many men keep
no reckoning, but which, piled up year
after year, make altogether the pyr-
amid of q fortune.
Little things are merely the causes
of great things. They are the begin.
ming, the embryo, and it is the point
of departure which, generally speak
ing, decides the whole future Of an ex-
istance. One little black speck may
be the beginning o: a gangrene, ofa
revolution.
One petition in very old morning
prayer is in these words, "Cause me to
know the way whereit I should walk. !"
The path of q single day seems very
short one. but short as 1t is, none OF
us canlfind 1t.
What are treasures Of beauty to one
whose tastes are solely bestial? Mans
old nature could not enjoy Chrlsts
Gift of life here or of life hereafter. 30
be give US new nature. The old In
clination and appetites and impulses
are supplanted by new creatures
th rough and through and thus capable
of living the life.
In our morning devotions we would
better think of only the one day on
which we are entering and seek wis
dom, guidance strength. and help, for
1t. Let tomorrow with its possible
cares, duties, and needs alone. 1t is
not yours yet, and you have nothing
whatever to do with it until you come
up to its edge.
If we sincerely and truthfully com
NIT our life to God in our closet before
we 90 forth, getting into close person
al relations with him, then our day
will be blessed and frightened, not be-
cause we prayed and read our Bible
in the morning, but because In these
exercises we really put our hand into
Gods hand and gave our life to him
for keeping and for service.