The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-01-01

sassination. Irreverence in church during
prayer, measuring off song and sermon BY
cold, artistic or literary criticism, and In
prayer time neither bowling the head nor
bending the knee nor standing as one does
in the presence of earthly ruler, thus show
| ing more respect for a man than to the
King of kings. We ask not for genufex.
ions or circumhexions or prostratlons, but
when prayer is offered let US either bow
the head or bend the knee or let us in
some way prove that we are not inditfer.
ent.
In how many places have presumption
and foolhardiness taken the place of rev.
eyence! That three-quarters Of mile be-.
tween the chest of acacia covered w:tt
gold and mounted with wings-a symboi
of the divine presence the marching
regiments of Joshua suggests a reverence
that is woefully lacking in social life, in
legislative hall and religious assemblage.
A farmer went to the wheat field, taking
his son with him. The child said, "These
stalks that stand straight up must have
the best grain. Those stalks that bend
over cannot be worth anything" Then
the father broke off two of the tops of the
stalks and said, "Child, that one that
bends clear oyer has the grain" 1t is
the soul that bows in deepest reverence
Which Is the best soul.
As you have had no experience of this
kind upon which to draw for wisdom and
as you cannot fully state all the cireum.
stances to any human ear, go to God and
tell Him all about it. He knows already.
tell Him. That is what He has been
doing ever since the world got into trouble
,hy disobedent behavior on the banks Of
uIIe Euphrates.
No one has come to midlife who has not
been stung Of ingratitude. On the battle
field of Alma in 1854 wounded Russian
was crying in anguish of thirst for water.
Captain Eddington, of the English Army,
ran to him and gave him drink. AS the
captain was running by to join his regi.
ment the wounded soldier shot him. AL.
most all languages have proverbs setting
forth this perversity. English proverb,
Bring up a raven and it will pick out
pDaN ppesent and break the 9dish" Italian pro-:
verb, "The ass, after having drunk, gives
kick to the bucket" An old proverb
says, "If God were to be so complacent
as to carry us on His back to Rome. we
would not thank Him for His pains If He
did not also set us down in an easy chair" )"
You will never be happy in this world il
YOU do not do all the good you can and
look for no responsive gratitude. All the
damage | did man who is my enemy was
to take him from position where he re-
ceived $500 year salary into a position
where he has ever since received S2500 a
year. He never forgave me. but has pur.
sued me with pen vitriolic ever since.
The worst enemy you ever had is the man
But be not disturbed or even irritated.
You are no better than your Lord.
If the world had had any thankful ap.
probation of His coming it would have
filled that Bethlehem caravansary with
flowers, which bloom there clear on into
the December month, and Herod, instead
of attempting His death, would have sent
a chariot to fetch the infant to the palace,
and the oyer and terminer of Pilates
courtroom would have pronounced Him
not guilty. and instead of a cross and a
crown of thorns it would have been q coro.
nation, with all the mighty ones of the
earth kneeling at the foot of His throne.
We talk about the great discoveries OF
power, the telescope and microscopic
power, but do not say anything about the
discoveries we all make year by year and
day by day. There are surprises all the
time. It is a new road we are travelling.
"Ye have not passed this way before"
But closely allied is the other fact which
we limited at in the opening-that we will
not pass this way again. This is our only
, OPPORTUNITY 'isr doing certain things that
ought to be done. On ali sides Ine,, are
griefs we ought to solace, hunger we ought
to feed, cold that we ought to warm, kind
words that we ought to speak. generous
deeds we ought to perform. All that you
and do toward making this world better
| and happier we must do very soon or
never do at all. Joshua and his troops
never came back over the way they were
marching toward the crossing of the Jor'
bare feet of each soldier showed in what
direction he was going, but never did the
impress of the sandal of any one of them
show that he had returned. We are all
facing eternity to come. There is no re.
treat. Alertness and fidelity would not be
so important if we could truthfully say:
II will be back here again. The things I
neglect now will do the next time come.
will be reincarnated, and I will resume
my earthly obligations. Having then more
knowledge than I have now, I will dis.
charge my earthly duties better than I
can now discharge them. do not give
opportunities, but smiling and CHEEKY
we cannot say that. There will be no new
and corrected edition of the volume Of our
earthly life After we make exit from the
stage at the close of the fifth act we can
not re-enter.
How many millions of people have lived
and died know not, but of all the human
race who have gone only seven persons
that I now think of have returned, the son
of the widow at Zarephath, the young man
of Main, the rulers daughter, Tabitha.
Eutychus, Lazarus and Christ. Among all
the ages to come l do not suppose there
will be one more who will return to this
life, having once left it.
At this point I ask you to notice the
fact that my text does not call attention
to the crossing of the Jordan, but to the
way leading thereto. We all think much
OF our crossing of the Jordan when the
march of our life is ended but put too lit
tie emphasis on the way that leads to the
crossing. What you and I need most to
care about is the direction OF the road we
are travelling. We need have no fear of
the crossing if we come to it in the right
way. In other words, we need not care
about death if our life has been what it
ought to be. We will die right if we live
right.
What an absurdity it would have been
for Joshua and his men to have asked
each other questions like these: How can
we cross the Jordan if we get there? Will
not the water be too deep to allow us to
wade? Will we not all be so saturated
that we may lose our lives by exposure!
How many of us can swim? Had we bet
ter not wait until the annual freshet has
subsided?" No such folly did they com.
nit. They were chiefly anxious about the
way that they had mot passed before"
and were ignorant of and to keep their
eyes on the golden covered acacia box,
wing mounted, which was the ark OF the
covenant.