The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-04-16
: if there wcrc nothing remaining to me

| asking this morning is Il permanent one:
| What am [ making the supreme purpose
| OF nv life? The Roman made martial eX'
| plot and supreme physical proves the de-
| sideratum of existence. He was trained IN
the GymnaSa: he sought 10 develop ms
BODILY powers 20 the utmost. And so ne
became 4 SPLENDID animal. His lee1ons
were uncomfortable. but his moral nature
was undevcloped. and Rome fell because
| she was built upon power without prlnc!-
| ne and c2naupst without character. Ihe
| ano:hcogis of Greece was aesthetics. She
established hcr lie on philosophy and art.
| she cave them 10 the world. but perished
in tie giving. Her art and her philosophy;
| did not strike fundamentals. Greece ana
Rome persisted because they did not grasp
the divine philosophy OF lie; the truth
| thai righteousness eNateth nation. buG
| sin Is A r2pr3aci 10 any people Inc SUI
uremc motive oj their existence was car
na!. not spiritual. and so. being built upon
! the sands 0f ;iwe they per!Shcd with time:
| \ polythci.tic pGGaniSm: rot too much OF
| God. but 100 maay Gods, that was their
undoing.
And 30 VIC might rarticuiarizc. What IS
| true of nations Is true OF men, Tor It Is
| the man that makes the nation. Any mo-
tive. ether than the highest. Is fatal to per-
manCnce and power. 10 adopt any otiIer
motto OF life than that which our LORD 9e-
| cIarcs in the teyt-to do the Will OF God
i TO court destruction We need this
warning to-day. We pride ourselves on the
| fact that VIC are 4 peaceable and peaceiul
| DpoDlc. We enter upon war only as der
nier resort. We are seeking to develop the
| industrial side of our life. We boast OF
our achievements in commercial compeTi-
ton: that the balance OF trade Is largely
in our favor We point to the enormous
| 81 tn NJ
creasiac exchequer. We are the wealthlest
nation on the face OF the earth. Our re-
sources are inexhaustible, our possibilities
of increment unlimited. But herein hes
our very peril. 1t needs no figures to de-
| clare that the spirit of materlallsm Is rife
az never before in our land The domina-
ton of wealth becomes daily more cruel.
| The quest of riches Is more and more
strenuous.
Millionaircs are not numbered by the
scores but by the thousands. Materiahsm
is rampant Its interests are supreme. IL
has been said that market Is beginning 10
dominate literature and art, instead C, OF
classic models and superior excellence lo-
day men no less than things have, their
price. and the> money value Is made the
| standard OF the worth OF an object. 1t IS
true that i'll some quarters there Is revuI-
sion oc spirit on this question. lhe PEN
drlum is beginning to swing the other way.
We take hone from the thought that many
are studying with insight the gross mate
TjaIism OF the age. The prophetic voices
against it are OF the increase IN the pu!pis.
Ignorant. vulgar and brutal wealth receives
scverer chastisements than few decades
j since. Empty show, eXtravagant display
and selfish luxary arc seen by increasing
nmmhcrs. according TO their hollowness
and ininuitv. There Is growing demand
for SIMPLICITY of life. for solidity, Tor ear
nest realities, for ethics, for spirituality;
| for bettcr ideals, for deaper thinking and
for the inner as we'll as the outer develop
ment of society. The leaven is working,
but as yet the lump remains practically un-
lcavened. -, -,
and the Christian III this matter! 10 we
not need 10 stand where Christ stood, to
make the motive OF His life the supreme
motive OF ours? Let us remember our
apostleshp. We are amha assadors, tor
Christ as truly as was Paul. Through us,
through our lives, our thoughts; our &C
tions. God is seeking to speak to the word.
| And what message would He have us
| bring? Is it message or woridlIness, OF
| selfShucss, of carnal desires. message OF
skilful temporizing with Bis commands
and skillful attempts to make HIS CLAIMS
unon us consistent with luxury and pleas
urc and worldly conformity! There IS no
doubt that many in our churches are seek
| inc TO apply this soDoritic to their con-
sciences: to be in this world and OF tins
| world and vet belong to God. Let us re-
member the words Of the great apostle:
..Be not fashioned 10 this world.
| but be We transformed by the renewing OF
vour mind, that We may prove what Is the
| good and acceptable and perfect Will OF
| God"
What was needed in Rome is not less
needed with us here to-day. should there
come such transformation. should there
be in every life the proving or the Will OF
God the whitered harvest would wait no
longer for reapers: the desire OF our Lord,
which with aching heart He expressed that
day of His conversation with the woman OF
Samaria. would be fulfilled. :.
| Elizabeth Fry was thoughtless girl OF
seventeen years, used to all the rehnements
| of luxury and life of case, wholly selfish
and wholly useless, when God came to her
through the voice of Quaker preacher.
She consec~atcd her life to God. Her meat
and her drink were the doing of the Mas
ters will and work. at the age OF sixty
five she wrote: Since my heart was
touched. at the age of seventeen, believe
have never awakened from sleep. in sick
ness or in health by day or by night, with
out my first waking thought belng now
best might serve my Lord" There could
be but one result from such conservation.
God seat her among the Outcast: and her
life became constant benediction. The
work she began in Great Britain among
female convicts spread all over the cont;
nent of Europe. Letters from crowned
heads, as well as from philanthropic peo-
pie in the common walks Of life began to
pour in. inviting her to visit the prisons
of other lands, and subsequently she visited
Scotland. France Germany and other coun-
tries, upon this errand of mercy, every;
where hailed as an angel of peace and
good viii to men. The prisons OF Europe
were reformed through her labors, and the
laws to punish criminals were greatly
modified in nearly all European countries.
Indeed the reformation spread throughout
the world This was the work accom-;
plished by one woman. who had submitted
her life wholly to the will OF God. She was
changed from thoughtless. frivolous girl
into woman OF great usefulness and pow
er. But the power came because the pur-
pose came. She gave full place to God;
and to His plans; she put them first, and
so God used and honored her. And what
was true of Elizabeth Fry may be true OF
each one OF lis. We nay not be called to
SO nigh task. We may find our horizon