The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-04-29
did not strike fund,mentals. Greece and


the divine philosophy Of life; the truth
that Righteousness exalteth q nation, but
| sin - reproach to any people" The 50.
preme motive OF their existence was car.
nal, not spiritual, and so, being built upon
the sands Of time they perishcd with time.
A polytheistic paganism: not too much OF
God. but too many Gods, that was their
undoing.
And so we might particu.arize. What 10
true of nations is true Of men, for it is
the man that makes the nation. Any mo-
tive, ether than the highest. is fatal to per.
i and Powe1t 10 ,.h adhop. any 20 Gthsr %s
ciarcs in the text-to do the will OF Cod
is to court destruction. We reed this
warning to-day. We pride ourselves on the
fact that we are peaceable and peaceful
people. 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
accumulation Of capital; to our ,.s: ever in.
nation on the face of the earth. Our re-
sources are inexhaustible. our possibilities
of increment unlimited. But herein lies
our very peril. It needs no figures to de-
clare that the spirit OF materialism Is rife
az never before in our land. The domino.
ton of wealth becomes daily more cruel.
The quest Of riches is more and more
strenuous.
Millionaires are not numbered by the
scores, but by the thousands. Materia'ism
10 rampant. It's interests are supreme. 1t
has been said that market is beginning to
dominate literature and art, instead OF
classic models and superior excellence. To-
i L. hov
price. and the money value is made the
standard Of the worth of an object. 1t is
true that in some quarters there y revul-
sion of spirit on this question. The PEN
dulum is beginning to swing the other way.
We take hope from the thought that many
are studying with insight the gross mate
rialism Of the age. The prophetic voices
against it are on the increase in the pulpit.
Ignorant, vulgar and brutal wealth receives
severer ehastisements than few decades
since. Empty show, extravagant display
and selfish luxury are seen by increasing
and iniquity. There is q growing demand
for simplicity of life. for so'idity, for ear.
nest realities. for ethics, for spirituality:
for better ideals, for deeper thinking and
for the inner as we'll as the outer Develop
meut of society. The leaven is working.
but as yet the lump remains practically un'
leavened.
What, then, is the duty OF the church
and the Christian in this matter? Do we
not need to stand where Christ stood, to
make the motive Of His life the supreme
motive Of ours? Let US remember our
apostleship. We are ambassadors for
Christ as trul.- as was Paul. Through Us,
through our lives, our thoughts: our &C
tions, God is seeking to speak to the world.
And what message would He have US
bring? Is it q message OF worldliness, OF
sel6shness, of carnal desires. a message OF
skil,ful temporizing with His commands
and skillful attempts to make His claims
upon us consistent with luxury and pleas
urc and worldly conformity? There Is no
doubt that many. in our churches are seek
ing to apply this sopori6c to their con-
SCIENCES: to be in this world and OF this
world, and ye. belong to God. Let us re.
member the words OF the great apostle:
"Be not fashioned according to this world.
but be We transformed by the renewing OF
your mind, that ye 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 q Transformation, should there
be in every life the proving OF the will OF
God, the whitened 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 Oh
Samaria, would be fulfilled. :, :,
Elizabeth Fry was a thoughtles, glrl OF
seventeen wears, used to all the rekncments
OF LUXURY and q life OF ease, wholly selfish
and wholly useless, when God came to her
through the voice OF q Quaker nreacher.
She consecrated her life TO God. Her meat
and her drink were the doing Of the Mas.
ter's 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 nv first waking thought being how
best I might serve my Lord: There could
be but one result from such consecration.
life became n constant benediction. The
work she began in Great Britain among
female conricts spread all over the CONT;
nent of Europe. Letters from crowned
heads. M well as from philanthropic peo-
ple in the common walks OF life began u
pour in. inviting her to visit the prlsons
Of other lands, and subsequently she visited
Scotland, France, Germany and other coun-
tries. unon this errand OF mercv. every,
where hailed az an angel OF peace ana
rood win to men. The prisons OF Eurone
we're 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 frori thouqhtlcss. fr vo!ous girl
into a woman of great usefulness and pow
or hut the power came because the purr.
nose 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 us. We may not be called to
so nigh n task. We may find our horizon
circrmscribed. and our opportunities linn
tied. but il our meat and our drink are to
do the will Of God, the opportunities wil
be many and the results will be precious
and permnnent.