The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-02
Prosperity of the Wicked.

1t is true that some goddess men and
women seem to be happy and prosperous,
and that some devoted disciples are great.
ly afflicted. But it is far from the natural
deduction of Scripture and experience that
all the godly are unsuccessful and the
wicked prosperous; though we, do ac-
knowledge that the ancient sentiment of
the text is not without it's modern appli-
cation. We still wonder why the un-
righteous prosper and the godly are at
ficted.
We cannot deny that many worldly peo-
pie have an abundance of life's blessings,
and that they appear to be quite free from
adversity.
1t is not uncommon for goddess people
to inherit property. Nor is it unusual for
unbelieving parents to leave an inheritance
to their children. That, while, there has
been utter indifference to Christianity,
accumulation of wealth. And many pos
sess disinterested temperament that pro.
tects them from needless care and anx-
lety.
Doubtless the ungodly are allowed to
prosper in order to test and prove the
righteous. 1t is test for the faithful, but
unfortunate, to see some goddess mortal
carried on the sea of prosperity. But it
is test that we are abundantly able to
sustain.
Having admitted that the ungodly often
enjoy temporal prosperity. it remains. to
acknowledge that the righteous are fire.
quentiy subjected to the greatest suffer
ing of body and mind, and, # possible, to to
afflicted, though it is very likely that every
heart sustains some burden. Even our
limited knowledge of the Scriptures and
imperfect religious experience ena bles US
to understand why believers are often af.
hicted. 1t seems as if some were destined
to be unfortunate. Everything they un-
dertake fails, and the harder they labor
the more they are disappointed. We ut
terly repudiate the doctrine of fate, but
find ourselves confronted with the fact
that some seem to be creatures of misfor-
tuNe. Many of life's adversities are
brought upon themselves; We may ac-
consciousness find ourselves confronted
with the conviction that We have been the
cause of our own suffering.
Some of life's adversities are brought
upon US by others. The social fabric is SO
closely woven that even one thread can
not be broken without weakening the
whole. So we suffer for the deeds of
others. We believe that God sometimes
sends affliction to bring His children back
to himself. lie takes away Cne IDOL OF
some heart that He may be the only OBJ
ject of alteration. He sweeps away houses
and lands to teach His people that they
are dependent upon Him. One has ex.
cruciating pain to teach him the frailty Of
the body and the certainty of its ulti-
mate dissolution.
All ostensible prosperity is not true
prosperity. The prosperity of the world
is greatly overestimated. Some goddess
men succeed in certain particulars, but
they have not that which is worth more
than the treasures of Egypt. They are
poor spiritually. They cannot purchase
at the market the one great need Of the
soul. -
The adversely of the righteous is also
overestimated. They do suffer, they ex:
pect to suffer and are willing to suffer, if
such suffering will contribute toward their
justification. But it is better to be in
moderate circumstances and be in the
kingdom with pain, than out of it with.
out. ..
There is only one just conclusion. 1t is
that the government of God is perfectly
just and that we are safe in its keeping
A child once said, I know that the Grim.
inal will obtain justice, because my father
is the judge We know that we shall have
prosperity and adversely. We know we
shall have justice because our heavenly
Father is the judge.=The Rev. G. L.
Palmer, Kingston, N. Y.