The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-04-13
stroys the life of his child and the fam

stroys the life of his child and the. fam'
/ ily never recover from the shock.
! Unuuestionabiy God permits Affections
to come upon His people. Adverslty IS
required as well as prosperity. If 1T were
not for the former we should become IN
different to the latter, and forget the
| source from which all blessings come;
| Prosperity IS more severe ard rehned
| test of character than adversely, as one
| hour of summer sunshine produces greater
corruption than the longest winter 5 day.
India with her famine is more to be en-.
| We'd than ancient Rome with her fatal
apoplexy of wealth. Better grace with
scarcity than plenty without saving salt.
We believe that God sometimes sends
afaiction to bring His children back to
Himself. He takes away the idol of some
heart that He may be the only object Of
alteration He sweeps away houses and
lands to teach His people that they are
dependent on Him. One has excruciat-
ing pain. to teach him the frality of the
body and the certainty of its ultimate dis
| solution. Spurgeon used to say that many
are like boys tops, they only spin when
they are whipped.
There is q famous fairy tale in Brad
| wardine that will convey to our minds the
| Interpretation that We ought to apply to
the sublime doctrine of providence. A
certain hermit resolved that he would
travel from place to place until he found
some one who could offer satisfactory
explanation of the government of God. As
he was passing along on his contemplated
Journey an angel in the form of a man
joined him. The first night they lodged
at the house of very holy man, and they
spent their time in praisng God and con-
versing upon divine things. In the morn.
,yo Tod bn
with him a cup, of solid ;old. The second
night they came to the home of another
| religious man by whom they were most
Hospitality entertained. In the home they
had an infant upon whom their affection
centered. When they left the next morn
ing the angel DESTROYED the life of the
child. The third night they were enter
tanned in home Of great wealth. When
they left the following morning the angel
killed the favorite steward The last
night was at the home of goddess man,
to whom he gave the cup of gold as the
angel left. After the fourth night the
hermit asked the angel 10 explain why he
had taken the cup and given it to another,
will now explain. The first man was being
ruined by his cup, so took it away. The
second home was more concerned in regard
to the child than in the service of God.
The steward was slain to preserve the
life of his master whom he was plotting to
destroy The golden cup was given to the
ungodly man because his only comfort was
to be had here. Or in other and inspired
words: "Alr things work together for
good"
All ostensible prosperity is not true pros.
perity. 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 justi.
fcation. But it is better to be in moderate
circumstances and be in the kingdom, than
to roll in wealth and be outside of it. 1t
is better to be in the kingdom with pan
than out of it without.
There is only one just conclusion. 1t
is that the government of God is per-
fectly just and that We are safe in its
keeping. A child once said, know that
the criminal will obtain justice because
my father is the judge. We know tnat
We shall have prosperity and adversely.
We know that we shall have justice be.
cause our heavenly 'ather is the Judge.