The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-06-20
The Old Paths.

Stand ye IN the ways, and see, anu
ask for the old paths.-Jeremiah,
vi, 16. S
Every renaissance and reformation,
every epochal movement that has to do
with the upward development Of hu-
man life, is marked by return to old
ways, strong, wholesome, clean, that
have long been neglected. - 8
Life's grt moral principles, the
highways over which it comes to it's
highest and truest development, are
not susceptible to change. Conditions
and environments change with kaleido-
scopic rapidity, but those things that
have to do with the moral well-being,
with character in it's largest enrich<
ment and development, do not change.
Honesty is the best policy to-day, aa
1t ever has been, and no new-made law
of commercial life can ever change it
Purity and decency and moral respec-
liability are not amenable to any new
conditions of modern life. Life's con-
fusions, it's persistent and insistent de-
mands, require US to look up now and
again those old gui1e:narks by which
we shaped our course in the earlier
days.
We instance three departments OF
life in which. there is an urgent need
for this return to the old paths, namely,
the commercial, the social and the re-
ligious. 8
If any one wishes to seek for the evi-i
dences of the need for return to the
old ways of commercial integrity let
him but note the colossal moral failures
that have marked this so-called period
of commercial development. The youth
that are entering the several callings
and yocations need to be reminded
that there are ways that are honest
and clean and wholesome, and that
they are the only ways of permanence
and satisfaction. What We find here
we disclose again in our social life.
There is a certain puerllity and steril-,.
ity, certain lack Of reality and whole
someness. about much that masquef-
ades as social life Impurity and in
temperance of life, whether they wear
broadcloth or homespun, are as repug-
nant to the sense Of decency to-day AZ
they were when our fathers and motn-3 i
ers danced tie minuet.
There is a peculiar revival Of inter-
est in the old furnishings Of q former
generation. If we would revive their
environments let us seek to bring back
something of their character, some-
thing of that splendid simplicity ana
genuineness that marked the finer life
Of our Colonial days. It is needless
to say that here, as in our commercial
life, there are saving remnants; that
there are homes where the spirit Of
true chivalry among men and true
nobility and grace among women keep
pure and strong the currents of sociat
intercourse. What we contend against
is that spurious thing, that, for certain
reasons Of wealth or so-called social
prestige, exhibits no restraint and prac-
tees no temperance in conduct.
Again, the religious life Of the TWEEN
tieth century has been described as in
TRANSITION state" and we are dis
posed to think that this Is largely so;
but what is to be the transition? Where
are we tending? There is an almost
pathetic and tragic appeal to-day for
the old paths and ways Of religious eI-
perience. Much as the later expositorS
Uf Holy Writ have done, and 1t Is
much. to give greater clearness to the
Interpretation of the Bible, there Is q
persistent cry that must be- needed II
the church is to prevail, for those old
familiar and fundamental truths that
have to do with life and death and
immortalty.-Rev. James E. Freeman,
Rector st. Andrews Memorial Church,
Yonkers, in the Sunday Herald.