The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-09-09

linn by telling them: PLUCK up yous
courage; you carry Caesar" Thia
great Roman believed in his des-
tiny. A secret presentiment babe
him believe that he was bern for a
notable career He had power, ne
had resource, but above all, a pro-
found belief in his star. The man
who has not such a faith is to be
Ditied.
We ali need such a vision. With
out it we perish. Aspiration Is in
spiration. Let us not be deferred
from building Jul castles, though
they are in the air. P~erchance God
will help us lay the foundations
under them and make them real and
strong and permanent. The man
who says: I must and, God helping
me, I can, is the man who has con-
fdence in himself to do something
that no one else can do. and that
otherwise will remain undone.
How wonderfully God holds ter
rife energies in leash and under con-
troll subject to the gradual outwork-
ing Of His perfect idea for the chill
dren Of men. In the realm of nature
all things work together for good.
The sun, which has in 1t heat sufh-
cient to consume our little world in
a fragment Of time, nurses to a full
Ter life by it's gentle caress the ten
der lily and the modest violet. 1t
touches them and evokes their deli
cate aroma; it puts the roses into
the cheek of the child and the song
into the throat Of the nightingale as
1t scars and sings to the clouds. 1t
is true that so we'll do we understand
the constructive forces OF nature.
that 1t furnishes but a trite subject
for our consideration. But under
meath all physical manifestations
and phenomena, let us believe there
Is moral purpose. Nature is COOS
great temple in which His voice Is
heard. 1t was through natures sub
Unity that David realized mans dig
nifty. Above all nature, next to God,
stands man. And for him all ply
steal forces are in harmony and
work together for his good. And
as with nature, so in history. AS
in the roaring of the seas and the
clash of the elements the atmos-
phere we breathe is cleansed and we
enter into more vigorous life. So
the wars, which seemingly spell
ruin; the crumbling Of nations,
which spells corruption: through all
storm and revolution, through shock
and tempest, God is leading the sons
of men out into larger life, and
bringing on the brighter and better
day.
And, finally, human experience
testiies to the same truth. We are
told that on one occasion Napoleon
was shut up in an island OF the
Danube, hemmed in by the Arch
duke Charles. He was able to main
tain himself there, but he sent word
to Italy and Spain and France, and
he ordered his marshal with sucn
minuteness that every days marcn
was perfect. All over the north OF
France, and from the extreme south
of Spain and Portugal, the corps
were, all of them, advancing. and
day by day coming nearer and near
err. Not one of them, on the march,
had any idea what was the final pur-
pose. and why they were being Or
dered to the central point. But on
the day the master appointed the
head of the columns appeared in
AA>SS
every direction. Then it was that
he was able to break forth from his
bondage and roll back the tide Of
war. How like our life, as 1t moves
on, to the command Of the Master.
It's forces seem confused to us, with
and cohesion, ofttimes antagonistlc.
Joy and sorrow, health and sickness.
prosperity and adversity-all march
in their appointed paths and to their
appointed ends. But at last we shall
see behind them all the n will and
the one power, and we shall be able
to say on the day Of final emancipa.
ton and victory, as said Joseph o.
old. God meant it unto good, to
bring it to pass.
So, let US go forth, renewing our
courage as we renew our confidence
that to them that love God all things
work together for good.