Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-11-19
WAR AND PESTllENCE.


WAR AND PESTIlENCE.
ON rCSuming SrTvic"S in the Mctho-
dist church last Sunday after bcinE
suspended since September 10Th on
account OF quarantine. the pastor Rev.
}. r.. Mahaffey. spoke in a gen ,ral way
OF the victory which has bcCn won by
the .\llirS and what il has cost in life
and money. freely admitting that II
WAS worth 10 the world all that II cost
and more. provided there Is no fail
ar" Ola our part To learn and keep IN
mind the lesson which this terrible or
deal Of TOUR Years Is intended 10 teach.
and for that reason, said Mr.. MahaHcy.
he had selected the 2lst chapter of
IiTSt Chronicles Tor especial consider
alton. The leading thoughts in IN"
most excellent discourse are comprc.
hcndrd in the following:
Il would first direct your attention
TO the numerous victories Won 10y Da-
VIA and his armies as recorded III the
preceding chapters. victories so dvcId-
cd and Ncrwhrlming that even IN"
heart of David seemed To bc filled with
pT'id" and a glowing jealousy Tor his
future reputation. by the way, II Is
always Il dangerous thing for Il man
To feel that he has a reputation to
maintain. Just al this moment Satan
seized IN" opportunity 10 tempt David
on this very point. lie provoked nm
To number the people, so as Ia know
whether ur not he could afford TO VEN
turc on the next undertaking. Joah
protested against il. knowing IL was a
SIN for Il man To begin figuring whcth-
cr az not hU could afford 10 obey God,
and that is the sin many have COM
mittrd time and again. This counting
oi the people WAS like Il man counting
his money Ia 81" whether he Will haN"
enough left To give something To Gods
cause. | once called ON Il mar for his
Offering Tor missions. He took out a
roll OF green backs and after carefully
lOokin. through il a time or two. hc
finally selected the oldest. raggcdc"t.
dirticst one -dollar-bill in the roll and
handed it ont aS the Lords portion.
WAS u little surprised that n man
like that would give any at all. Have
often wondered why he gave II.
But Dayid'S word prevailed
against Joab and the soldiers I'm all
Israel wcr" counted. i took nearly
ten months TO do IL. and every mo.
mcnt of that time was proclamation of
distrist in God in that case Il mis-
placing OF confidence In human
strength. or course that was very
displcasing TO God. He had given vic
tory after victory by his own power
and might. and now to see David's
proud heart turning from trust in God
To trust in armies was displeasing to
God as sUef always Is: for II means
the sure downfall of all who practice
| Il. Therefore. David and his people
must hc taught a lesson. so tn"
Lord sent pestilcncc upon Israel. and
there fcll OF Israel seventy thousand
men David then saw his sin and re-
prntcd in SackCloth. ne and his lead
ing mon falling down upon their faces
before God. and the pcstilcncc was
stayed.
"Now as | have often said during
the past twenty years, something must
bring this world to It's ScnSeS.-tO a
RECOGNITION OF God and n sense of our
dependence upon Him. Many hav"
been thinking this awful war would
10 that. but two months ago this war
WAS about TO close and thousands had
scarcely been touched by IT. and in the
nature Of things. many would not bc
for Il lonS time yet. While millions hnv"
been prOStratod In the dust with the
loss OF all they had. others were act
ually prOfit"rring on tn" misfortun"S
OF those who suffered most ! have
heard of some who actually wanted
tho war to go right on because they
were making so much money out of IL.
Others were ready TO boast OF what our
armies were doing and could do. TIL"
fact is. our armies did not do II.
When the tide turned our army had
scarcely replaced onc-tcnth of the loss
by RuSSiaS retirement, and yet the
tide turned. True our noble boys were
arriving and we thank God for tn"
| = n
are proud of all that. but In some way
or other God Himself arrived also.
Millions Of praying people were In IN"
dust OF humility, confcsSing our sins.
and praying for our sons and for our
cause. Then the influenza came. no
body knows from whence or who, ami
no matter If they did. thousands wait
ed for coffinS TO be made, and thus
other millions were humhled and made
10 feel their dependence on God. unless
they he rcprobatcs with neither heart
nor conscience. only awaiting eternal
doom.
So il has come to pass that the war
and the pcstilcncc have done tho work
Of preparing the way for the new age
and placing humanity on the right ba-
sis from which to start, and II they
will keep the lesson in mind and pur-
pose to be governed by II. we may soon
begin the program of reconstruction.
but If we fail TO learn the lesson or
fail to keep 1t in mind. then all this
lost Of blood and tears and pain and
money will have been in vain and
something else will have to come 10
awaken n sleeping and ungratcfuI
rrGplc II would bc the basest Of in
gratitude to allow our boys TO die IN
France by the sword Of the German
foe. or our own countrymcn TO die In
America by the saw of the pestilcncc
that walkcth in darkness and wastcth
at MONDAY and then so soon forget
and settle down TO the same old pro-
gram of n mammon loving. timescrv-
in". sclfindulging generation that has
had its day. been weighed In the bal
ance and found wanting. God must II:
recognized and his plans adopted as
the program OF the immediate future.
Are we ready to begin? Are we ready
to begin now. without waiting Tor
something else TO remind us?
But this incident was also the
means OF learning another very I'M
portant lesson. An Offering had TO hc
made and Ornan proposed to give
David all his thrashing machinery.
including the oxen and the wheat fol
this purpose free Of charge. But David
said he would not offer to God sacri-
fice OF that which cost him nGSsin%.
He would buy 1t all at the full pric"
Thus We arc taught that the essential
element OF an acceptable offering Is
the element OF sacrifice. II must cost.
How many OF us give until VIC actual
~ feel IT? How many of us actually
deny ourselves Of something in order
TO give? Thank God. know several
who do that very thing. But some
fear have never done 1t yet. and ..
how much they are missing