The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1954-12-24

g ia IN " w VIZ
should not be sur DR.. Foreman
prised at this. nor cry about It.
After the Mount OF TRANSPORTATION
comes sick boy in dusty val
ley. After every high day comes n
long string OF low days. Religion.
the religion OF the Bible is not
thing intended only for Sundays
and holidays. II is religion for the
clammy day after.
The Old Counselor
There is one book in the Old
Testament which many readers
find hard TO understand. more
than any other 1t hardly seems
TO fit in with the rest OF the Bible
Where other writer's sing this one
Just talks. Where other writer's
soar into the heavens. this one
considers heaven 10 be SO far
away that it is not worth While to
talk about it. Where other Bible
writer's are full OF hope and Opt.
lIiSiIi, iiifN pl4e IL klcClllN " HAS
very bones He could we'll De
called the Philosopher OF the
Morning After. We have 10 re
member one or two things. about
"Eccleslastes" as the writer is
not too appropriately called. He is
not what we would call preach
err for that is what the name Ec-
clesiastes means. lie is more like
a colunnist. giNer Of advice,
counselor He is not Christian
and SO We must not expect that
he will come up to the height
from which a Christian secs life
He is an old man. and has had
everything except happiness. He
is not a complete cynic. that Is
to say there are some things in
which he does believe. But his
beliefs are held. so TO speak. un-
der cloudy sky. 1t is wonder
f,,l thing that in the Providence
OF God this book was included in
our Bible. for il gives US just what
we need when we too are let-doNt
on some dark day after Christ
mas. The old counselor catches
us on the rebound and gives u.s.
if we will listen, some uncXcitins
and perhaps unhopeful but still
useful advice for our Days Aftet
Mad E.I ek,sa&s
The favorite refrain Of the. Old
Counselor is SVanity Of Vanitics.
Emptiness Of Emptiness life te
him is like one OF these nests Of
boxes sometimes seen on the toy
counters: you open the big one
and find one not quite so big You
open that and it holds slightly
smaller one and so on till
you come 70 the tiniest box OF all.
Must be a diamond? No. YOU
open it and its full Of Nothing So
this old man who had had plenty
Of money and nothing to stop him,
went first after one thing and then
after another, but he never found
happiness. All is Vanity and
Striving after Wind You can't
catch the wind and if you could,
so what? He sees nothing in
wealth. nothing in pleasure, moth
ing in learning, nothing in love.
Being, as was said, no Christian.
he sees nothing even in the next
life to lure him on. Beyond this
world he sees only mo work nor
device, nor wisdom. nor knowl-
edge. in the grave, whittier thou
goest" 20: lop
But Lie Mvst o On
Nevertheless. even this gloomy
and disillusioned man hpds some
things IN life in which he does
believe. He believes In work for
works sake. He knows all human
works perish; he knows a mans
best work may be unappreciated
and unpaid but still there is
nothing better than that man
should rejoice in his works
t3:22l. A good thought for the day
We have to get back TO work.
Then he believes in enjoying God S
gifts as they come; in sharing
what We have: Give q portion to
seven. yea. even unto eight"
1l:2. But under and through all,
he believes in obedience to God
It is true. this old counselor did
, not know God as Christians have
known him. He had lacked the
experiences Of suffering. and Of
love. and OF the forgiveness OF
sin Still even with his clouded
/ vision. even thinking as be did of
! God as tar away and mysterious.
he knows God has gwen man GER
tain laws to live by; he knows
that it is At least right to do
right. Fear God and keep his
comm andments is his last word
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