The sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1906-1909, November 05, 1908, Image 5
AA
SubJeep The S.stalinagqD
Joshua I:7-Have I not oeni'manded
the? Be 'stroxg and of a good .courage;
be not afraid. Neither be thou d4myed;
for the LOTd thy God is w4tA thee .ither.
soever thou, giest."
- Moses is 'dead. Jdshua, th'e son of
Nun,,the minister of Moses, leads.
For forty long, weary beart-trying
Year.Moses had. led Israel; led her
In the fae tf discourageinents and
disagreement, ikoins4, the will of
the, Ackle multitude that with long
-.;Ing looked back to the leeks and gar
lies and onions of Egypt desiring to
serve a thousand years in the house
and under the bondage of Pharaoh
rather than to live for a day by faith
in God; in spite of machinations and
cabals, through the desert to the
bounds of Canaan. Moses' work was
done. -The task for which he was
particularly fitted was completed. A
vision from a mountain top. -Canaan
to the weit. "And the children of
Israel wept for Moses." '
The old leader was dead. The new
leader is in command. Moses, the
cautious, relinquishes the rule to
Joshua, the captain. Moses had his
capacities, opportunities, talents.
Joshua is not Moses. But even as
Moses was the man of the hour, so
Joshua is the called of God in his.
Moses and Joshua are not struck from
the same mold, but they both strike
for the same cause, serve the same
people, yield homage to the same
God. Each Is necessary to his age.
And the age that prodiced each is
prepared, by the wise providence that
broods upon the affairs of men, for
each.
Differently, and yet not altogether'
otherwise, is it with us, as together
in this church we confront the larger
labors of another year. The leader
Is the same. The cause is the same.
The same Spirit moves within us.
The same Sovereign directs. But the
old year is dead. A new one lives.
The old year had its problem, difficul
ties,' disconutagements, perplexities,
delights. The experiences of the old
year are memory, history, yesterday's
events. The new year,, full of larger
tasks, mightier opportunities, more
searching joys, lies ahead. The old
year had its peculiarities that will for
ever differentiate it from any other
that shall ever be. The new year
cannot be the old, any more than
Joshua could be Moses. . The old yeal
4 ~"'lhe new year-Allelulab!
dead. But the God of
sts. Joshua is the leader.
of God to Abraham and
and Moses, is the prom
in its rineness and elor
ooshua. The God of Abra
ham is Joshua's guide. The Spirit
who niade bright .the way for Moses
is the evangel of Jehovah to Joshua.
"Be not afraid, neither be thou dis
inayed; for the Lord thy God is with
-e whithersoever thou goest."
The' promise that God gave to the
w leader He makes to use -in a new
ir. Joshua has no mortgage upon
' loving kindness of Jehovah. He
s no monopoly of the grace of God.
.'e arm of the sheltering God is not
a'rtened, His affection is not less
.-,d, His promises are not cened.
* - ; heart yearns toward us. GCod
i aks to us as much as He did to
T shua. We shall not do damage to
i. text to unduly strain It if we in
sist that God advises us that which
He delivered to Israel through
Joshua. He makes covenant with us
as we face the work of the new year
in the language that He used to
Joshua. "IFe not afraid, neither be
thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God
Is with thee whithersoever thou
goest."
Under the sway of the conscious
ness of the reality of the p)romise'
Israel took courage, received enthu
siasnm, was enlarged with expectation.
Believing that God was with them the
people entered with heartiness, en
thusiasm and hopefulness into the la
bors of the Lord.
We need courage, enthusiasm, ex
pectation. That is to say, we need
heart, heat, hope.
Without these we cannot be effect
ive in the service of our Saviour.
These we may secure if we will accept
as words of comfort and encourage
ment from God to each of us, the text
of our discourse, "Be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed: for the
Lord thy God Is with thee whither
soever thou goest."
We need courage. Heart! A Lao
dicean church, neither hot nor cold,
lukewarm or warmed over, is as inef
ficient for real accomplishment as the
white of an egg to the satisfaction of
the taste. The people must be cour
ageous and the organisation must
have the heart of the Master-kind,
robust, roborant-to attract the mul
titude and to uplift the mass. Only
by intrepidity and interest can we In
spire or command the men and wom
*lg to whom as the messengers we
C3obme with a necessary and vitalizing
appeal..
We 49ed Enthusiasm. *fHeat! On
the day ' o't Pentecost the disciples
were so enthused that the natives
said "These. men are full of new
-.wine." Thea' were hot with a mighty
joy, thoroughly on, fire. They acted
as though they were drunk. They
appearerl to be- fools. Fools for
-Christ's sake. But it seems that the
heat of Pentecost is .the only force
that has kept and can keep alive the
force and power of the church.
WVould God that we had mom'e Pente
costal fools! Men- and Women who
e6uld be aq nmuch on lire With enthu
6ot be dotera Yai
19 life in God, I in ioa
.n.lvtion in His S)Voq, use.
eforts, reiit in sjhh. Hop6
the breeze that fans the. flate of
thusialm. It is. adimnative. A
opeless Church is lil1e a hopeless
1g1t. Lost!' Th4 l,ope.fqll company
of Christ's follpwers is- scrutillant Vf.
brant wfti energy Ih fqlP, majestlo
play, invincible.
What we need we may secure. And
as Joshua and the Jews! . ".The Lordo
thy God is with thee whithersoever
thou goest." Believe it. Receive
Him. Trust Him,
Let no man belittle the value ot
courage. They were a. gloomy band
in blue who ran from Early at Cedar
Creek. . Vincible, discourage4, dis
gusted, fearful! But when Sheridan
sped from Winchester to their head
rout became victorious frenzy. The
courage of Sheridan inf,used heart
into hi' men. Courage has written
October, '64, large. and lasting upon.
the tablets of valor. It was not an
easy matter for Lihcoln to declare
against the wisest counsel of his noqt
devoted friends that "A house divided
against itself," "A nation half slave
and half free," 'could not endure.
It lost him a legislative election. It
made him President. Without trans
cendent courage a hero ,would have
been undiscovered. Heart in the
martyr was the motive that sowed the
blood seed'of the church. .
Let no man underrate enthusiasm.
Israel was at Eben-ezer. The Philis
tines were pitched at Aphek.. The
ark was at Shiloh. They met. Israel
was beaten. Thereafter the' ark of
the covenant was brought into their
midst. And the Scriptures tell us
"when the ark of the covenant of the
Lord came into the camp all Israel
shouted with a great shout, so that
the earth rang again." It matters
little for our purpoEe what was the
outcome of the ensuing conflict. 4'The
earth rang again." Enthusiasm
reigned. The beaten hosts again
-took up their arms. Faithlessness
gave place to hope. They were re
vivified. What were the Crusades
without enthusiasm, or the victories
of the church?
Forget not expectation. In the
hope of everlasting glory Paul en
dured stripes, buffetings and terrors.
I-I4ldebrand planned the glories of
Romanism, that found expression in
the reigns of Innocent III. and Boni
face VIII., in hope. Henry Ward
Beecher went to England in the dark
est days of civil strife to fight a quin
tuple, oratorical and moral battle for
his country and the right. He was
knocked, scoffed, threatened, mal
treated. But in hope he talked and
battled on. At last faith found its
victory. Co.mmercial England 'yielded
to God Almighty as He spake through
His latter-day evangel of truth.
All these men, in their divers
fields and under these divers condi
tions, were encouraged. enthused,
hopeful. They were enhearteped,
augmented in zeal, enlarged in their
capacities through richest expecta
tions, because they heard, even as
Joshua, the voice of the Lord saying
unto them, "The Lord thy God is
with thee whithersoever thou goest.'
There is no psychological impetus
more profound than this. This is the
mainspring of human power. It is
.the dynamic of human endeavor. The
consciousness and certainty of the
reality of a sustaining God is the su
pernal motive of all life. Shall we
not realize its apneal and scope?
"The Lord thy God is with thee."
"Be not afraid." "Have not I com
manded thee?" Hear Him? This is
comfort, joy, peace. H-ear Him?
Listen!
Irving Sq uare Presbyterian Church,
Brooklyn, New York.
"The Only Remedy For Sin."
We p)reach Jesus as the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the
world. This is the old, old story; it
Is a very sinlple story, but the telling
of it will save the p)eople. Keep to
that Gospel.
Miany have lost faith In it. It is
hoped tha.t p)eople will nowv be saved,
by new socialistic arrangements, by
moral precepts, by amusements, by
societies, and what not. You that
are sent to preach Christ, If you take
to doing something else, and become
philosophical, socialistic, philan
thropic, and all that, what is to be
come of the spiritual nature of men?
Keep) you to your work, go and
preach Christ to the people.
I have not lost faith in .the old
Gospel. No; my faith in It grows as
I see the speedy failure of all the
quackeries of succeeding years. The
methods of the modern school are a
bottle of smoke; Christ- crucified is
the only remedy for ain.-Spurgeon,
Goed Knows Me.
My life is not what I have chosen.
I often long for quiet, for reading and
for thought. It seems to me to be a
very paradise to be able to read, to
think, to go Into deeper things, gath
er the glorious riches of intellectual
culture. God has forbidden It in His
providence. I must spend hours in
receiving people who speak to me
about all manner of trifted, must re
ply to letters about nothing, must en
gage in pub)lic work on everything,
employ my life on what seems uncon
genial, vanishing, temporary waste.
Yet God knows me better than I
know myself. He knows my gifts,
my powers. my failings and weak
nesses. what I can do and what I can
not do. So I desire to be led, and
not to lead --to follow Him. I am
(uilte sure that Hie has thus enabled
mne to do a great deal more, in what
seemed to be almost a waste of life,
in advancing His kingdom, than I
wvould have done in any other way,
I am sure of that.-Norman McLeod.
'True to One's Own.
No man can ser~ve his Fatilei. I V
7.~' OM
VCBER 8
SubJeot Pavid Qt4ievej For Absalom,
a Saanuel 18 - Golden Text,
Prov, 17:25--Conuhit Verse 22
---ominentaro.
TIME.-1022 B. C. PLACE.
Maha am. -
EXPOS)[TION.-T. Tidings of Vi.
tory, 24.81. It will not do in teach
ing this ,leq*p_.to confine oneself to..
the ver4es. sAAi4ned. Absalom had
laid his plans with great shrewdness
and skill. But he had left God out in
nll his cqtjons (ch. 17:14, R.
V.). Tbt :omisfoi was fatal. It
was In -awer to David's prayer that
Gbd "bad- i'dalned to defeat the good
counsel *roftithophe'': (cf, P Sin.'
15:31). Hushal had appealed suc
cessfully to the vanity of Absalom in
his attempt to overthrow:Ahithophel's
counsel (ch. 17:11). In this time of
seeming general defection from David
there were really many who stood by
him still (ch. 15:19-21, 32-37; 17:17,
18-20, 27:29; 18:3). At last a for
midable army had rallied to his sup
port (ch. 18:1, 2). David's chief
concern was about Absalom, and his
parting word to his generals was to
deal gently with him (v. 5). The
overwhelming victory which was the
result of the battle is a type of the
overwhelming final victory.that shall
end our David's conflicts with His
foes (Rev.- 19:11-21: 2 Thess. 2:8).
More people of David's enemies were
destroyed by the hand of God in this
battle than by the hand of David's
soldiers (v. 8; cf. Judges 5:20, 21).
Absalom hp.d longed to meet the ser
vants of David, but when he met them
it was to his dismay and ruin (v. 9).
Absalom was not now riding in a
chariot with horse and fifty men'to
run before him (cf. ch. 15:1), but on
a mule with his men running away
from him. It was an appropriate end
for Absalom -that he should be hanged
(De. 21:21; cf. De. 27:16, 20). We
all deserve to be hanged, as for that
matter (Gal. 3:10). The only thing
that saves us from it is that an
other was hanged in our place (Gal.
3:13). The destiny of all who treat
their parents as Absalom treated his
father will be like to Absalom's
(Prov. 20:20, R. V.). Absalom was
deserted by all at the last, even "the
mule that was under him went away."
Absalom paid dearly for the injury
that he 'had done Joab at an earlier
day (ch. 14:29, 30). Joab was a
vengeful man, and had been waiting
all these years to get even. All our
mean treatment of others is likely to
come back some day upon our own
heads with compound interest. How
the heart of David trembled when .he
was told that a man was coming run
ning. He knew that he had tidings,
but what kind of tidings? Then when
another appeared in the distance the
heart of David beat faster than ever.
Then when he was- told that it was
Ahimaaz, and he was sure that it was
good tidings that he brought, fear
for 'Absalom 'filled his heart. - Poor
David! Sin is awfuj costly! The first
word of Ahimaaz to David was
"Peace" (R. V. Marg. v. 28). That
is the message that the gospel brings
to every contrite sinner (Ro. 10:15).
Ahimaaz bowing himself before the
king with his face to the earth (v. 28,
R. V.). It was not only in honor to
the king, but also in worship of tiod,
whom he immediately proceeds to
bless. But before our . David every
knee shall bow, and every tongue con
fess (Phil. 2:10, 11). Ahimaas as
cribed all the glory for the victory to
Him to whom it belonged (cf. -Gen.
14:20; Ps. 115:1; 144:1, 2; Rev.
19:1-3). It was Jehovah, and Jeho
vah alone, who had delivered up
David's enemies. And it is He, and
He alone, who delivers up ours. But
David had .but one thought, "Is the
young man Absalom safe?" Ah,
David, you should have thought of
that years ago, when you took that
awful step that plunged Absalom into
eternal ruin. Most fathers think of
the safety of their sons too -late.
Ahimaaz avoided the question, but his
answer was ominous. David felt that.
The Cushite, teo, ascribed all the vic
tory to God. So did David himself
(ch. 22:48, 49; Ps. 124:2, 3). Ven
geance belongoth to God, and He had
avenged David on all those that rose
up against him *(cf. De. 32:35, 36;
Ps. 94:1; Re. 12:19).
-II. D)avid's Over'whelming Grief
Over Absalonm, 32, 38. This is one of
the saddert scenes in all history, and
one of the most instructive. David's
first question of the Cushite, as of
Ahimaaz, was, "Is the young man
Absalom safe?" The Cushite's an
swer wvas not direct, but it was none
the less unmist;.keable. In an instant
David knows that Absalom is dead,
and he knows that the ultimate re
sponsibility for the ruin of the son of
his love resta upon himself. Who can
measure the agony of the father who
looks upon the temporal and eternal
ruin of lyis son, and knows that ho is
himself to blamo for it all? That is
an agony that every father who wan
ders into sin may expect to face. The
enemies of eur David will ultimately
all be as that young man was. David's
sin was no sufficient excuse for Absa
1om. Ho had brought tuin upon his
own head. Our D)avid too -sorrows
over the ruin of '1l18 bitterest foes
(Lu. 19:41, 42). D)avid said of Absa
1cm, "Would God I had died for
thee." Christ did die for His -enemies.
David seems to have never' recovered
f-rom this sorrow. All over these
chapters is written in large letters,
"WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETPH,
WHAT SHALL HE~ ALSO RhiAP,".
S Ootten Oc~
- rotsa, N. (&~$ ' Qon..
sAli own, hsjust 'a
tbe Tideliti ts are again '
ion; the Atho#on -are -
time. Not a cotton mill in the city
will be idle.
There is a generaI tendeipy to
wards the manufaetre of the.gigher
grades of yarfs and thW.higher num
bers according to a well posted"mill
man who was diseussing the quesiioi
Years ago there wao. little market
for, any but -the'osarse'yarn say 20's,
but now the a*erage of the demand
has risen fifteen to twenty numbers,
o* that the present average may be
said to be elbee to number 40's. This
means' that the average grade, of
goods being manufaetured is flaer
than it was when the cotton mill in
dustry was just beginning to be a
leading industry in the South. The
3ntire trend of the textile trade now
is towards the higher numbers and
thb finer grades of cloth.
China Ready With a Welconme Fox
Second Squadron Battleship Fleet.
Amoy, By Cable.-When the Chin
ese government selected Amoy i4s the
port to receive the second sqiadron
of the American .battleship fleet, it
made a wise choice. The broad well
protected harbor, the climate (from
October to April) Unsurpassed and
the scenic beauty of the surround
ing country all unite in justifying the
selection.
The second squadron c-nsists of
the battleships Louisana, Virginia,
Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois
Kentucky and KerEarge, under com
mand of Rear Admiral William H.
Emory.
The Chinese government. has set
aside the snm of 400,000 Taels (I. S.
srold $280.000) to meet the expenses
of entertaining the battleship squard
ron during its visit. The comnitlee
in charge of the arrangements has
stated that the Peking govenment
has signified its willingness to make
additional appropriation should the
original appropriation prove inade.
quate.
Cotton Crop Short. -
New Orleans, La., Special.-The
Picayune says in its crop report: Ma
terial progress was made during the
last week in gathering the last rem
nants of an apparently short crop of
cotton throughout Louisiana and the
Southern half of Mississippi. Most
of the reports from these sections
concede that first estimates were too
high, and that. sudden detrioration
resulted from the ravagen of the boll
weevil. In the weevil-ridden sections
of Louisiana there is a wvell-defined
movement to either reduce the cot
ton acreage next year or abandon
the growth of the staple altogether
because of the uncertain conditions.
Planters naturally turn to sugar cane.
Frost prevailed in rnany sections
of Louisana, and the cooler weather
is entirely favorable for the matured
cane crop. The cane is being rapidly
harvested and transported to the.
sugar houses. Grindling has alreadly
begun in some of the houses, but the
great majority will not begin before
the next six or seven days.
Major Graham, of Raleigh. N. C.,
State commissioner of agricultqrc,
estimates the cotton crop in North
Carolina to be sixteen per cent short
of last year's crop. No State, re
potda crop equal to last year's
excep)t Texas.
Cotton Mi.lls Start Up.
Augusta, Ga., Special.--Nine of the
eleven cotton mills located here start
ed operations for the first time since
the freshdt of August 26. The canal
repairs are practfically complete and
there is a full head of water . The
weekly pay roll of these mannfa'c
tories is .925,000.
Pros;:erity INcte.
Newv York. Special.-As a sign of
returning prosperity, t he Une HaCf Pnk
of Brooklyn, formerly them Me'dhanies'
and Tradecrs' .'aas just paid its see
ond referred dlisbur'sem1ent of 15 per
cent to decpositors, ti s divide.nd be
ing ant ici paited six wee(kH ago. TPhe
bank has benc! able to realize fr;,m
its resource miore than was exnerWt.
ed. Sinc tlPIhe resumi~pt icn of bus>
ness, hun: !( ds of newv sconis~ ha:ve
tst1d ourhi
I i "I
prese, with other valuabl*eI
dients added. Try i.
*S-A* all er'ugglstasu n
A."Atr
A spfQansve permitA yN tDv
an easy riutim 'to the sinewd egen
veVeaotANful a Idne',
. Nat Apderson, Greenwrood, LNI
says: '1ide7 trouble began
fve years ag i
VuO- backaabr, a
ggt 30'severeNig
that I could nt "
aitound. The Mfdes
secretions b. . -
bjdly disordered
at times there
// almost a co
atop of the flow. N
was examined ag
and agai'n and treated to no avail
kept getting worse. I have to prmain'
Dean's Kidney Pills for my flant s
Jief and cure. Since using thns 3
have gained in strength and fles4 sm4ov
have no ign of kidney trouble."
Sold by all dealers. y0 cents a rme
4oster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
' Be Your Own Tree Doctor.
Every man should be his own tree
doctor. If properly trained ho h
been busy all summer removing a"
era from the trees, fighting funa
and discourag'ing insects. When the-.
leaves, are off he goes all over
plantation, diagnosing each ttelee
shrub and bush. He will ond soaf e
borers nt yet killed, and these
should he thoroughly eradicated
his quinees and apples betore win
sets in. Use a flexible wire and a'
sharp knife; and when the larvae
killed, pile coal ashes freely around
the tree. He will probably tind is
is currant and berry fields more e
less bushes that cuition ha
loosened in the soil. These are liable
to heave out during the winter. tb*
should slip a narrow shovel undr
the plan t, draw out the dirt, and let
the bush settle until it is well plant
ed. Tread heartily, and then, if yo
have them to spare, place at scuttIp
of coal ashes about cach one.-From."
The Outing Magazine for November.
t iProverbs and Phrases.
By night an atheist believes as &Ya
God.-Young.
A' bad -tree does not yield go in
apples.--Danmsh.
Bad is never good, until osm
happens.-Dustch.
- If lies werie Latin there would be
many learned men.-Danish.
A veiled insult is just as shame
as a marefaced lie and a let e.
cowardly. So. d5-, if
PUZZLE SOLVED
Coffee at Bottom of Troubla.,
, It takes some people a long tl o
find out that coffee is hurting theme,
But when snce the fact is cear,
most peoplie try to keep away frema
the thing which is followed 'by eer
increasing detriment to thie hit
stomach and nerves.
"Until two years ago I was a heavy
coffee drinker,'' writes an Ill. stock
man, "and had 'been al myelien a
Gm now 6 yearsold.
. "Abdt three years ago i begs to
have nervous spells and couf*'nt
Sleep nights, was bothered by -
gestion, bloating and gas on to
affected my heart.
"I spent lots of money doctoriag---.
one doctor told me I had chronic ca
tarrh of the stomach; anothej thsi N
had heart disease and was fiable is
die at any time.- They all diete4 am
until I was nearly starved, but I
seemned to get worse instead of bete.
"Having heard of the good Posteam
had done ror nervous people I gg
carded coffee altogether and bogssa te -
use Postunm regularly. I see m,
better and now, after nearly tin-.
years, I can truthfully uay N am
sound and well.
* I sleep well at night, do not base
the nervous sp)ells and am net both
ered with indlige'stion or palptata
I wveighs 32 pounds more tha'n whem 1.
began Postum,n and ami better ev -
way thar, I ever' was while drInin
coffee. I can't say too much fn pa-.
of Postum.ir, I am sure it saved
life." "There's a Reaso~n."
Name given by Post ium Co'.,. Bati
Creek. Mich. .fRead "TPhe Road
new one aippears froma time to thp~