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THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR. WILLIAM J. THOMPSON.
Subject: The Ascension.
Brooklyn, N. Y.—In the Simpson
M. E. Church Sunday morning, the
pastor, the Rev. Dr. William J.
Thompson, preached on “The Ascen¬
sion.” The text was from Luke
24:51: “And it came to pass, while
He blessed them. He was parted from
them and carried up to heaven.” Dr.
Thompson said:
Concerning the crucifixion the
Scripture gives month, day, hour,
participants—much minutiae. Con¬
cerning the resurrection no mention
is made of the first heart-beat, only
the fact of the empty tomb and the
risen Saviour. Still meagre is the
account of the ascension.
The length of these narratives in¬
dicates our limited knowledge. Death
so common would have fullest men¬
tion. The resurrection, contrary to
all experience, would admit simply
the fact supported by “infallible'
signs.” The ascension, contrary to
the one law we believe to prevail
throughout the universe—gravitation
—and the entrances into the spirit
realm which baffies the imagination
of embodied spirits, would call for
the least mention.
Their importance, however, is in¬
versely as the length of the narra-.
tive. Death in itself is failure, the
resurrection declares Jesus to be the.
Son of God with power. The ascen¬
sion to the right hand of God pro¬
claims Him the ever-reigning su¬
preme sovereign.
The eagle-winged tyrant, death,
spreads over the whole earth, palls
God’s last and best creation In his
insatiable conquest; wrenches from
the human soul the organ of all its
intelligent and spiritual expressions
•—the body, and dooms it witn “dust
to dust.” Jesus Christ, the mighty
Prince of Life, conquered this
conqueror!
Our loudest Easter hosannas are
to His praise for this unrivaled
achievement. This triumph, how¬
ever. mighty as it Is, is but a part
of His life. Like the figures of arith¬
metic. depending for their richness
on what follows, so the glories of
Easter depend on what follows in the
life of Christ.
Napoleon Eonanarte used Maren¬
go, Austerlitz and other victories as
stepping stones to reach the dizzy
heights of military power; where he
swayed the sceptre from the Baltic
to Southern Italy, and allied contig¬
uous nations as vassals or dependent
states. He stood with his armies
upon the Alps and exclaimed: “Han¬
nibal is surpassed!” He led these
soldiers beneath the pyramids with
“Forty centuries look down upon
you.” France saluted him with:
*t Sire, your greatness is like that of
the universe.” If Nanoleon had died
before June 18, 1815, a glamor of
glory would have encircled his whole
career. But his life after this, with
the defeat of Waterloo and five and
one-half years in exile, leveled the
summit of his greatness.
We are not without concern for
our ex-presidents, lest some ill deed
militate a o-o inst their record in the
high office, Some grains of comfort
are extracted from our three mar¬
tyred presidents, all of whom were
snatched from us in the zenith of
their fame, a fact which shed glory
over their whole lives. Jesus Christ
disarmed death of its mortal sting
and led the powers of darkness cap¬
tive. Yet some subsequent event
could detract from the glory of this
high triumph. So the setting of
Christ in our faith hinges upon what
follows His death and resurrection.
If Jesus had remained in Jerusa¬
lem, as Kis disciples hoped for, ves¬
sels from the four ends of Christen¬
dom would have congested the ports
nearest that city with deputations to
visit Jesus as judge, divider, benefac¬
tor, thereby weakening their faith
and enervating them in working out
their own salvation. The most stal¬
wart fibre in Christian manhood
comes from largest faith and zeal in
self-culture, and this could not be
favorably produced everywhere with
Jesus localized. Men everywhere
should have equal divine assistance
in having right hearts, speaking ac
ceptable words, and doing justly. To
this end Jesus must he spiritually
present in the world and consequent¬
ly bodily withdraw. While the lus¬
tre of Jesus would have shone un
uTminished had He remained on
earth, yet to reach His maximum
effulgence it was expedient that He
go away. Man’s complete salvation
and the glory of Christ concurred in
this departure. Our faith is vitally
involved in His destination.
His departure. The farewell ad¬
dress of George Washington was im¬
portant in his estimation as well as
Jn that of his soldiers and posterity
A farewell address would be valu¬
able and fitting for all our presidents
to close their administration. Our
farewells are the utterances of our
best selves. This is foreshadowed
by its typical formulas. “Fare-ye-
well.” » . God be with you,” abbrevi
ated to “Good-by.” The farewell of
Jesus has the same relative impor¬
tance. He takes leave of the world
that clamored for His blood and had
glee over its shedding. Mark you.
“He lifted up His hands and blessed
them.” Thus His valedictory is in
the same exalted level as all that pre¬
cedes and our faith holds high in the
risen and departed Christ.
He departs not in darkness but in
the light of day; not in the valley
but from Olivet’s top; not alone but
in the view of His disciple*. He had
withdrawn many times before, this
time He ascends. “While He blessed
them, He was parted from them and
carried up into heaven." Shortly
after Stephen, the first martyr, looked
up and said: "Behold, I see the heav¬
ens opened and the Son of Man at
the right hand of God.” Some time
after Paul had a vision of Jesus in
heaven: likewise did John. Satan,
the defiler, was hurled headlong from
heaven. Nothing that deflleth en
tereth therein. Elijah, a pattern of
piety, whos9 mantle holy men covet¬
ed, the chariot of the Lord carried
thither, and Enoch, who walked witn
God, was taken there. Jesus ascend¬
ed to heaven, the abode of the good,
for all ages.
Furthermore, the whole company
of prophets, sages, kings and might;
men of God, are in that great com¬
pany whose number no man can num¬
ber, yet Christ sits at the right hand
with a name above every name and
all powers and principalities at His
feet. This exaltation — His through
all time—enriches all His past, makes
the land on which He lived to us
holy, His precepts priceless and gives
the largest satisfaction and fullest
fruition to our faith.
The ascension of Christ pays honor
to the body. The third article of our
religion is “Christ did truly rise
again from the dead and took again
His body, with all things appertain¬
ing to the perfection of man’s na¬
ture, wherewith He ascended into
heaven and there sitteth until He
return to Judge all men at the last
day.” Pestilences are not from Him.
Disease, making the body, as Pope
declares his, an “apparatus of tor¬
ture,” is no more from God than
the disease of the soul. Jesus cured
both and inflicted neither. The body
designed to be an instrument of
righteousness must he strong. To
be strong it must be nourished by.
pure air, pure water, pure food. Even
if these be secured by legislation,
the legislation should compass the
hygiene of homes, offices ana facto¬
ries, the prohibition both of overtax¬
ing hours for women and the slaying
of childhood upon Mammon’s altar.
The wounded are to be healed. More,
the road between Jerusalem and Jeri¬
cho so patrolled as to make wounds
from robbers impossible. Not only
is disease to be cured, but the cause
is to be removed.
Christ's ascension confirms our
hopes of immortality. We have a
twofold origin. First, the physical,
from Adam. Like myriads of his de¬
scendants who have lived before us,
we see how our bodies will dissolve
into the dust. Our spiritual commu¬
nion with God the Father, our pass¬
ing from death to life in love for the
brethren. This is our creation anew
in the second Adam. Christ Jesus
As that ■which bore the image of the
first Adam follows Him, so that in
us which bore the image of the sec¬
ond Adam will follow Him.
If there were no continuation of
this life after death, Christ says: “I
would have told you so.” No pro¬
visos concerning its terribleness—"I
would have told you so. »» << I go to
nrepare a place for you: that whefe
I am, there ve may be also.” Christ’s
ascension describes our pathway be¬
yond the grave, and where He is, all
the spirits of just men made perfect
will be also. The ascension of Christ
gives most emphatic confirmation of
ou^ hope of the life beyond.
Joy from the ascension of Christ.
These men had parted from their
teacher, the prince among teachers,
the friend of friends His hands
would no more be laid upon them in
benediction. No more would His
voice be heard. They were the suf¬
ferers of the most irreparable loss.
Thus bereft, their task was to dis¬
ciple all nations composed of hostile
peonies, eager to persecute them with
death torture. Oh, the agony of
their desoair! Yet they “returned
to Jerusalem with great Joy.” Abun¬
dant roust have been their ascension
joy to have absorbed their grief.
His words to them were “all power
is given to me.” Wickedness would
be annihilated by His omnipotent
grace. The assurance of t.he fruition
of your supreme desire gives great
joy. The supreme desire of these
who were trained by Him who is full
of grace and truth would he the de¬
struction of evil and the enthrone¬
ment of good. The assurance of this
consummation by Him of almighty
power filled them with joy.
•Toy comes from power. Govern¬
ment is said to have its origin in
man’s desire to govern rather than
to be governed. The successful can¬
didate flushed, with power is joyful.
All the power of our ancestors
meets in us and must obey our be¬
hest which may be “thus far.” The
Dark Ages said this and arrested pro¬
gress, or if further, which we of the
twentieth century say, the labors of
the race are transmitted to the en¬
richment of posterity. These dis¬
ciples tense with the power of Him
by which they can do all things, were
joyful. But when it is from the
power that turns carnal kingdoms
into those of eternal love, its inten¬
sity and duration is fullest. This
was the source of the disciples’ joy.
They “continually praised and blessed
God.”
We may be the depository of the
spiritual power of twenty Christian
centuries. We may exercise it to
make the world purer, jusier, holier.
The pathway of the ascended Christ
may be the trial of our own spirits
to ineffable glory. Under' the do
mihion of these convictions as it is
our privilege and duty to be, we ex¬
perience with the disciples the great
ascension joy and will like them
“continually praise and bless God. »*
Second baseman Abbaticchio is hit¬
ting the ball much harder than he did
last season, The Pittsburgs look
pretty strong excepting at the initial
bag.
“Pittsburg’s Perennial Pennant
Pursuing Pirates” is the way a
Gotham scribe designates Barney
Dreyfus’ National League representa¬
tives.
The.
£>un£>atj-£>cftoof
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM¬
MENTS FOR JULY 30.
Subject: Saul Rejected by the Lord.
1 Samuel 15—Golden Text, Josh.
—Commit Verse 32—Read
Chapters IS, 14—Commentary.
TIME.—A. D. 1091 B. C. PLACE.
—Gilgal. Samuel Rebukes
EXPOSITION.—I. revealed
King Saul, 13-19. God had
His purpose to make Saul king first
to Samuel, and to Samuel God first
revealed His purpose to depose Saul
because of his disobedience. There
was no other man in all Israel whom
God could so trust and of whom He
could make such a confidant. Samuel
grieved greatly over Jehovah's re
jection of Saul, he spent the whole
night in tears and prayer (v. 11),
but he rose early to perform the duty
that God had put upon him, unwel¬
come as it was. He will deliver God’s
message and deliver it at once, Saul
greets Samuel with a great parade of
piety. A guilty conscience often leads
i men to louder hallelujahs. Saul ut¬
tered a bare-faced lie, but it is not
likely that he admitted even to him¬
self that it was a lie. Many a man
fancies that he is sincere when he
says, “I have performed the com¬
mandment of the LORD,” though in
his inmost heart he knows that he has
done nothing of the kind. Samuel
was not in the least deceived by Saul's
loud professions. It Is impossible to
deceive the man who is in God's con¬
fidence. Furthermore, the bleating
of the sheep and the lowing of the
oxen betrayed Saul’s falsehood. There
is no use trying to hide our sins
(Prov. 28:13; Nu. 32:23). The only
way to get our sins covered out of
the sight of man is to open them to
the gaze of God (Ps. 32:1, 5: 1 Jno.
1:9). In all that had to do with
obedience Saul “I” and “we, tP
says
in all that had to do with disobedi¬
ence Saul says “they” and “the peo¬
ple.” It is always the other fellow
that is to blame, but if it is a question
of credit, that belongs to us. The
basest sinner can always invent a
good construction of his vilest deeds.
Saul would make an act of grossest
disobedience to be an act of devotion.
It is not uncommon for rebels against
the holy will of God to decorate the
gratification of their lust with the
pretense of religion. Why Saul and
the people really spared thf cattle is
evident (vs. 9 and 19). To give a
part of one’s ill-gotten wealth to the
service of God will not set one's diso¬
bedience right with God (vs. 22, 23).
Samuel did not venture to tell Saul
what he thought of his actions. He
did something infinitely better, lie
told him what God Himself had said.
Saul listened. Samuel always com¬
manded respectful attention, because
men had learned that he spoke not
his own mind but the mind of God.
Samuel first recalls to Saul’s mind the
wonderful grace of God towards him.
The Bible constantly enforces our
duty towards God and our guilt in
disobeying Gcd by bringing to ow at¬
tention God’s goodness towards us.
It was when Saul was humble, uhen
he was little in his own eyes, that
God exalted him (Lu. 14:11). Je¬
hovah had appointed him to the very
first place, and he had repaid God by
gross disobedience. What ingrati¬
tude! But not so great as ours when
we disobey the God who has made us
His own heirs. Saul’s commission
was to destroy the Amalekites “ut¬
terly.” The Amalekites were a type
of the flesh, and God will have no
mercy on the flesh. It must be put to
death, the death of the cross (Gal.
5:24; cf. 3:13). Many professed
Christians deal with the flesh just as
Saul dealt with Amalek. God sets
them aside just as He set Saul aside.
Samuel sweeps away all Saul’s soph¬
istries with a single question, “Why
didst thou not obey the voice of the
LORD?” No possible reasoning can
excuse disobedience to God.
II. Saul’s Worthless Excuse, 20-
23. Saul put on a very bold face and
stoutly asserted that he had “obeyed
the voice of the LORD.” He hoped
to lie himself out of his difficulty, but
he failed lamentably. He has many
imitators, but none ever succeed. Be¬
fore God got through with Saul he
was forced to say “I have sinned” (v.
30). Every sinner has to come to
this point sooner or later. The sooner
he comes to it the better. One should
never disobey God; but if one does
disobey, the thing to do is to make a
clean breast of it at once. Saul ad¬
mits that the sheep and the oxen
should have been utterly destroyed,
but again says that it was the peoplj
that had spared “the chief” of them,
and that too with a good purpose,
“to sacrifice unto the LORD.” Then
he adds, with the vain hope of con¬
ciliating Samuel, “thy God.’ If Saul
had been as cunning as some of our
modern scholars who find something
inconvenient in the Word of God, he
would have told Samuel, “I do not
believe in a deadly literalism in inter¬
preting the word of God. I have kept
the spirit of God’s command, even if
not the very letter.” Many in our
own day are seeeking to subst’tute
sacrifices and services of their own
invention for simple obedience to the
plain commands of God. God does
not ask us to invent, but to hearken
and obey. Witchcraft (in all its
forms) and “idolatry and Teraphim I»
are exceedingly hateful to God, but
“rebellion” and “stubbornness” are
just as hateful. All disobedience to
what God has said is “rebellion” and
“stubbornness.” There was just one
cause of Saul’s ruin, he had “rejected
the word of the Lord.
r Real Estate t Fire Insurance
Fort Valley Realty & Development Co.
The leading Fire Insurance Companies Represented.
Office Over Exchange Bonk. hurt Volley, Georgia.
»
FEMININE NEWS NOTES.
Paris is to inflict fines for wearing
large hats in the theatre.
Mrs. Egbert Parnell, an Austra¬
lian, invented perforated underwear.
Mary Mannering said sbe was su
ing her husband, James K. Hackett,
for divorce.
Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt is the
heaviest taxpayer in Newport. R. 1.,
paving on a total valuation of ? 1,040,-
200 .
The Mount Vernon (N. Y.) Board
of Health, spurred to action by mem
bers of women’s clubs, started a cru
sade against flies.
Queen Alexandra opened ,buildings
Intended as headquarters for the
Royal National Pension Fund for
Nurses in London.
Mme. Alla Nazimova, Russian ac¬
tress, has purchased a tract of land
at a cost of $4 0,000 on By tain ltidge,
N. Y., for a country place.
Although probably more actively
engaged in business than any other
person in the country, Mrs. Hetty
Green has never used a telephone.
The Art Students’ League of New
York City announced offers of prizes
from W. T. Evans and others to en¬
courage ambitious young men and
women.
Mrs. Humphrey Ward lias come
out in the open against women’s
rights, and is one of the most promi¬
nent of the organizers of the National
Woman's Anti-Suffrage Association.
The Figaro, of Paris, announced
the engagement of Mile. Anne Fal
lieres, daughter of the President of
France, to Jean Joseph Edmond
Lanes, secretary-general to the Presi¬
dent.
The only woman in The world who
bears the impressive title “Dean of
Deans” is Miss Laura C. Cornell, who
is a leader in the executive and edu¬
cational work of Temple University,
in Philadelphia.
NEWSY GLEANINGS.
Henry Arthur Cadogau, Viscount
Chelsea, died in London.
Agents of the big beef de¬
clared that the price of meat would be
advanced again.
The Powers agreed to send a war¬
ship to Tangier to protect the lives
and property of foreigners.
The Russian Ministry decided to
present in the Duma a bill providing
for workingmen’s insurance.
The Pennsylvania Railroad having
completed four tunnels is now consid¬
ering a fifth for New York City.
Mexico's "revolution” is practically
ended, according to reports to the
Government at Washington, D. C.
The Japanese Cabinet formally re¬
signed, and the Emperor instructed
Marquis Katsura to form a new Cab¬
inet.
Two world's records for intrench¬
ing troops were broken by Company
H, of the engineers’ corps, at Pine
Camp, N. Y.
Dutch colonists in Curacao have
prepared a petition to Queen WJJUel
mina asking for improved relations
with Venezuela.
The United States Government
closed the Caracas Legation because
of the confiscation and destruction of
American property.
The Russ, at one time the leading
Liberal newspaper of Russia, sus¬
pended publication on account of
financial difficulties.
Martin R. Preston, now serving a
twenty-five-year term in a Nevada
prison for murder, was nominated
for President by the Socialist-Labor
party.
The iron and Steel Trades Journal j
repeated its statement that an capital inter- j
national steel trust, having a :
of about £150,000,000, would be :
formed in London.
SAY BKIIKSFOUD BLUNDI ED.
Gave Signal Which Would Have
Urougiit Cruisers I ..to Collision,
London.- The Times publishes- a'
statement to the effect that during
the recent British naval maneuvres of
the Channel fleet Admiral Lord ;
Charles Beresford gave the signal j
for an evolution which, if obeyed, i j
would have brought the cruisers Ar
gyll and Good Hope into collision.
Sir Percy Scott, however, on board
the Good Hope, the statement says,
doubted the accuracy of the signal
and refrained from obeying it.
His Last Joke. |
“You say you would like more ex¬ I
ercise?” said the death watch to the
condemned man. “What sort of exer¬
cise would you like?”
“J should like to skip the rope,” re¬
plied the prisoner with a grin.—Hous- j
ton Post.
Cold cash warms a marble heart,
but the effect is only temporary.
A man’s excuse for being irritable
at home is that if he wasn’t all the
rest of the family would be.
Do your best—but not your best
friend.
Kennedy’s
Laxative
Cough Syrup
Relieves Colds by working them out
of the system through a copious and
healthy action of the bowels.
Relieves coughs by cleansing the
mucous membranes of the throat, chest
and bronchial tubes.
"As pleasant to the taste
as Maple Sugar »»
Children Like It»
For BACKACHE WEAK KIDNEYS Try
DaWitt s Kidnoy and Bladder Pills—Sura and Safe
Sold by Holmes Clark & Co.
W. H. HAFER,
DENTIST.
Fort Valley, Georgia
Office over First National Bank.
C. Z. McArthur,
Dentist
FORT VALLEY, GA.
Office over Slappey’s Drug Store.
A. C. RILEY,
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW,
WRIGHT BUILDING,
Fort Valley, Ga.
Practice in all the courts. Money
loaned. Titles abstracted.
Tire *Cife Insurance
f \. D. Skellie
Office Phone No. 54.
FORT VALLEY, GA.
C. L. SHEPARD,
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW,
Fort Valley, Ga.
Office Over First National Bank.
TONSORIAL ARTIST
For anything in the tonsorial line
don’t fail to call on
WILLIAMS
Next Door to Post Office.
Experienced workmen and courteous at¬
tention to all. Everything up-to-date.
SAM LOO,
FIRST CLASS LAUNDRY
FORT VALLEY, GA.
PRICE LIST.
Shirts, plain.............. 10c
Shirts, plain or puffed with
collar 12 l-2c
Suits cleaned....... 30 & $1
Pants pressed........ 25c
Collars............... 2 1-2
Capes, collar or fancy 5c
Cu II N each per pair .. 5c
Chemise 10c
Drawers . .....,5c
U Undershirts ' "J; ‘ 5c
OOCifS, per pair 5c
Handkerchiefs...... . ...2 1-2
Handkerchiefs, silk..........5c
Shirts,,night, plain 10c
Coats ...... . ... 15 to 25c
Vests...... ... 15 to 20c
Pants...... ... 25 to 85c
Towels..... 2 1-2 to 5c
Table cloths ... 10 to 25
Sheets..... ..7 1-2
Pillow cases, plain...... . . .5c
Napkins..... .2 l -2c
Bed spreads, ...15 to 25c
Blanke.ts..... . .. 25 to 50c
Lace Curtains . ..20 to 25c
Ladies’ shirt waist .... 15 to 25c
Skirts ..22 to 85c
Some sound arguments consist
i ainiy of loud talk.
Hard cash is awfully hard to do
without.