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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 =? 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.