The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-12

Have you ever observed, both in the
Old Testament and the New, the dignity
of the service of God is spoken of as para
mount to all the other dignities of Gods
people2 "Hast thou seen my servant
Job7" Job, according to Gods own &C.
count of him, was unparalleled upon the
earth. There was not another man like
him upon the earth, and the Lord could
boast of him as "My servant job" God
spoke with Moses face to face, but when
God would boast Of Moses, he does not
speak of other privileges, but of this:
MY servant, that is faithful in all my
house." The great Apostle Paul, of
whom we were speaking, puts his being
servant of God before his apostleship.
You never find him writing. "Paul, an
apostle and servant" but "Paul, ser
want and an apostle of Jesus Christ" /"
You find the same in Peter. You never
find him saying, "Petcr, an apostle and
servant" but he also says, 'Peter, the
servant of God and of Jesus Christ, and
an apostle" When the great Apostle
speaks of James, he calls him ''the Lords
brother;' but when you find James writ
ing his Epistle, it is, "James the servant
of God and of Jesus Christ" The be-
loved disciple lay upon the bosom of
God, but we do not find him speaking of
this as his primal privilege; it was,
"John, the servant of Jesus Christ"
The man after Gods own heart had
learned the lesson that I wish we all
would learn on this subject to-day. Have
you marked his pleading with God? lie
does not plead his earthly dignity, and
say, "Great God, I am King; nor
does he plead his prophetic office,
but he comes before God as a poor,
needy man, and he pleads thus: II am
thy servant" If you were to take con.
cordancc and read the number of pleas
that David founds upon this it would in.
tcrest you. 'Be mercilul unto thy SER
want" ''Bc surety for thy servant" !"
Glide not thy face from thy scr
want" Go all through and you find
he pleads the service OF the Lord, and
that he was engaged as the servant of
the Lord more than all other consi(lera-
tions whatsoever. This was also Eljah's
boast: "Thc Lord God Almighty" he
says, 'before whom l stand" He was q
great prophet, and he performed mighty
things, but he boasts not of his office,
and not of his works; he boasts of his
service: ''Thc Lord livcth before whom
I stand" This was Gabricl's dignity:
81 am Gabriel, that stand in the presence
of God" The glory of the angelic host
does not consist in this, that they excel
in strength, that they stand upon the
mount Of God, but that they do his COM
mandmcnts, and that they hearkcn unto
the words of his mouth. There is no
higher dignity in heaven, no higher priv.
lcge than to be the servant OF God.
When we come to the Revelation we read
of a goodly multitude there, clothed in
white robes. There are palms in their
hands; they stand upon sheet of glass;
they harp with the harps Of gold; but
what is the privilege on which the spirit
of God lays emphasis? Not their robes,
nor their palms, not their harps, but this
-''they serve God, day and night, in his
temple. ."-Rer. Marcus Rainyo,d.
We should carry up our affections tc
the mansions prepared for us above.
where eternity is the measure, felicity the
state, angels the company, the Lamp the
light, and God the inheritance and por-
tion of His p 2ople forever.
The temperance work is the lifting
scale for women, and before we can ac-
complish our hearts desire, every woman
must give her strength and support to the
cause. In other words, the home of the
present must save the home of tue
future.
The Chautauqua course of study has a
temperance branch, Miss Willard having
made out the list of books, and been
chosen secretary of the department. Many
ladies are pursuing the course in their