The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-11

The valley of death is no new place to
Him; for He has not only >trod 1t Him
self,-He has led myriads Of His redeemed,
ones through it.
On tie resurrection morn, we shall find
that Jesus the Shepherd has come out Of ths
tomb before us, the first fruits Of them thai
sleep" Even into Heaven He enters a.
believers experience his loving Leader II
seen going on before; and the whole duty o
Cody life is summed up in that singh
word-following Jesus-Dr. Z. L. Cuylsr.
yIs1BLENEss OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE. -
Conservation to Christ must reveal itseh
and Justify itself in the visible conduct Of
life. Our Christ is a revealed Christ. Heia
Christ Of the world and for the world. He
is not cloistered Christ: He does not keep
himself in the clouds, nor in the dazzling
light of heaven. His work, His great re.
deeming work for US, was done in the sight;
of men on the conspicuous places of the
world. He did not atone for US in the far
heavens. But he made our common walkaj
ilustrious by His footsteps on them, and oul
common places luminous and glowing by HM,
endurances in them. Bethlehem was town
of no great distinction till His birth in itlfted
it to q glorious renown. Nazareth was q de-
wider fame than any royal city Of the
Caesars. Geths,mane and Calvary have I'M
spired the poetry of the people, by theii
voices of pathos and agony beyond any other
great endurances of heroes and martyrs, bel
cause the memory of his voluntary and
priceless suffering reverberates and thrills IN
their enduring and unforgotten names. He
was in the world; he was seen among us
The tones of heaven were in his human
voice. The light of heaven was in his pitys
ing eyes. The help Of heaven was in his
the only begotten of tine Father.
Since he went away, his followers, by
open confession and conduct, have repro
duced his life in lowly and unworthy ways
it may be, but in methods and experiences
which he has graciously accepted and.
blessed, and on which he has pronouncedl
his "well done" -
It is not enough to experience religion In
the closet. 1t is not enough to come alone!
to God in repentance and faith, and to make
loyal vows in private. They who follow the
and popu'ace in country and in city, in tie
temple and by the well-side He would
have no disciple ashamed of him. BE
would have all who love him confess him
before men.
st. Paul's life was q life of declaration.
He said: II stand unto this day, having
obtained the help that is from God, testify
ing both to small and great" He was an !.
open confessor. He wanted to know Christ
and the fellowship of his sufferings. He
would have gone into another Gethsemane
and borne cross upon another Golgotha;
He said; 'Ill fill up on my part that which
is lacking of the Affections of Christ for the
Church" He knew what was meant when
he wrote: 81 bear in my body the marks OF
the Lord Jesus" (Gal. 6:0.
something of this. Our Christian life must
be lived out before the world. AS in olden
time men saw him on their streets and in
their homes and in their assemblies, and
knew tat the Christ was visible, so must :
they see us in places of business and study,
in all places where men are, and must know
that the Christ, in the presence Of one who
loves and serves him and represents him to
them, is verify present. They must see him
in u.s. We must speak his language. Such
words as these that reached the intellect of
Nicodemus and the conscience OF the woman
him elf and made PLATE fear, as fell on the
sad hearts of the multitudes, who in their
hunger and thirst hung on his lips, as led
Roman officers awed by his language, to
say, "Never man 80 speak," must be our
words to our associates and to strangers.
We must speak the language Of heaven
amidst the Babel tongues of the world.
Christian songs have oftened awakened re-
sponsiye tones in dull souls, and Christian
testimony has convinced gainsayers Of the
reality of personal faith in Christ.
We must also interpret the meaning OF dis
cirleship by the visible fruits of fdiscipleship.
From us men must learn that it means
Christ reproduced in his loving spirit, in his
tender sympathy, in his attractive. grace.
They must see that religion is not mere pro- :
fession, but that it carries large, generous,
winning practice Light must so 60 out
from us into darkness and wretched soul
that duty shall be made clear to them; tha'
they shall see the peril of sin and theN
way of deliverance, the attractions OF the
cross and of heaven. There was profound
meaning in the words of him, who was the :
told them, "Ye are the light of the world"
Moreover, We must make it clear that our
religion is one of helpfulncss. Help was
laid on one who was mighty to save when
our salvation was laid on Christ, and the
pitiful cry of the heavy-laden to him was,
Lord, help us. Men need it now. Involved
in sin, tangled in the meshes of worldliness,
taken captive by Satan at his will, they
want the helping hand of brother for their
rescue. 1t is for us to give it in his name.
The Joy Of giving it. the joy of helping to
save a brother, is the sweetest joy this side
of heaven; it is akin to the JOY OF Christ,
who, for the joy that was set before him,
endured the cr' ss. Jeanie Deans words, in
the "Heart of Midlothian" are, 1T is ma
when we sleep soft and make merrily our
sells, that we think on other peoples suffer-
ings. But when the hour o trouble comes
to the mind or to the body, and when the
hour O. death comes to high or low, then it
is ma what We hae dune for oursels: but
what we hae dune for Others that we think
OH maist pleasantly, This is the Christian
way to live and, so living we shall never
die.-Dr. Hurt in Neg York Observer.
1TALY-S PREMIER AN ABSTAINEn. 'E
Signor Crispi, the Premier Of Italy, re.