The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-08
HOLINESS WITHOUT CHRIST.

Many, believing in their own resources Of
will and endeavor, think they are able. un-
aided, to meet the requirements of God.
They resent any limitation of their moral
power. Paul for time thought himself as
touching the law blsmeless. His idea Of
ent from his idea of righteousness after he
90 ne to know Jesus Christ. Holiness would
be attainable by our own sufhciency were 1t
q matter of outward correctness.
One mag with success regulate the out
ward conduct, but the regulation of the life
within is too much for even the most self
possessed. Our power over our inward
selves Is of very partial character. The
mastery control OF thoughts, imaginations,
lessness in the inward sphere when he
prayed, "Create in me clean heart, o God;
and renew right spirit within me" (Ps. 81,
10y.
The will of man is weakest where, II
Righteousness is to be self-made, it would
need to be strongest. To say that we have
need Of nothing, and yet aspire after eternal
good, is to play with the problem Of human
Character. To propose renewal from with
which Is the teaching Of Christ-that radical
renewal is from within. The most perfect
outward rectitude leaves US defective ii those
matters which are Of greatest weight In the
siaht Of God.
The mistake of all Phariseeism, is that II
regards the outer, but dlsregards the inner
state. The artificial flower may be good
imitation of the natural flower, but 1t can
never have its fragrance; and the moral man
may be good imitation Of the Christian,
but he can never have the aroma of the heart
HAS RELIGION Lest THE ELEMENT OF HEEo1sM?
It is very often said in some quarters:
"There Is no heroism in religion now. There
YVES a time when their faith made men
stI oag and brave, when the dungeon and the
stake had no terrors for them; but that time
has gone by. There are no heroes in the
modern church. A drizzly day is more for
midable In the eyes Of the modern Christian
than regiment of hostile soldiers was III the
ewes of his ancestors. A cloud In the sky is
more startling to the Christian of today than
o pit full of hons was to the ancient Chris
tian. There was Ridley, Lstnler and
John Knox once among the men; Blan.
dina and Fellcita among the women; but
that race is dead and there Is hardly courage
enough in the church to brave laugh or a
thrust Of rdicule."
charges live only bt cluse, though false in the
main, there is more than o grain Of fact In
them. They fly only because they have
truth enough to lend them wings. 1t is
every Christians duty to show the world
that. so far as he is concerned, these charges
are false. The sneers of the world that the
Christian Of today " Ill take up no cross, as
we'll rs the command of Christ should spur
us on to the next hard duty. They should
COMPEL us to say to ourselves, 81 will not
allow this cowardly, shrinking heart to lord
1t over me, for my Masters honor Is at
stake"
Does Christian courage demand devotion
which will seem singular and ridiculous to
our companions? We will render that devo-
tion. Does it demand that we will speak to
some one about his souls salvation? We
will speak to that person at once. Does 1t
demand that we take more prominent place
in church work, to the sacrifice of personal
ease and private business? We will take
that place.
As the young soldier said to his shaking
limbs before going into his first battle,
"Trcmble, tremb!c If you will; If you knew
where you were going you would shake more
than you do now, but still you would have
to go, for I've had orders from the captain"
So let us say to our trembling hearts when
we shrink from any religious duty, "Tremb!e
if you WILL coward heart, but YOU must DO
this duty, for the Captain has given His Or
ders. -[Golden Rule.