The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-12-31
.straisht from the Rock

"Straight from the rock" So said q
little boy, as he brovght pitcher of
pure cold wafer to his dear sick moth
er. "Thank you, my dear" respond
ed the suffering one; Il hope you, too
will drink straight from the Rock, !"
By the lads quiet, though tful look, 1T
was evident that he had interpreted
his mothers meaning.
Does every reader of The Sword and
the Trowel know what it is u drink
"straight from the rock"? Have the
eyes now reading these lines been sup
plemented by an inward power Of vls-
ion called 1.-The eye of faith," with
which the soul has seen "the smltten
Rock" in Jesus Christ, from whom
there flow ''rivers Of living wafer?
We read of one, in olden days, whose
eyes God opened, land she SAW well
of water" Have your eyes been thus
opened? Have You heard-reader OF
those lineS-with other ears than those
OF your head, the voice of the Son OF
God, as be says, "Whosoever drinketh
of the water that shall give him shall
never thirst"? If not, listen listen
LISTEN NOW! "Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters" III
any man thirst, let him come unto me
and drink" "WhOsoever will let him
take of the water of life freely" Come
at once, "straight to the rock" Christ
Jesus, and drink from the spring OF
eternal life. DRINK freely: as freely
as the cattle standing knee-deep In
mid-stream on q hot, sultry day.
The little lad may not have known,
yet, i'm every deed, Christ's own desire
"Give ME to drink" was being graft
fed and the gift of this small cup. of
cold, clear water shall in no wise lose
it's reward. And when you come
straight from the rock,n bring with
you, feIlow-Christian, pitcher for
the thirsty; cooling draught for
some one who cannot reach the fount-
ain-head. Many Of the Sayiour's lit
tie ones, and sickly ones, and aged
ones, cast longing eyes toward you
and Jesus is saying, "Give ye them to
drink freely ye have received, freely
give"
The old book, Gods Word; is rock,
from which the streams of refreshing
grace are ever flowing. Yet how few,
alas are found habitually going
"straigllt to the Rock" to drink. So
many rest content in having "the
truth" brought to them. This, we
know, Is ofttimes blessed, and some
times necessary; but how delightful,
how refreshing, how inv gorating,
when, Ivy the cool, sweet, bubbliDg,
spring. the soul sits God to form the
fuundatiu.,-stone of his house. j. e..
church; but,ypically itreprcsents,, Jesus
the Messiah. ."-Meyer. He is the sure
foundation of tie Christian church.
What is meant 10y rh0 head of the
corner? AnS.-The cornerstone laid
at the foundation binding the walls TO-
gether.
How do you understand verse IS?
Ans ilat whosoever shall fall upon
that stole, stumble ut Jesus lowly
position and refuse to believe, shall
be broken he greatly Injured; but 1t
was possible still to repent and be saw
ed. But on whomsoever it shall fall :
if they continue to reject Christ, he
will vet be exalted to be their judge
and king, and they will be utterly
destroyed. This was fully illustrated
by the destr uclion of Jerusalem. Had
the Jews accepted Jesus and his teach
ing, Jerusalem would not have been
destroyed by Titus. .....
10 And the chief priests and the scrihes the
same hour sought TO lay hands on him; and
they feared the people; for they perceived
that he had spoken this parable against them.
What did the rulers seek to do?
What hindered them? Ans,-They
feared the people who had come from
other parts of the country and were
not prejudced against Jesus. The
rulers were afraid that if they under
took to put him to death, the people
would rescue him and probably cause
q riot.
Why were they now specially angry
against Jesus? Ans-''They perceiv-
ed that he had spoken this parable
against them" Nothing makes a
wicked man so angry as to be told OF
hi ~ nn N pess