The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-01
|THE ABBEVILLE CHURCHES.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 81, 1890.
At the Presbyterian Church-Rev. j.
Lowrie Wilson, Pastor.


Text. Jer. XIII, Chapter, and 23rd, verse:
| "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the
leopard his spots? then, may. ye also to do
GOOD that are accustomed TO do evil"
AS by nature the Ethiopian is nlack; anu ~
the leonard is spotted, and are impossible TO
| change their natures. So, the sinner VINO py
nature is sinful, cannot transform himseli
from sin to holiness-from evil to good.
The text announces the solemn and all I'M
portant truth.
The imperative necessity of the Holy Spir.
1t to work this change; not for MIN put III
him. Jesus Christ had by His atonement en-
wrought this change for him, but 1t was Tor
the Holy Spirit to work within him; IL was
the divine work of the Holy Spirit within
him; ~,
sinner TO produce this change within hlm'
"Ist. That of nature-evil nature. Is the
sinner totally evil? Yes! he cannot De pafst,
ly good and partly evil-partly at one with
| God and partly at enimity; 80 OF necessity
that which renders him sinner at all makes
him so altogether. -
| The text Is striking 1ilnstraGlon use9 .J ~
| the Holy Spirit to show the Inability OF tne
sinner himself TO change his evil nature, ano
to become child of God. Just as impossloie
as for the ethiopian to change, his SKID OF
Leopard to change III his spots Ihe Sihnef
Another difficulty in the way OF the sinner .!nn
to change himself Is, "Force OF haolt,E"ac-
customed to do evlr'-which increases lis olf-
| ficulty.
In conclusion, the Doctor said; "Why Goes
the preacher impress upon his hearers tnls
truth This inability of the sinner TO ch.ange . &c
| his evil nature Is 1t to SOUND the ueatn
knell OF hope No |! 1t Is t0 show the deptn OF
| sin and the helplessness OF the sinner In MIN
self. not to discourage the sinner; not 10
make hm despair but to enGomragSeb ssns gSbPist-o pL
seek the Holy Spirits aid. He is able, WllI,ing
and He is promised, to them who seek Him
The coming OF Jesus Christ into the " world oiaa
for sinners-who cannot change their own
hearts, (but God promises His HOLY Splrli,
who can.) God alone has the honor Of saving
SIM ners; Submit to His methods ana De
saved! !
At the Baptist Church, Rev. J: A.
Brown, Pastor.
At the Baptist church, the pestor Rev. ]. A.
Brown preached on Paul's Suffciency Tor all
things, Phil. 4 ll-l3. He stated that the Ian
secret. or had been iniated into mystery,
not un nderstood by O majority Of people. That
Is, Paul had acquired the grace OF c0ntent-
ment, and knew how to meet properly tne
was solely with his spiritual atta1nments,
and not with his temporal circumstances.
The reverse Of this Is true OF men OF Tue
world.
ment TONED, 1st, reasons why we should pc
content with our earthly lot, End, ways In
which we may cultivate spirit OF content-
ment, and 3rd, some happy results OF pelng
content. ~
Paul had learned similar, but harder les.
son than that OF contentment, In knowing
how TO abound, Many who succeed 1afrly
of poverty and trial, are crushed aud ruined
by the burden of wealth and prosperity; IKE
tree crushed to the earth by its LOAD OF
fruit.
The closing expression OF the text. ~ can
do all things through dn) Christ who strength.
eneth me-" shows how Paul attained success
10 these and all other matters pertaining 10
his Christian life and work. AS q mighty Ice
berg reaches deep below the surface current
in to the stronger undercurrent OF the ocean,
and receives therefrom an impulse when
deties the winds and tides, so the man who
is united to Christ by faith, whose hidden lie
Of the heart reaches into the sphere OF Christs
activity and power is endued with strengttn
to stem the worldly influence and elements
which are adverse to holy living and holy
acting