The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-15
LEISURE MOMENTS.

The following, from the Guide tGlasgow),
will be found profitable reading, especially
to young men.
Leisure moments Ere perhaps among the
most pOwerfulteStS that can be applied 10
ones character. When the soul is undis-
turbed by outward influences, and sitting
alone and in the silence of her own presence
chamber, when the inward eye is awake,
and our thoughts are in some measure the
natural outcome Of our inner conscious.
ness, we seem to feel kcenly sense
of our mental poverty; the barrenness Ct all
within Is oppressive; or it may even be that
the corridors and passages Of the mind re.
sound with the tramp of the blackened
forms of eyil-thoughts that one day develop
into deeds il not overcome-so that by ana
by we almost dread being alone. A man Is
sometimes his own worst enemy. we won
der at the strange undcrcurrents OF evil that
have their place within us. We know NOS
how or whence they come, but we cannot
doubt their existence.
Leisure and loneliness have their uses.
They may be as twin lights to reveal the
error or tile emptiness within, they may lead
to a consciousness of inward restlessness and
discomfort, sighing after something better
and higher than any thing we have hitherto
known, q blind cropping after something
vague and i'm paipable; we are conscious OF
the desires and aspirations, but how to meet
and satisfy them is the difficulty. Is rehet
to be found by joining in the busy whrl OF
the world? Or must we seek rest IN the
sweets of intellectual enjoyment-in books,
painting music? Or shall we sink into the
moral depths of what is practically unbelief
and inti,lelity?
It rot to be denied that some, it may be
all of these alternatives have certain advant-
ages peculiar each to itself. There Is happi-
ness 10 be had from each, but it is short
lived, tlickering and deuslve. These things
touch not the centre OF the souls disease;
drink ever so deeply Of these streams and
YOU will still thirst. There is no getting
away from it. There is but one link that
can ioin YOU to peace. happiness aud he,yen,
and that is Christ. Christ and Him alone.
You may not think so. You find it hard to
bring your mimi TO believe it can be so.
Is. nevertheless, whether you believe 1t
or not, and whether you put the TACT to
practical test or not. Christ is peculiarly the
Companion of silent and solitary hours; the
inefabIe sweetness OF His presence. the JOY
of having Him in your SOUL Is as the, music
of singing birds; the light anu glory OF
Stead of the old backneSs and bitterness you
are surrounded by an atmosphere that has in
it the warmth and brightness of the sum-
mer's sunlight.
And so Christ will become the touchstone
of II your after life, He will come to you in
the leisure moments Of your days, and your
communion with Him shall be sweet; your
thoughts will revert to Him at such times
more lovingly than you are wont to think OF
absent earthly friends. You can bring to
Him the difficulties of every kind that beset
your life, and you will find tn living close
to Him the full energies Of your being are
called into action and that YOU are moving
forward into ever Frightening lighti having
Him you have the ne plus ultra of your
aspirations. lie will be to YOU the center OF
all things.
lis in our leisure moments often that the
highest inspirations Of life come TO US; hEe
the lichtninc's flash to the lonely traveller ln
the darkness of night We see the realities OF
things. as it were, but for moment, and
then all is gloom around us. 1t is ever wise,
therefore, TO note the guiding of these SUI
pre;ne momcut> OF our existence.