The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-03
FROM TROY'S PULPIT.
IN MEMORY OF MEMBER OF THAT
CHURCH.
Sermon Delivered at Troy. =. G..
June IL. 1892. by Rev. r. w. SlOnn.
Reported by one of the members.

sermon DeitSefeu AT Troy. -. L..
June IL. 1892. by Rev. r. W. SIOnn.
Reported by one of the members.
"Rut when that which is perfect is come,
then tnut which Is in part shall be done away.
"When was child, Spake as IL child, !
understood as a child. thought as child 4:
but when l became Il man, put away child
i>h things.
For now we see through glass, darkly
but then face 70 face: now know in part ;
hut then shall ! know even as also | am
known.'-l Cor. b. 1912.
The church triumphant will be vast inn
provement on the church militant. In other
words, the saints in heaven will be in an in-
IInitely better condition than The saints ON
earth.
And around those great blessings that will
gioriy the life to come and make heaven
more enjoyable Will he thiS-the Increased
knowledge that the saints shall have there.
This l take II, is The great central Thought
that Paul teaches IN our text, But when Tint
which Is perfect Is come. then that which Is IN
part shall be done away" The whole context
shows that the word perfect in this verse has
special reference To perfection In knowledge.
Now the apostle illustrates the thought by
two figures found in the Two following verses.
on earth we are ignorant. In heaven we
shall know.
There is IA little child. He is just learning
10 talk well. He can not understand great
deal you say. He can not think out the rea-
sons for anything scarcely that he sees or
hears.
Leading him by the hand is tho parent who
through the training Of long years of diltsent
study of men and books and nature, can uu-
derstand, in some measure, the profound
things of science and law, can weigh the plan
cts and measure their distances, can read the
lessons written on the rocks by the hnger oi
God. can write his thoughts and speak them
10 the delight or a listening world What
vast difference between The knowledge OF that
little child and hat OF the father. But the ia
ther was once an ignorant child ALSO Now
Paul uses this figure. In this world he says
we are as children, speaking as children, un-
derstandng as children, thinking AS children,
but in the better world 10 come we shall put
off these limitations Of childhood and become
men in Knowledge, speaking as men, under
standing rs men and thinking as men. There
we shall see how vastly different Is heavenly
knowledge from earthly, "when that which Is
perfect is come. that which Is in part shall 6e
done away"
same lesson. Not until about the fourth CEN
tury alter Christ came do we find any evil
dence that glass windows were used in
houses. History says that there were win
dows made of transparent substances. Some
times the ancients used thin plates OF horn or
some transparent stone or thin curtains were
could see but very dimly. Objects seen
through such mediums would appear SO very
indistinct that one could not iell what they
were at al scarcely; Now, do you not see the
beauty Of the apostles illustration? Can you
not apply 1t before do? Paul had seen those
rude windows OF the ancients and knew how
imperfect the vision was through them. Ana
20, when thinking about the great ignorance
of man in this world. he said II was like look
ing through glass darkly But he says that
in the world OF light TO come The darkest glass
clearly, distinctly. with nothing To dim the
vision. "NoW know in part; bnt then shall
! know even as also am known"
There is an Infinite difference between
PaulS now and then.
The Bible Is so true TO nature. 1t tdoesn't de-
scribe an imaginary state. The deepest feel
ings OF the human soul, the most varied exle-
riences that brighten or cloud our lives are de-
scribed by its wonderful words.
Often it simply makes us stop and think as
it brings us to the consciousness OF things ai-
ready known.
is there not suggestion in these words Of my
text? May the Lord help US to find editica
tion and consolation In these divine lessons
to-day. AS stated before see these great
truths announced In the passage before us
the ignorance of man here and the illumina-
tion pledged beyond the grave.
/. Human ignorance! Have you have been
impressed, my brethren, with this thought
many times-how great are the limitations of
all knowledge in ihis world? You have
many n time heard OF the dying confession Of
that great scholar, but Sir lsaar Newton ex-
pressed a profound truth when he said, IL do
not know what / may appear 10 the world
bnt To myself | seem 10 have been only like 81
boy playing on the seashore, aud diverting
myself in now,and then finding smoother
pebble or 4 prettier shell than ordinary, while
the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered
before me-" And the most learned to-day
might report this testimony. Man knows
comparatively nothing.
The geOogist scratches the surface OF the
earth with spade and crow bar and lifts up
just enough OF the mysterious covering TO
make him wonder what lies deeper down.
Another catches glimpse OF the uneX-
plored fields that lie under the mit roscope,
The more powerful telescopes show us how
much the heavens contain that Is beyond the
range OF the yelled vision, and give us Il hint
of how much there is that we can never
know here. You have stood at the base OF
the mountain and tried to see the distant
summit. But the clouds would not allow you
to see halt way up. We get only partial
view Of any thing here. Show me the SIM
plest pebble and l can show you mystery.
We tread upon an earth that we know not.
We breathe an atmosphere that is full of won
ders. The sky that arches over our heads is
great treasure house, in which are stored
away the unconceiveu works OF Goh Even
our own bodies are the chambers in which are
hidden secrets. We only see bare facts
around us. Few OF them can any one en-
plain. And the greatest fool OF all is the man
who sees not mystery everywhere. AS far as
the world OF nature Is concerned. we see
thu ough u glass darkly. We know only in
part. We look only on the surface. We see a
very small segment OF the great circ:e OF
truth.
But my purpose to-day was to speak espe-
cialIy or the Limitations OF our knowledge
with respect 10 the providence OF God.
The strangest book ] ever read is the un-
written book, which Is opened every day
around US in these lives of ours. The Lord
nearly always does just what we do not en-
pect him to do. His providcnreS are so often
surprises to us. When he does that which we
expect him To do. he sometimes does ii in Il
manner that amaZcs us. The Old poet was
right when hc said God "moNcS In u InySteri-
ons way" The Psalmist arandly puts II thus.
"Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the
great waters and thy footsteps are not
known" Every devnut heart cXcininS as he
sees the ways of the Almighiy,"l would seek
unto God and unto God would commit my
cause: which doeth great thugs and un-
searchable. marvellous things without num-
ber." When we remember The words OF Solo
mon, at Is The glory of Gnd to conceal Il
thing" we need moi he surprised at his "un-
searchable Judgments" and his ways that are
"past finding uut.'
But brethren, / don't think we need the Bi-
hle To tell US these things For OH. how often
In these lives OF ours do We stand appalled,
and speecheS before his acts, his strange
acts! Aud when the impatient voice asks for
An explanation the only answer that comes
from behind the cloud is this, BE still and
know that ! am God" Surely the provi-
dences OF God are past finding out. We know
them, II at all, only in part. We see through
glass darkly. Thousands have died Of star.
walton on the plains OF Russia. The God who
sends the early and the latter rain and hears
the crying ravens, did not hear his own chill
dren when they cried for bread. And the
people, whom his own hand created, have
tnaUy Of them, suffered and died from hun.
ger, While on the other hand many who are
just 81 sinful perhaps as the unfortunate Rus
SLAMS have bread enough and to spare; and
out of t:ieir abundance. are wasting enough
every day TO feed those perishing thousands
ill u harvest is gathered.
I passed through Johnstown after the great
aiRaSier. 1 saw some OF the ruins made 10y
the mighty flood which swept SO many into
the eternal woIld on that awful night wher
the waters rushed down the valley upon the
city that was sleeping so peacefully on thu
lot, ny,f hI.a oh Thn