The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-05
THOROUGHSEsS,

One of the great lacks of our religious life
is thoroughness. We are more or less dis
posed to be superficial. We do not put the
same amount of heart and brain among our
spiritual life and service that we do in our
temporal affairs. We are not thorough. We
recognize the truth and are more or less
moved by it, but We do not 60 to the bottom
of the matter, and therefore we do not get
the blessing We need and think we are seek
Ing after.
God complained of Ephraim and Judah
that their goodness was as the morning
cloud and the early dew, that goeth away;
that is their amendment of life and their
turning to him were spasmodic and not per-
manent. They were unstable in their spirit
uaty. This is one of our worst faults.
We turn TO God for little while. We turn
our backs on the world and upon the tempta-
tions which lure US from downright
service of God and seek after him: but this
search after God and this walking in his
ways are ftful. We weary of it and cease
our seeking before we find him.
There will be many meetings held through
out the land presently, seeking by prayer
and supplicaton an outpouring OF the Spirit
but it il doubtful II there will be one out Of
q dozen in which there will be that stead
fastness which will keep the people at Gods
feet long enough to get the blessing. The
they must tarry at Jerusalem before he
would send the promise of the Father upon
them. but simply bade them to tarry until
the enduement came. This is the law; we
must wait for the blessing tho 1t tarry. For
the visions Is yet for an appointed tine; but
at the end 1t shall. speak and not lie; tho 1t
tarry, wait for 1t; because it will surely
come, it will not tarry." The question Is:
Have we thoroughness of desire and pur-
pose to "wait on the Lord" and seek him
till he answer! II we have we shall receive
the blessing; but If our purposes and de-
desires are as the morning cloud and early
dew, disappointment Is in store for US.
When we seek the Lord we must put away
the evil out Of our hearts and out Of our
hands If we are covetous; II we are dis
honest in trade; II we are unclean in life or
thought and take delight in these things; If
we cypress the poor by keeping back their
wages or grinding their faces for our profit;
II we are living in carnal self-indulgence; II
we are using religion as cloak for our sins
and as superstitious refuge for our souls
in day of trouble-of course the Lord will
not hear us. Therefore did David pray that
the Lord would search his heart and try his
reins aud see if there were any wicked ways
IN him and lead him in the way everlasting.
It is not pleasant task to come before the
Lord and lay our hearts as well as our ac-
tions bare before him: but IL we are to have
q real Blessing upon our own lives and upon
the whole Church of God, we must do it.
The Lords arm Is not shortened. and his
ear is not heavy that he cannot hear and
help US; but our sins have separated between
US and him, therefore must we put away sin.
Nor is 1t alone our own sins that we must
confess and lament before the Lord. but the
sins of our brethren and of the whole pro-
Tossing Church. When Daniel and Ne
hemiah prayed for the restoration Of the cap
tive people to their own land and for the re-
building of the temple. they made earnest
confession not only of their own sins, but
of the sins Of the whole nation.
We are well aware that such spiritual
exercises as these things imply are not taste
full to us, and that they 90 forward with
pain and no little anguish Of spirit; yet we
are assured in the Word of God that unless
we thus seek him with all our hearts, and
put away the evil out Of our. lives. and do
this thoroughly, we cannot be blessed OF him.