The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-30
RELIGIOUS READING.
FOR TRUTHS SAKE.

There are a few fine natures in every
mans acquaintance whose sincerity is SO
al soiute that when they do anything notaDly
moral and virtuous. the world never thinks
of imputing to them an Interior motlve-
And il NAV well lie counted the crOwnlng
tribute to character AMI righteous act can
be performed and no voice arise. saying. 1T
was done for purpose. Ana YET, genuine.
proven sincerity always gets its due. The
world is not unjust in these matters. 1t is on
lvineyorablv pitiless. There is no allowance
made for what are called "eXtenuating cir
cumstanceS' nor for rallyings and occasional
victories VOL over self and habit. record
for sincerity or non-sincerity is established.
and the world sustains it and applies 1t to
the end. How rare. indeed. are those who
love truth for its own sake. and live righteous
" because righteousness is the deep. peren-
nial motive of the heart! Even In the
church there is lack Of genuine and ai'so-
lutte sincerity. How many church members
should we retain, for instance if it We're de-
termined that beaver, after al, is a iigmeEt OF
fancy. and all the reward man can expect
for right living. self-denial and deIotloh 10
Christ is the lifelong approval OF MS con.
science and the world? Or suppose that
special religious activity we're not Iesarueu
as sufficient cause for recognition IN
the way of church honors and cnurch
Offices would there be one-hall as
much ardent devotion TO church and
benevolent work as tnere IS hHm: Iss
Almost inevitably the ulterior motive does
creep in. Very few indeed are those VINO
fortruths sake alone willingly devote their
all. And vet we ought not to take pessl-
mistic view of the situation. because abso-
lutte sincerity is not an Impossible Ideal, ana
there are thousands, in the aggregate, OF
our feliow-mOrtals who attain to it. Rather
should the lack of perfect sincerity serve as
an incentive to its more earnest cuItlVatlOn
in every Christian community. 10
be and to do for the sake OF pure
righteousness. and that alone. is the
loftiest, the nohlest ideal which a man can
set before himself 1t is perfect devotement
and therefore perfect religion. Did not our
Lord have this ideal in mind when. making
the Father Himself the living example, He
said. .'Be We therefore perfect. even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect! Goo
character is the most absolute example OF
pure righteousness. without ulterior motive
of any kind. Above and beyond external
rewards He is good for goodness sake
alone He is true for the pure and perfect
love Of truth. And Christ eXhorts US to be like
God let US that we may be like Him II we will
1t is not an ideal il the clouds--or. If it be
in the clouds. faith gives US wings to mount
to it. The world ought to be full OF Chris
tian men and women whose lives should be
so absolutely sincere that no breath Of sus-
ricion could attach to any word or deed.
There ought not to be one single church.
member who would not do all the good he
does now. and more. if there were no
tongues to sound his praise, no offices and
none rs to reward his Christian activity, no
future life 20 crown him with eternal. mer-
tied Joy. This is the beautiful ideal OF piety
which Christ sets before US, and which he
beseeches US tc strive for. Nothing else,
nothing less is of any vital, permanent
value. Honors and rewards fail and fall
away: but the eternal Joy of loving and
serving truth for truth sake is the heritage
of the Christian idealist.