The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-10-06

existcnce-a life without depth and uness and richness OF
experience. Avoid then shallow ife
And in the first place. accomplish this by having always
something do and by constantly and regularly bending
all ones powers and energies that end No life in all
this world superficial and empty the idle lite And
therefore life wholly lacking in authority and ntu-
ence as the idle life. And life utterly without bles
sing and benefit to the world the idle life. No life SO
great a wrong because so shallow, the idle life Do
something that is worth doing all the days and hours OF
life This redeems life; this gives stability and reality to
existence Christ spent His days in to constant and
rcmttng and His life authoritative and influential
Labour may make life rich and FULL but is the basis
and foundation of such life.
Again. avoid a shallow life by resisting and overcom
ing temptations to SIM No lite more superficial and empty
than that which gives way to solicitations to evil 1t is
mark of beast to be governed by nclnatons. 1t is the
prerogatve of man to control and check his impulses
He then, who does not struggle against mcnatlons, but
tamey and without resistance led captive of sin has for
eited the chief glory and distinction OF human te In
stead of determining and controlling his e it guided
and shaped for him by outside things life, then, that
submits sin and evil utterly shallow; and therefore it
is without influence and power in this world. 1t has no
blessing and no message to Struggle against sin
only thus can you realize what life is Only thus you
enrich existence Overcome evil that is the strength and
crown of life. No life empty and superficial than
life of sim You remember how in short campaign Germa-
n.y. the year IS7o conquered France has since been
remarked and commented upon that before this war BE-
gan the French army but not in the German army the
quarters of the officers generally adorned with impure
pcures life of sin is weak and shalloWte. You re-
call how Tennyson in his Idys of the King represents Sir
Gaahad the highest type and flower OF Christian knight
hood as saying: 1.-The strength of my arm is the
strength of ten because my heart clear" The life that
overcomes sin, is the strong and rich lite.
Again, avoid shallow life by seeking divine aid and
assistance in the trials and problems of existence No man
can engage in the struggle against earnest without
finding his weakness and inability successfully to
resist temptation No oppose sin without feeling
the need ofsupernatural help and assistance That e IS
strong then which of its conflict with sin has realized
this and hassought and found aid Avoid then the weak
ness and emptiness of life that is sufficient for ITSELF
Seek the depth and rchuess of life that is not sufficient for
itself Seek the depth and richness of life that depends
upon God life that sufficient for itself; that does
look beyond itself for anything higher and BETTER lie
that does ASPIRE shallow and empty An existence
that feels itself always be in the presence of God and
that looks to Him for blessing and ad is deep and full
life
Again. avoid a shallow life, by developing the mental
powers faculties that God has given you. They
not given to wastedto become barren and uncultured
public ground A trained mnd-whch is mind that has
the power to Think and which has among its attanmens
and interests something to think about-ths gives worth
and value to life That existence must be empty whose
mental food is only the neighborhood and the daily
paper 1t said of great merchant of New York that
he knew but thngthe dry goods business That tact
perhaps gave him his marked merchant; but
the time must have made his lite contracted and
shallow Seek then the power and influence that belongs
to breadth and depth of mental culture, not that you may
exert over men, but in behalf of men, Then your eXs
tence will be rich in blessings and influences fo good
But once more, avoid superficial life by making your
existence of love and kindly services for Others Moth
ing so narrows fe and emptes of all meaning and bes-
ing and worth elhshnessthe constant thought and
cupaton with ones interests the daily conflict with
others to attain ones interests "1t blessed to
give than to receive" So said Christi and He knew the
blessedness and goodness of life that gave aof life
that gave ITSELF Love and devotion to ohers,that
deems and transforms le-it ransgures existence that
otherwise would be mean and paltry.
Lastly, to the who makes the right use OF them
pain and sorrow and suffering that God sends 10
deepen and enrich le 1t remains always true that the
man who has suffered is the strong man. The man who
has met and action and through all has clung
to faith God and hope and lovehes the strong man.
There is something in that tears away the covering
that ordinarily hides e and lays open to fes depth
and reality and forth from action strength
ened and purified and made tender and true. The man
who has suffered the strong And beyond all 9TH
ers Christ suffered and beyond all others He has
and influence We told in the Epistle to the He
brews that He made perfect through suffering land
the people astonished at his doctrne for he taught
them as one having authority and the scrbes In
some measure let this be true of lfeour influence;
let it be with authority, the uness and richness that come
from toll and from conflict with sin, and love and labours
for men, and trust and dependence upon God Let us
avoid the sin of a shallow and hollow and silly life,