The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-07-14

obedience He was a young man to show the strength of a
life that did reject sin He was a matured man to show"
the worth and dignity of a life consecrated to Gods SER
vice, and the welfare of His fellow-men. Christ, then, who
was of the seed of the woman, a descendant Of Adam,
has bruised the serpents head.
Again, the seed Of the woman means Christ but it
means vastly more than that. This truth has an infinitely
wider range and application. 1t does not point to one de-
scendant of the race, simply, who should vanquish evil, but
it declares that the race itself should bruise the serpents
head. The seed of the woman means humanity. This
text points to a Christ victorious over sin and it looks be-
You'd Jesus to a humanity victorious of sin. Do you real
|ize the tremendous force and significance of such a predlc-
ton, that mankind shall bruise the serpent's head What
a vast outlook does it open before our race What an in
finite growth and development and ascent for men does it
present 1t is not Jesus alone who is to fulfil this prophecy,
but we too are to know its power and blessedness.
He has taken human nature, and in this nature overcome
evil to show US what this humanity of ours is capable of
doing. He has bruised the head of the serpent, not in
stead of us, but to show US that our humanity can van
quish sin. He has fulfilled the words of the text, not that
we might not have to bruise the serpents head, but to
show US how we might do this. Christ has accomplished
in Himself this prophecy for us, to enable us to realize it,
to know in ourselves its truth. That explanation OF this
text, then, is altogether inadequate which sees in Christ its
chief and essential fulflment. Absolutely accomplished as
it was in Christ, His life was but the beginning and outset
for that Gin many respects more wonderful and triumphant)
realization of this text in regenerated humanity. THE
seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head Any
application of this that would fall short Of mankind is de-
fective. And yet how far short of this great height do our
conceptions of mankind fall. The seed of the woman
bruising the serpents head, man regenerated, freed from
sin, that vision is too brilliant for our feeble sight. 1t is
too high for US we cannot reach unto it. Long familiar
iy with evil of every kind has made us to be so accustom-
ed to its appearance and presence that the thought and
prediction of a world in which Righteousness would get the
better of unrighteouness strikes us as something strange
and fanciful. Suppose that we in this Southland should be
able to know in our experience the truth of our text. Sup
pose that we should bruise the head of the serpent what
would be our state and condition ? l suppose that mate
rial development and enterprise would go on as now, per-
haps more accelerated, perhaps on a grander scale. l am
sure there would be money-makinga and getting but | am
sure, too, that money would not be held simply, and accum-
ulated, but that it would be used for the good Of mankind.
Men would be willing to make expenditures to adorn and
dignity and embellish human life. They would not ask Of
every expenditure, Does it make q, return in hard cash!
They would be willing to spend money to broaden and ele-
vate and sweeten the toil-worn and contracted lives OF so
many people that we see about us to-day. Ali the re-
sources of a highly developed material civilization would
be used to help every man to live a better and nobler lite,
such as God would have him lead. The material would
be the handmade of the intellectual and spiritual. sup
pose that could we but know what this text means we
would not stand by and, unmoved, look upon the squalid
life of the negro race, dying every year in countless num-
bers of diseases brought on by lustful indulgence l sup
pose that we would stretch out a hand to this ignorant peo-
pie and try to teach them some of the principles OF right
living, of economy, and of sobriety. l suppose that we
would seek to impart to them some of the primal truths OF
religion and of Christianity. The seed of the woman shall
bruise the serpent's head" When that becomes true, |
suppose that the different classes in our social life will un-
derstand each other better, and s%ympathize more the one
with the feelings and aspirations OF the other. l suppose
that among our great agricultural classes, in this regenera-
ted humanity which our text promises US, there will be
such intelligence and breadth of view and high principles
that the occupation of the d~emagogue will be gone. L
suppose that in that new earth which our text PROMISES,
our business and professional classes will have a more in
teligent understanding of the hopes and desires OF the
agricultural classes that they will duly appreciate that lite
of hard and ~unremitting toll that two thirds of our people
lead, an existence isolated, monotonous, without hope OF
change or improvement that they will s%ympathize with
that protest which our agriculturists are making against this
hopeless life-sympathize with that pathetic desire of the
agriculturst, in this day of Astounding material develop
ment and progress, for some of the good and bright things
of life for himself and his loved ones. l am sure that
something like this would be true in that new world OF
which our text makes prediction. l am sure that, in the
presence Of this mutual understanding and sympathy, class
prejudice and hatred would die out that out of this would.
grow the patient bearing of lifes burdens, and more than
that, the bearing of one %another's burdens, and SO a fulfill
ing of the law of Christ, the law of love. And under the
reign of this law of love there would grow up public spirit,
and the cooperation of all to secure for our rural poPula-
ton many Of the advantages and pleasures of town life,
social and intellectual.
Lastly, 1.-The seed of the woman shall bruise the SER
penis head. THOUSANDS of years have passed away since
these words were spoken they have not yet been fully
realized. Are they ever to be realized? Is this but a Wis
ion Only an ideal? Is it a day dream, that is dlsslPat=
ed by the first touch of common sense every day life? Is
it too good to be true In reply, | simply point to the life
of Him who is the Son Of man. There it is, no vision,
but existing in the Light of common day." That is but
an earnest of the fulfllment of this promise in the whole