The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-12-01
Christ In You.

Memory has been taking me back 10
summer holiday, years ago, In the pleasant
valleys OF Nova Scotia. Irecall the wonder
and delight with which saw the ocean tide
come up the Bay OF Fundy and iii the empty
river beds. Through the hours of tu.. ebb,
the Nova Scotisn rivers dwindleG end s6:ank
within their banks. Broad and LarreD
reaches Of sand exposed themselves; ships
listed heavily on their sides, deserted by the
feeble stream trickling in mid-channeE
Then came the tide up the Bay OF Fundy, up
from the abundance Of the unfathomable
sea. You could hear 1t coming, with a dis
tant sound OF motion and life and un-
measured power. You could see
it coming, with pure white girdle OF foam,
that looked in sunlight like zone OF fire.
You could smell 1t coming, with the smell OF
freshness, the breath Of GOODNESS, the wait
OF far off scents from breeze-blown ocean
leagues. You could almost feel 1t coming:
for the heart stirred at the sight OF 1t, and
the Joy OF strength arose in the soul. 1t came
from the mighty fullness that could afford
to give 80 grandly;it came from the opulence
Of an ocean that could spend itself without
fear Of poverty, that could pour itself out
to fill thousand rivers. yet not be dim
inished; 1t came, as Arnold said, with
murmurs and scents Of the infinite sea-"
1t entered the river-bed; 1t filled the empty
channel as one fills pitcher at the foun-
tain; 1t covered the barren sands with
motion und sparkling life; 1t lifted the heavy
ships, gave back to them their rights OF
buoyancy, set them free upon the broad
waterway Of world wide opportunity; 1t
changed the very face of the land from sad
ness and apathy and dullness to animation
and color and glittering activity. 30 CHRIST
comes into empty human lives, and fills them
with His fullness, which Is the very fullness
of God. 80 He stops the ebb OF power,
entering with His food Of strength. The
difference between life without Christ is
the difference between ebb and flood; the one
Is growing emptier, the other Is growing
fuller. This does not require to be argued
1t is proved by living. The glory Of this
conduerable grace and dignity invest the
person OF Christ. Christ is majestic. And
when He comes within us, all our life Is hon
ored and ennobled through His presence.
At His coming the fat and barren material
ism of our unspiritual thinking Is covered
and buried beneath the clear, deep waters OF
earnestness aud grandeur OF purpose, and
love and prayer, which come with Him.
Every life He Is truly permitted to enter be-
comes in Him a grander life. He seems
to sweep pettiness and meanness OF
thought out OF sight He seems to swallow
up in His broad fullness the failing streams
OF our moral life that were growing shallow
and turbid. Christ Is great and clear and
beautiful and noble and IL He fills US In our
inmost life, then-wondrous and impossible
though it may seem-we receive OF His full
ness, and as He Is, 80 are we In this world.
Yet why should We I'll this wondrous and I'M
possible? We have had friends who emo
bled US by their nobleness. We could
not resist them, but became beautifed IN
spirit by their beauty seeking our inmost life
'The tidal wave OF deeper souls
Into our inmost being rolls,
And lifts us unawares
Out Of all meaner cares"
Must not Christ do more even than this
when He enters ourinmost bcing2 Is not He
that deepest soul, the Soul Of God, who
must lift us to the level Of Gods lie BY
Charles Cuthbert Hall, D. D.