The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-15
Communion With God.

Communion with God. as a natural re-
suit, brings likeness to God. Godliness ls
simply Godlikeness. the termination "ly
being an abbreviation OF the good old An.
glo-Saxon word like" 1t is a curious
psychological fact that long and intimate
companionship will bring about a resem.
blance which is even sometimes striking. .
Take, for instance, the case OF two
brothers, not especially alike as boys, who
having lived together for some sixty years
with hopes and aims and environments
simlarity-of course not SO much OF feat
ure as Of expression-so remarkable as to
puzzle the casual observer.
So communion with God will bring about
q likeness to God. You have seen men
and women, saints OF God at whose feet it
was privilege to sit, as they discoursed OF
the things of the kingdom, and their faces
would shine with light that was not OF
this world, even almost as shone the face
of Moses, when he had been with God.
Husbands and wives, il there be true
love between them, often through long
years of walking together, grow to look
alike, to think. alike, to act alike. What
one wishes to do 30 does the other.
Through prayer and reading of the
Scriptures v'e can commune with God. but
it is q sad fact that there are many Chris
tians who faithfully labor through chap
ter or so Of Bible each day and who regu.
larry kneel at stated intervals and pray, or
think they pray, to whom this vision OF
Gods glory, in their own faces reflected,
is not granted. It was only after Moses.
with repentance and deep grief, longed and
besought for Gods presence, which he
dreaded to have withdrawn, that he drew
near enough to God to reflect His glory.
There are not many Christians now who
need veil to hide the glory in their faces
lest others be afraid OF them-unless as
has been said the veil was also that the
tion from God, should not be visible to the
children Of Israel. Then, in truth, it were
q good thing that some of Us could wear
one, lest any see how long it is since We
have talked with God, from the earth.look
on our faces.
There is one more thought to be noted
about Moses. Moses wist not the skin
Of his face shone." The glory OF the Lord,
which we bear is not seen on the self.
righteous face. One who has talked with
God face to face will be 80 filled with His
message and His greatness that he will not
be thinking of himself at all. And thus
the transformation comes, softly, silently,
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of God" A surface laid over with self has
no power to reflect God. ,
It is given to rs to watch some Chrisl
tians, as it was Israel to see Moses; as
Peter and James and John waking out OF
their careless sleep beheld, wondering, the
fashion of Jesus face alter and His raj.
ment glow with light which was not of
earth. Did it come into the heart Of the
three disciples to wonder if their faces
might ever be so changed? Did they COM
prehend ut once that it was the commu-
MON with His Father which brought about
the change in Jesus? And did they in af-
ter years reflect that glory in some meas
ure for the sight Of other trembling, ig-
norant Christians?
Let us look well to our countenances, IL
haply they may grow more lovely and
more like His image.-New York Mail and
Express.