The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-29
The Secret springs.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into
thy closet, and when th0u hast shut thy
door, pray to thy Father which u IN Sc
cret.-Matt. 6: 9.
Public practice depends on private pray.
er. There 10 no river without some source.
NO effect without some cause. and no fruit
where men can see except there be roots
that cannot be seen. There can be no hon.
ness without, except there De heaycnlinese
within. Secret prayer Is the secret OF all
power. What Is more difficult or duap-
pointinR than the effort to smile when the
heart Ia sad! Yet even this IL not 50
fruitless as the attempt TO produce charac.
ter before raen without communion before
God.
Chriztian character is not an excres.
ence; il 10 q manifestation. You cannot
create the brilliance Of the electric hight
by rubbing the globe or even by turning
on the switch il the dynamo Is not work.
ing. Few think about That machine far
distant in the power.house, but il all for
got it the city would be in darkness. Vet.
my soul, how often hast thou forgotten
the seret Of power. the source OF Chris
tian illumination, and then going out to
be a light to others there has been moth.
ing but darkness: disappointment. failure.
How often, too. has thou asked. now how
may appear at my best before men. for
getting that the impression we create de-
pends wholly on the Impressions We have
ourselves received. Moral and spiritual
power must be intensive before it can be
extensive.
Public worship is often disappointing.
because we have failed to wait on God.
Better. il time presses. to forego the for.
mer than to neglect the latter. How can
we hope to enter into the spirit OF the
service il we have not prepared opr
hearts. if we have not sought to tune up
the soul. all run down and weary with
the worlds work, before coming to the
place Of praise. The spirit Of the pew
needs preparation a. much as the sermon
Of the preacher.
What wonder that our hearts are often
weary il we give them no heavenly food.
Surely il the soul is more than the body
it should have its meals at least az regu.
larly. Neglect OF the inner life is the
cause OF outer failure. We look on lives
that are gloomy, spirits broken, all the
glad light gone out Of some eyes, lives
that seem leaden. and what 10 the cause!
Not that their way has been unusually
dark. but that they have neglected the in
ner light. These sad hearts come because
the hidden roots do not reach the refresh.
ing river Of God. because they have been
living out without letting in.
How many days are fretful. full OF exas.
perations. when it seems that even the
mcst trivial things cause Us to lose Our
balance. We are vexed and ashamed OF
ourselves. We had forgotten that grasp
OF the spirit on God. that constant touch
and communion with Him that gives
strength and calm to the soul.
It is well to remember. too. that to he
in the secret Of His presence is possible
not only in the brief time that We can
spend in the closet and alone. but is as
rushing hours. surrounded By friends or
beset with foes. God is ever near the n.
piring heart and the out.reaching soul
fnds Him and draws new strength. new
calm. new life and beauty from those Sc.
cret sources Of spiritual strensth.-Henry
n a.