The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-08-27

votion to the Lord takes away every
thought of the burden OF service, and those
| who have IN absorbing love for Christ
may perform deeds which would be, i'm
possible under ordinary circumstances.
There are three people whom we may re-
member as representing the three graces,
faith. hope and love: Mary. OF Bethany;
and buried, anointed His body for the bu.
rial. showing her faith: the penitent th.ef
upon the cross expected that Christ
would come in His kingdom. revealing
His hope. but this Mary Masdalene is
beautiful representation OF love.
First-Recause she was not expecting
Him. anG 80 We often miss cur choicest
blessings for want of looking for them,
and have doubtless mistaken them when
right before us. but doubtless. also. she
failed to recognize Him because Of the
fact that it was hardy light in the morn.
ing. and she saw Him but dimly. Thus
again she is an illustration OF ourselves
~ we behold Him. not so much face to
face as we realize His presence with the
heart. Blessed are the pure in heart.
for they snail see God and yet what
thouchttul Christian can fail to see that
we have a picture nf many a believers
experience. How often we are anxious
when there is no cause for anxiety. How
frequently we mourn about the absence
OF things which are really within our
grasp. Two-thirds of the things we fear
in life never happen at all. and many OF
the tears we shed are shed in vain. II
Mary had found the seal of the tomb un.
broken she might well have wept.. The
very absence Of the body which made her
weep was token for good and 4 cause OF
joy for herself and for all mankind.
"Jesus saith INTO her, Mary! She
turned herself and saith unto Him. Rab-
boni! which is to say, Master" The way
significant. 1t is a term often applied to
Him and always wisely. In Matthew .:
s. we read. "F8r one is your Master, even
Christ" It will be a happy day for the
church when we yield to the mastery OF
Jesus Christ II is true that men are fire.
ouently Indifferent to this claim. as, for
example. in Matthew 90: %. Then Ju.
das. which betrayed Him. answered and
said, Master. is it +? He said unto him.
Thou hast said" Many a man has claimed
to Weld to the mastery OF Christ and yet
has BETRAYED Him by an inconsistent life,
or again in Matthew %: 40. when Judas
saws vet again, Hail. Master! and kissed
Him." There can be no baser betrayal
than that which comes from the heart OF q
friend. who claims to be Christian and
not to be such. To say that you belong
to Christ and vet to deny Him with your
life is an awful thing. and shall merit one
day the severest condemnation OF Christ
Himself. There are many places in the
New Testament where I find that He Is
called Master. in addition to the one in
the text, but three OF them I should like
specially to cmphasize.
First-Luke II: l3. And they lifted up
their voices and said. Jesus. Master, have
mercy on u.s." This is a picture Of the
lepers as Jesus passes tnrough the midst
of Samaria and Galilee, and is an illus.
tration for all who would be freed from
their bondage. They are hopeless and
helpless, dead. according to the law and
cast out from the presence OF men accord.
ing to the Scriptures. Luke II: IL, And
when He saw them He said unto them.
Go show yourselves unto the priests. And
it came to pass, that. as they went. they,
were clcansed." Let it ever be remembered
that as they went they were c!eansed.
God never gives us more light than we use,
nor more freedom than we will practice.
One has ONLY to walk toward the light and
to set his face toward Christ TO be seen
rejoicing in all the glorious liberty of the
sons Of God. In Jesus !eprosy has met its
conaueror, and that for which leprosy
stands, namely, sin. its mightiest foe.
Second-Luke 5: 5. And Simon answer
ing said unto Him. Master, we have
toiled all the night, and have taken moth.
ing; nevertheless at Thy word / will let
down the net" The disciples are fishing
and all the night they have toiied and
taken nothing. but the Master makes .
simple suggestion, As result OF which
they gather in so many fish that their
net brake and their partners came to
help them and fill both the ships so that
they began to sink. He is the Master to
help US in the time OF perversity and trial
and business difficulty. There is no an.
noyance in the home but what might be
right il He were in control; there is no
anxiety in business but what might be
avoided or met il He were really in the
seat of power in our lives; there IS no
difficulty so great or no annoyance so
triflng as to be beneath His thoughtful
suggestion. II. as He said Himself, the
very hairs Of orr head are numbered,
and not a sparrow falls to the ground
without Gods care, then we may rest as
sured that He will turn to Us with com.
plete deliverance if He only be recos'
nized as Mister.
Third-He is the Master OF the home
particularly, and is the secret OF victory
in every time of difficulty or trial. John
went her way and called Mary, her sis.
ter, secretly. saving, the Master is come
and cal.eth for thee" There is no home
more beautiful in all the world than the
home OF Mary and Martha and Lazarus,
only because the chief guest OF that home
was Jesus. and the one controlling their
every movement was the Son OF God.
Again in Luke 0: %, We read, And be.
hold n man OF the company cried out say.
ing, Master, beseech Thee, look upon
my son; for he is mine only child 1t
will be a happy time when we have
learned to bring our children to Him, to
place our loved ores in His care. in a
word. to recognize Him as the Master OF
us all.
A very dear friend Of mine. one Of q
family of seven sons, told me that his o:d
Scotch mother almost broke her heart IN
the cd land because one OF her seven
sons WAS a prohiSate. There came into
her home one day an aged neighbor who
said. "Why 90 "on sorrow so: YOU have
six soas saved: let John 60" And my
mother. said n,v friend. rose trembling!yr.
leaning unon the chair heavily and said.
Il will never let him go. ! gave him to
God before he was born. | carried him
into the kirk a. soon as could walk. and
he is Gai's child. and He vii! have him il
He turns the world over 10 get him" and
she lived long enough. said my friend. TO
zee him Christian. a Judge of the hish.
est courts in America and an officer IN
the church.
Fourth But Of all the expressions the
one used by Mary in the text is the most
striking. "Rabboni." which is to say,
MY Master" Since He has redeemed
us and God has given us to Him. and we
nave ourseIve, IN a way yielded to Him.
would j, not be well for us to let Him be
our Master in FAC. as well rs in name.
and make this sort OF covenant with
lin, on this day.