The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-11-19

feet upon Us spiritually. we strive lor q
social position with little thought as to
We DENY ourselves for success in business,
apparently little caring whether this husi.
ness will help or hinder US in spiritual de-
ve!opment. See the lesson in Lots case.
He pitched his tent toward Sodom and
then moved into the city. His family be-
| came identified with the life OF the city,
and hc a part Of its government. In the
end OF the story he has lost his power to
witness. all his property, his political po'
FAMILY. and even with God. Abraham was
very different. God choose for him. Gene.
sis l3: l+l5, "And the Lord said unto Abra.
ham, after that Lot was separated from
him, Lit up thine eyes and look from the
place where thou are northward. and
southwark. and eastward, and westward.
For all .he land which thou seest: to thee
will I give it, and TO thy seed forever.
How like this is to our own inheritance.
.be ending OF the lives OF Abraham and
Lot: Lots story is written in Genesis 10.
Il is an awful picture. His wife is taken
from him. his daughters are disgraced and
he is in despair. while with Abraham the
picture Is exactly the opposite. and to my
mind is most beautiful Genesis 25: I-S,
"And these are the days Of the years OF
Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred
three.score and fifteen years; Then Abra;
Old age, an old man, and full of years, and
was gathered to his people" .
Second. Moses was an illustration of
the text. In Hebrews IL: q. HE endured
as seeing Him who Is invisible. That ex.
plains the mystery OF the burning bush
and this vision Of Christ explains how it
was that when your. hope seemed to be
consumed and the dearest plan OF your
life was burned as in the fire. you rejoiced.
| ing when he says in the text. Il have set
the Lord always before me; because He is
at nv right hand. ] shall not be moved"
| This vision enabled Moses to surmount
every difficulty. What did be care that
| the mountains were on every side, certain
OF the Egyptians behind him and the Red
| Sea before him. He marched like q con-
aueror until the water parted in advance
| OF him and drv shod he went over to the
other side. But such pictures as these
have been realized in our day when men
where other men OF the world have gone
down in defeat and all because they en-
dured as seeing Him who is invisible"
Third. our Saviour is an illustrate He
always set God before Him. As He came
into the world He said. 10, come to do
| Thy will" as He sat On the we'll curb OF
Jacobs well. MY meat 10 to do the will
of Him that sent Me-" as He bowed
in Gethsemane. mot Ny. will: hnt Thine
be done" At the beginning OF His minis
! try, in the midst OF it and near to its close
He eave forth the same music. What .
life it was.
The strong mans strength to toll for
Christ,
The fervent preachers skill.
sometimes wish. but better far,
To be Just what God wills.
| No service in itself is small,
| None great though earth it FIJI,
| But that is small that seeks its own.
| That great which seeks Gods will"
Fourth. Paul was certainly an illustra.
ton OF the spirit OF our text. He caught
| that vision in the sky as he made his way
to Damascus and he never forgot it. he
said truthfully. Il was not disobedient un-
to the heavenly vision This made him
insensib!e TO him surroundings. There Is
really nothing more pathetic than his re-
numeration OF his trials. II Cor. II: 4T,
"Of the Jews FIVE times received l forty
stripes save one. Thrice was beaten with
rods, once was I stoned, thrice ] suffered
shipwreck, o night and day have been
| in the deep: in journeyings often, IN perile
Of waters. in perils o. robbers, in perils OF
mine owa countrymen. in perils by the
heather, in per:!s in the city, in perils IN
the wilderness. IN per,ls IN the sea. In
peris among false brethren; IN wsariness wear IS
sna bnactr paa.sahssi asa thirst. m in isstinss often in
eo,d cod and nakedness." And yet here he
saws. II have learned with whatsoever
state am Herewith to be content. He
was with Paul 70 the very end. II Timothy
4: 20. II have fought good fight. have
| finished nv course. l have kept the faith;
henceiorth there is laid up for me crown
OF righteousness, which the Lord. the
righteous Judge. shall give me at that day,
and no. to me only. hut unto all them
a.so that love His appea:ing.,.
That was the secret Of his victorious
life. and that the secret OF his triumphant
death.
II Ke is before me no path is too hard
| for me to travel. since He walks IN every
way in which he would have me go: nor
shall I ever walk in darkness, for "He ID
the light OF the world. and in Him is 20
darkness q. all" nor shall ever be moved.
| Have you never noticed the differences
between the second and sixth verses in the
Sixtr.second Psalm. The second verse
reads, He only 10 my rock and my saiva.
.:on: He is my defense; I shall not be
greatly moved" And the sixth is the same
with the exception OF one wo:d. He only
is my rock and salvatiol,; He is my &c.
t greatly" There is deep meaning in the
omission of greatly" Confidence has
grown evidently. In the first, hope was
that the waiting heart should not be much
shaken. TINT the tottering fence should
not be quite thrown down; the second is
that It shall not be shaken at oil.
III.
| He is before me in oil experiences,
whether O! sorrow or OF joy, but since men
are born unto trouble as the sparks fly up
ward it is wei! to remember that He u be-
| fore us in suffering. There never has been
heart ache on the part OF any OF HIS fol-
and He had fellowship with US in our SUI
| ierings. as we are privileged to do IN bis.
| He shall be with Us even IN death.
| Since Jesus is mine III not fear undress.
But gladly put of these garments OF
To die in the Lord is a covenant blessing,
Since Jesus to glory, thro' death led the
way"
".
It is an awiu. thing for life not to have
the helniul presence OF God.
On to have no hope in Jesus.
How dark this world would be"
One OF the ocean dangers that captains
| fear almost more than anything else is the
danger OF coming in contac: with "dere.
lict." as a ship abandoned at sea is called.
There are now supposed to be about thirty
OF such vessels floating about at the will OF
| the currents in the Atlantic waters. They
are without pilot. have neither crew nor
rudder. are Bound nowhere and carry no
cargo to any port. One Of them. which
has a cargo OF mahogany on board, and is
| level with the waters edge. has been drift.