The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-04-02
DEFINITE SERVICE.
Sermon Preached BY Rev. T. w. Sloan
March n, 1902, Abbeviile. y. G.

Sermon Preached by Rev. r. w. sloan
March n, 1909, Abbeviile. y. c.
Pail. 3: l3, This one thing / do"
Obviously the Christian lie has moro than
one side. Our conception OF II depends upon
our poin, OF view. We may % rsg"ra T.r Cnrs' W. ss
may regurd ouTselves as guests NJ Dis taoie or
an iaborcrs In bis vineyard. Receptive hearts
and busy hands complete the Christian ideal
psssiys IN largely preparation for the active.
believe We are saved 10 serve:
II In with the active side OF life that we shall
have 10 do to-day. which subject is suggesleo
And note. firsi. how the demands OF grace
accord With the demands OF nature. Is has
been written, "There ~ u deep-seated necessi
~ for work IN the constitution OF our na.u.e
ton. the mind In apt 10 grow morbid, mag
nant, and what IN more than eitner-neinsn.
One OF the greatest thinkers oi antiquity de,
fiped happi ness TO be- An "energy ol Tue s1ui.
Aud 10 it not irne? Only watch the ayidity
with which men, even In extreme oid age.
when one would think The interests oi lie
were on the wane for them, catch a. some ea
citing pursuit., like politics. The lesson,
which, as Christians, we should learn from
this observation, Is that most unquestio
God has made mau for activity Rugged
old Thomas Carlyle. whose words were IKE
the blows that break the rock, spoke never
more truly nor fOrc.fuly thnn when be sala,
"Oue monster thereaS In the wotld-the Idle
man." When God made man be put nun
not ON q pedestal Tor exhibition, but IN a gar.
den for service. Man was created tn d0
work as well as To bear an image. The "a
iher Vol keith hitherto. and ] work" said Inc
ideal man.
There are but two classes Of rational crea-
tures that are exempt from the law OF active
Rervice-ihose VINO are incap .cttaisd oy tne
intirmilies OF age or ins ravsE,s OF a,sease sns
they are laid on the sneit" But IN that ab'
soIutely true: When God lays his hand upon
men and TAX Cd the keenness out OF Their VIE
Ion, and the tension out OF the muscle ano
sariIy retiring them. Blind Milton sang !:
"They also serve who only stand and walt.
And Robertson said, mo mans WORK ~ done
fer" But IL In work In the active sense OF the
word that Interests as especially today.
Now note, In the second place. the import
Most men labor with their heads or hands
or both, because they have 10. or beg or starve.
but the trouble IL that so many give all. or
practically all. OF their atrength 10 the getting
Of that which In material and tangib!s ana
visible. They are like the nObleman who
exhausted all his treasure la building his
palace aud then had nothing with which 10
furnish IL Thus are they doing VINO give
enrichment and adorn ment OF their external
lives while they neglect heart enrichment
and spiritual adjournment; Many centuries
ago Mohn IN med Maid, "If had two lOsves OF
bread. would sell one and buy hyacinths.
for they would feed my soul" BY which be
evidently meant that IL il not wise 10 spend
all upon that which ministers 10 the physical
life.
But many who do give some thought to the
higher life regard their religious duty dis
charged when they attend. with some degree
OF fidelity, TO the devotional part OF lie.
Therefore, their religious activity consists In
attendance. more or less regular. upon the or.
dinuuces OF the sanctuary. Now LEI no
word be said depreciatory or the impor-
tance Of that which the church affords.
soul 10 fed. or supposed 10 be fed: and II In
food that. under ordinary circumstapcss. -
Indispensable. But "life IL more tnan meat
LABOR is quite aS essential 70 physical health
and deveiopment as bread. Feed your soul
upon sermon, prayer and song, ont forget not
that "man shall not live by bread al0ne.'
himself to something very defniie In the
way of Christian service. The trouble with
most people is desultoriness In service. They
touch life lightly VI many points, and power.
fully at no point. How true Matthew Ar
nold's lines:
.'Most men eddy about
Here and there-ent and drink,
Chatter and love and hate.
Gather and squapder, are raised
AiOfl, are hurried In the dust,
Striving blindiy. achieving
Nothing; aud no One asks
Who or what they have been
More than he asks what waves
In the moon ~ solitudes wild
or the midmost ocean have sweiled.
Foamed for q moment, and gone.'
Note two results OF such aimlessncss In
Christian service.
The first is aseIessn ness, or nj least compare.
tive uEeiesaness. Mr Moody once said, THE
trouble with great many men 10 that they
a han, ss,Iy q fttil
They fail In everything. II they would only
put their lie into one channel, aud Keep 10 u,
they would accomplish something. They
make no im IMPRESSION, because they do little
work here and little work there. L~y
yourselves Oh the altar OF God, and then con.
cen trate on some one work." Too many OF
that fiow sluggishly along, and spread them.
selves out and finally sink Into the sands
without turning wheel. Oh, that we could
gather up our scattered energies; ana throw
Them into The channel OF dehnitensRs Se-
lect some worthy work, and make that MI.
preme until u 10 finished. or your life done.
This Rimless dipping Into everything IN yen.
eraI and not ing IN particular In vastly better
supins indifference, but In not the best
thing. for II makes vast accomplishment I'M
possible.
The growth and success Of the Christian
EdeavOr movement are subjects OF frequent
comment. Within n brief space OF time that
society has grown from handful To many
millions. The value OF that society and the
secret OI WOuueTIul huCCcH5 uhy VC Scch W
the fact that II takes the individual. and
gives him specific work To do, and makes
him feel responsible for that work. why can
not every church be u Christian EndeavOr
society? That In the divine intention con-
csrning the Church. How you IN individuals
would grow. and how the work would pros
per- II each of you wou d select this day some
specific service, and make that your own. and
give yourself TO II, aud hold yourself account
nOle for u!
II In a great gain when, t'r instance, a
woman tnkes class In the sabbath School,
and makes the work OF teaching those chii
dren and OF visiting them In their homes in
health and sick ness, and OF looking up re-
cruitH for her class, her district duty and
gives hersrlL heart and soul. To that work.
weneed specialists. Look around you. Try
to discover The thurcis needs: select your
work, and pin Yourself To 10. Thus you Will
save yourself from the weakness aud inefii-
cheney OF aimlcssnrss.
The other result OF aimlessness is, easy
drifting into sin.
The celebrated II ugh Psice Hughes says. IL
believe that the reason why 80 many OF the
wealthy and titled plunge into all the G0llics
aud miscries OF gambling is because they are
nj their wits END TO kill time, To deatrny the
intoIerabie ennui Of their aimless exiseLce.
They DRIFT to anu fro with the social current
as seu weed drifts with the tide"
And what is true OF the wealthy and titled
In essentially true Of the poor and untitled. OF
ali indeed whose lives are not bound as by
lin Ia of steel to some definite, worthy work.
Work In an anchor 10 the soul. SpuTgeon