The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-07


be tender enough to WOO rs. We are told
again, He shall cover thee with his
feathers, and under His wings thou shalt
trust"
It would be impossible for one to read
the verses Immediately following the text
without being impressed with the iass
that che most remarkable results Will
follow our abiding and dwelling in the
Secret place"
In order that the subject may be the
more practical and helpful I desire to sue.
gcst some things which will surely be ours
when we fulfill the conditions.
I. In the "secret place" there n peace:
'In the world We shall have tribulation,,,
our Master said. "but in Me ye shall
have peace" have read that certain
insect has the power to surround itself
it drops into the midst Of muddy, stag.
nant pools. and remains unhurt. And the
believer may be thus surrounded by the
atmosphere of God. and while he is IN the
midst Of the turmoils Of the world he may
be filed to overfowing with the peace
Of God. because God 10 with him.
This Is true whatever your occupation,
if it Is ever no menial. The Rev. F. Is.
Meyer tells US of Lawrence. the simple
minded cook. who said that "for more than
sixty years he never lost the sense OF the
Of il while performing the duties OF his
humble office as when partaking OF the
Lords Supper" What peace he must
have had!
II you are constantly enga7ed so that
you have said IL was impossible for you
to enjoy your religion very much because
you were 60 busy, still you NAV have this
peace. because you are in the "secret
place" I know that it is impossihle for
one to keen two thoughts in the mind at
.he same time and do them both justice:
but there. is the heart a. well az the
mind. and while the mind Is busy the
heart may he rejoicing in al the fullness
of God. The orator il conscious OF the
nresence Of his audience. and his heart
Is touched BY their appreciation while
his mind is busy in presenting the
thoughts that move them. You may have
al yoar mind taken up with the book
YOU are reading or studying, but your
heart is conscious Of the presence Of the
one yon love and who sits BY your side.
The mother NAV be very busy in one part
Of the house; her mind may be greatly
engaged. hut her heart il conscious OF the
fact that her little babe Is in another part
Of the house. and the least CIV viii draw
her to the child. So the mind may be
occupied to the very fullest extent, and
even be disturbed BY the things about rs.
while the heart NAV be abiding in sweet
communion and fellowship with Him be.
cause we are dwelling in the Secret
place"
Those were comforting words OF the
Masters when He said. peace ! leave
with you, Nv peace give unto you, not
as the world giveth. give / unto Won.
Let not your hearts he troubled. neither
let them be afraid" So that I msv have
peace even when trial comes. David found
this to he true, for in that beautiful
Psalm. the 18th; he says: I'm the time
nf trouble He will hide me in His pavilion;
hide me-" The pavilion was great tent
IN the verv centre Of the camp. and when
he was there nothing could harm him:
he could be at peace even IT he should
hear the sounds of his enemies. But the
expression il even stronger than that, for
David says that If it we're necessary God
would even put him in the Secret OF
His tabernacle" that Is the same A. the
Hnly OF Holes; and who would not have
been safe there? Here is our Secret
Mace" again. and this 10 just where God
should we be disturbed II troubles are
about us and our enemies rise up to do
us harm?
2. In the -"secret place" there is purity.
II our surroundings were only better in
this world, our lives would be purer. 1t
10 very easy to be good in the company OF
some people we know; they seem to draw
out all the good in Us. To be surrounded
by certain kinds of scenery is to be lifted
near Heaven; to touch little child pure
as the ANGELS of God is to receive bene.
diction. What could not the presence Of
God do for US IL only we were all the
time conscious Of it? Ih Ihis is jIss i whas !
place" One of the reasons which David
gives for desiring to dwell in the house Of
the Lord was that ."he might behold the
beauty of the Lord"
I wish that it might be possible for me
to make plain to you as ] might un.
derstand It myself all the beauty that
waits us in the Secret place." Think Of
the gorgeousness Of the Holy of Holes
in the ancient tabernacle, which 10 a
type of this! The wonderful curtains and
hangings of the place, its blue and purple.
its fine twined linen and threads Of
cherubim. with the embroidery 80 fine
that angel fingers must have wrought
them. the table of pure gold holding the
bread, and the sevcnbranched candle.
stick? Who from the outside looking upon
the badger.skin tent would have imagined
how glorious it was within? So ] do not
think it would be possible to make plain
to you all that awaits you in the "secret
place" He who has dwelt there with God
speech; but this ! know. that il you will
but enter in and dwell there, the very
beauty OF the place will make yoa pure,
and you remember that it is only unto
"the pure in heart" that the vision Of
God is promised.
I have left to the very last the most
practical question of ali, and that is:
How may enter into this secret place"
Cannot something be said that will make
the way plain? It may all be summed up
in this answer. None can "know the
Father but the Son. and he to whom
the Son will reveal Him." It 10 impos.
sible 'or any one to enter into the "sccret
place" of the Most High except through
Jesus Christ. He said. II am the way, /
am, am the .s,ae doo. sy Me- If any man will' he
It is just what Paul meant when he said,
"But now in Christ Jesus .ye who. some.
blood OF Christ"
There arc some places in the Bible
where the way seems plain. "He that
eatet;, My flesh and drinketh Nv blood
dwei'eth IN Me, and ! in him" And
whatever else is meant by this feeding
on Christ. this certainly is true. we are
to set apart daily periods of time when
we may have communion with the Sa.
viour. Is it not because we are too
hurried that our vision OF Christ is blurred
and indistinct? It is only when the water
is still that you can see the pehbly beach
below. You could not 60 alone with
Chriek half nm hour eacb dav mr. even n