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

IT always think there 10 somethins
down the world" remarked . Christian
who was more noted for the correctness
Of his manner and attire than for his epir.
ituality. This worlds pretty good place
70 live, and the man who IN always harping
on its evils has missed having good time.
you may depend upon It,"
Separation implies o union. II may he
that the human heart Is 90 closely united
to the world that II fails to SEQ the evil,
and therefore blinds its eye to warning at.
Ger warning against 1t found in every book
Christ" says the Apostle Paul, "has ne
deemed US from this present evil woriti
and in another place, I..Demas hath for:
saken me, having loved this present evil
world"
Worldliness il the attractive power pos.
sessed by that which IL here over against
that which il far away yonder; BY some.
thing which 10 present, tangible, visible,
ss over against that which 10 unseen. II
gains its force BY Offering somethins row
aates in o. the sresd sot the world Is is
to-day and lot tomorrow care OF itseh.
Il was the tyranny Of the present that rem
dered Demas the worldly man. and led him
TO forsake his Saviour. It Is the advantage
Of the present, the pleasure OF to-day, that
/ leads q believer 10 be unequally yoked
with an unbelieYse, whether In business,
in amusement, or jn that closest OF al
/ earthly relationships, marriage. Even the
Immediate future OF this earthly life. u
sometimes forgotten in the JOY OF the I'M
mediate present.
Paul, in his forceful, clear logic, goes on
10 reason: "What 10 10 be the sequel OF
90 unequal partnership? What can you
expect! II, for instance, your partner N
business is not ruled by the law Of God,
but has an eye to the gains TO be won
through short measure and light weight.
with q grinding Of his employees, how arc
you, bound BY your partnership 70 uphold
him, to hold TO your principles OF honesty
and charity? You viii presently find
yourself, il you attempt i, in the same
case eith che sagtives Of saTaris, q
served their own gods
Oh, the bitterness Of walking hand In
hand, bound by uubreakab!e ties, to one
who does not love the God we love! II
we do not love the Lord then OF course
there il no great anguish, and conscience,
separated from the influence Of the Spirit,
10 soon lulled to sleep. =.
In clear, sharp words Of warning Paul
J speaks sternly: Come out! Be separate!
Touch not!
More gently comes the pleading Of John.
wistful, longing: ,"'If any man love the
things Of this world, the love OF the Fashe'
There Is enough to make the pulses thrill
and the heart throb with wonder and JOY
| In the reward that shall be ours for sepac-
atin1 ourselves. eye shall be Ny sons and
dauchters, saith the Lord Almighty" and
''He that doeth the will OF God abidcth
forever"
Note that the doing Of the will Of God,
! and being one with the world, are no
where in the Bible considered . possible
thing, though everywhere in life we find
Christians who are trying daily to live this
paradox. Eye cannot serve God and nam
mon."
may be, whether amusements, intellectual
! pursuits, money getting, intemperance;
whatever we put In the place Of God,
whatever has power to turn our thoughtS
away from Him, from that we are to sep.
arate ourselves.
I'VE are to have no compromising con.
nection with anything in the world which
Is alien to God. Let Us be as loving and
! conciliatory as we please. but az long -
the world In what it is. the Christian life
can only maintain itself in an attitude OF
| protest. 1nere Will Always DC pc0ptG "
whom the Christian has to say No! It 10
recognized at once where the young are
concerned: people are careful OF the friends
their children make. and schoolmaster
will dismiss incxorably, not only bad
habit, but bad boy from the school. It
ought to be recognized just as easily in ma.
turity as in childhood; there are men and
women, as we'll as boys and girls, who dis
tinctly represent evil, and whose society
Il to be declined. To protest against them.
TO repel them, to resent their life and con.
duct as morally offensive, is a Christian
duty: it in the first step toward cvangelir:
ing them. There has never been q state OF
affairs in the world in which the com.
mandment had not meaning, Come out
from among them, and be ye separate
nor an obedience to this commandment
which did not involve separation from per.
sons as well as from principles. flames
Denny, in Mail and Express.
The ruturs.
| do not think that anybody can map
out the future 50 as to be absolutely sure
OF anything definite except certain great,
clearly stated facts. II is certain that the
Lord will come; that He win come in such
an hour as the most of men look not for
| NJ. IN. D.. = d D. l1.kou Esyakk~