The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-08-05

divine message would receive. afraid OF
the consequences to himself. The trans
formed rod revealed the secret of his hesi-
fancy; he fed from before it; fear was
within his heart. God gave him mastery
over that weakness. He reached forth his
hand and grasped the menacing serpent
and it became rod again, Moses was
taught and, as his. after life revealed,
learned the lesson Of fearlessness 1or oou
and His truth. III God be Tor US WHO can
be against us?' =,
The relation of fear to all life and truth
is an interesting study, one on when more
light is now shed than at any other time
in the worlds history. Fear is altogether.
detrimental to the health and growth OF
the nhvsical body. Professor Sully tel Is
us OF children dwaried and ruined in body
and mind through the shock and power
Of simple fear. Psychologists tell ns. ana
we know from experience that fear finders
digestion. that it brings mental collapse.
one night through the paralysis of fear is
we'll established fact. That which can SO
radically change the color Of pigment must
have an awful effect upon the more vital
and direct parts of the body. Fear de-
stroys mental and spiritual development:
Every book on pedagogy and tie spiritual
training of children now recognizes and
emphasizes this truth. Dickens powerfully
illustrated this truth to all England IN his
havoc in the religious lie; it has distorted
the vision of God and frozen the genial
and natural expressions of worship: 1t has
paralyzed and hampered the church in her
triumphant march. 1t has transformed
manv of the messengers of God into poor
whining and ineffective apoogsts. 1t is
this fear in religion and for religion that
our God would have us overcome even as
He had Moses overcome. A right, concep,.
tion of God is assurance that lie must
triumph in the work of His hands, that
truth prevail everywhere. God would have
His children confident in the presence Of
difficulties, assured in tie presence of
peri,s, calm in the mi ghty storms of prreJu'
dice and doubt. certain in the midst of un-
certaiuties. He would have US obey Him
as implicitly and lovingly as The gentle
child obeys the loving parent. In all this
He would have US open eyed to danger,
direct in the meeting of it and sure in the
mastery of it.
To-day the church, as whole, is more
possessed of fear than we like to acknowl-
edge. A dominant mate: .alisn and world
illness freeze the faith and hope of great
number-evangelical zeal and enthusiasm
are at a low ebb in these trembling chill
dren OF the Most High. Critical scholar
ship, with all the presupnositions OF the
higher criticism, stands before the church:
1t must be met Some fear that dire and
dreadful results to the cause of God must
ensue. The scie,-. :fic spirit, stalks abroad
a mighty grip. Many a child Of God,
knowing that his most precious possessions
have not and cannot, from their nature,
come through or be established by such a
spirit. but that they are the gifts Of faith
is fleeing with fear from before the imag-
ined terror. 10 all sucn fearful believers
God snys-even as to Moses in the miracle
of the rod-"meet the difficulties, seize
them in their vitals and fear not,
There can be but one result to the child
of God. The Apostle Paul knew this when
he wrote: "All things work together tor
good to them that love God" There can
be but one result to the Kingdom Of God
"His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom"
All things shall he put under His feet.
In the preparation of His church our
Saviour gave great attention to the eradHa.
tion of the elements Of religious fear. His
addresses to the seventy and the twelve
were supreme emphasis upon confidence
in God and fearlessness toward man and all
things that were OF. might appear in. op-.
position to the work Divine: "Benold l
give unto you power to tread on serpents
and scorpions and over all the power OF
the enemy, and nothing shall by any means
hurt vou."..
In His relation to them on sea and land,
alone or with the multitudes, before and
after death, there constantly appears d.
rectly or bv inference the injunction: BE
not afraid" The Master would have His
children joyfully expcctant Of His presence
in every place and under all conditions
and to realize that that Presence. was the
ultimate solution of every problem, the
resolution Of every difficulty and the full.
tillment Of every promise; that the fearless
challenge of the church should ever be:
'1f God be for us, who can be against