The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-06-24
oul. There are doubling days in the cali

ashes, when. the eyes of faith are blinded
with a mist of tears. and when hope BOWS
her serene head and hides her radiant face.
Another element of heart failure is dan;
ger. There was an element OF personal
peril that night which we must not forget
to introduce into our analysis Of tine I'M
pulses that drove the apostles away from
Christ. in all likelihood the thought OF
danger little affected the comrades OF
Jesus. With US it is apt to be the over.
mastering consideration. The retreatlng
apostles were not so much afraid OF some
things as we are. We talk about absolute
monarchy We rehearse stories OF Slber'an
atrocity until. the blood chi.ls. There ls
but one absolute monarch-the czar OF hu-
man opinion. The ukase " hich he issues
drags US all into a Siberia OF meanness out
family tipyfed by the degra datlon OF
those gloomy mines TINT burroW INTO me
Asiatic mountains. The opinion, OF the
world exiles finest feeling 1t dungeons
on our loft;est aspirations. It vetoes lade-
pendence. We dare not be free and manly
and genuine. 1t makes our feet fast inethe
stocks of it's whims. We are all the while
| asking which way the weather-cock points
and we trim. We are diligent in inquir'
ing> how the current sets. and we veer.. IN
stead of asking whittier the needle points
| and setting our PROV to the pole star; IN
stead of reading the chart and laughing to
scorn the fret and roar Of the pillows: we
serve Christ, by the worlds permission.
worlds opinion? If You slip. will the
| world help you up? If rou have blotted
| the fair page of your life. is the world
helning you to whiten it? If you are sick.
! will the world play physician? If YOU are
struggling with all the energy tnat Is IN
your soul to scale some starry height OF
purity and of nobility will the world lend
you hand? When your nath enters the
valley Of the shadow will the world walk
beside YOU on that lonely and mysterious
way? When your stay here is ended will
the world spend one thought upon you,
keep flowers growing on your grave or tear
is one who loves you. one who. whenever
you slip. has an arm Of love ready to catch
you: when YOU fall has messages Of hope
ready to whisper in your ear. He will
whiten YOUR soul. He will grid your weak.
ness. He will school your Ignorance. He
will share your sorrow. He will companion
you as you cross the frontiers Of time. He
will introduce you into an unclouded
eternity beyond. Why care very much for
the opinion Of the world in which we are
but fraction now, and in which to-mor.
row we will be a cipher? Why not very
keenly care for one whose love envelops
our being as with an atmosphere?
Turn the page and read the later story Of
apostolic loyalty. The sequel is different
from the preface. Call the roll of that
glorious company of the apostles and hear
every compass point ring with fidelity to
Jesus. Read how they sowed the earth
with martyr blood from Abyssinia to In
h. ,1a hot fro6
tion of Simon Peter, who was led out to
death in the Roman amphitheatre while
his wife was crowned with martyrdom
before his eyes. to shake if possible the
stanch rock of his bedded faith. And
while she suffered he called her by name
and addressed her in terms of most endear.
ing affection and exhorted her to remem.
ber the love of the blessed Lord and to be
firm until the very end. His turn came
next. He, had but single favor to ask
from God as he stood there in the old
Roman circus face to face with death, and
that was that be might remain firm for
one more hour. He had but a single favor
to ask from man, and that was that ne
wase too great an honor for one who had
deserted Jesus to suffer in the same way
Jesus did. The whole company of the
APOSTLES went sweeping home to their
Master in chariots of fire, They sealed
their allegiance to Him with their blood.
Since the night of panic they had come to
see Jesus under q new aspect. They had
known Him as friend. He had a place
at their table and o voice in the home talk.
He had seat at their hresides and a
share in their plans. They had strolled
together up and down the field paths.
They had paced side by side through the
| Ia hol hoiN
pathies. nodded their character. enriched
their lives: but the bond of friendship
broke in the hour of trial. They had
known Him as teacher. They had been
| fascinated by the crystal-clear form of His
statements. They had thrilled to the
searching and subtle touch of His noun
tain sermon. They had felt the. subtle
charm of His para bles, but the spell OF His
wisdom did not keep them true on the
night of His betrayal. They had seen Him
as miracle worker. They had beheld
mand. They had witnessed lepresy con:
verted into purity at His touch. They had
seen the winter of the sepuicher bloom
into the spring when His sandals touched
the Intel of the tomb, but the power Of
Jesus did not armor them to look upon
| the face of fear. But since that hour Of
heart failure they had come to know Him
as their Saviour. They had seen Jesus die
for them. They had felt the touch of love
| that death could not Quench. They had
| been beneath the arms of the cross out
stretched to shelter them. They had caught
| the accents of His parting PRAYER, "F Father,
| forgive" They had heard His triumph
shout, TT is finished" As their Re-
deemer Jesus rireted them to Himself with
| hooks of steel.
In this day Of torce worship it is timely
| to upiift Christ as the vitaiizing energy OF
| humanity. 1t is pertinent to emphasize
the deathless power that resides in Chris
| tianity. 1t is interesting to watch it soar
ing like phoenix from the ashes OF Jeru-
salem, shifting like mailed giant the forces
| of the Graeco-Roman civilization. sweeping
| like white-winged angel of mercy beyond
the Alps and the Rhine, and scattering
| glorious benedictions upon Scandinavian,
Celt and Saxon: to watch it as it carries
the same beneticent potencies to the dark
continents and hermit nations Of our, own
time, and blessing with its eShaustless
bounty attic and cellar, avenue and alley,
and paror and schooiroom, and market
place of latter day civilization. In this hour
of culture craze it is timely to mark the
unique wisdom of the Christ and 10 note
that through all the ages train of gifted
minds has brought the treasures of their
life and laid them at the feet of Him who
was Graded in the Bethlehem Tanger; to
observe the masters OF human thought
bowing with wondering homage before the
sweet and the clarity Of Christ's insight;
to remark how the bolGest of the skeptics
become deferential and unsandal when