The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-07
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
.THe SECRET OF HIS PRESENCE"

The Rev. Or. J. wilbur Chapman Deliv.
srs IN Instructive Message Suggested
by ono OF the Most Beautiful Expres-
sions In the Bible.
NEW YORK CITY.-The distinguished
evangelist, the Rev. DR.. j. Wilbur Chap
man has never delivered more eloquent
and convincing message than is contained
in the following sermon, entitled, The
Secret Of His Presence" It was preached
from the text: "TIe that dwelleth in the
secret place Of the Most High shall abide
under the shadow of the Almighty"
Psalm xai.: !.
To me this is one Of the most beautiful
expressions in all the Bible; beautiful he
cause it is poetic. but more than that for
the reason that it holds up before US one
of the greatest privileges that can come
to the children OF God.
There is q difference Of opinion as to
who the author of the Psalms may be.
We get into the way of thinking that
David wrote everything in the Psalter.
but Moses is the author here. The Tai
mud a3cribes not only this one to him but
that all the Psalms without q name in
the title are to be ascribed to the poet
whose name il given in the nearest preced.
ing title. bnt this rule will not always hold
good. This is the Psalm quoted by the
devil when he was tempting Christ upon
the mountain, and j. has ever been throb-
bing with comfort for every troubled
soul. Whoever wrote it. it is beautiful.
and all will agree that the lesson taught
is one touching our communion with God
and our fellowship with Jesus Christ.
It is very true that all Christians 90
net occuny the same position in this
All ara covad and II in hv the
same "precious blood of Christ" But
there is 80 much more to the Christian
life than simply being saved; that is
only the beginning. The blessings here
offered are given in a very general way.
God is no respecter OF persons. and 40 it IL
aN If He had said, any one who will fulfill
thu conditions may have the blessing: and
as there 10 only the one condition, namely.
that We ehall dwell in the secret place
o. the Most High. You would think that
oil would aceeot. for the promise il that
we "shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty" The blessings here promised
are not for Ell believers. hut only for
those who live in close fellowship with
God. Every child of God looks toward
the inner sanctuary and the mercy seat.
hut all do not dwell there. They run to
il at times and enjoy occasional glimpses
OF the face of Him who il there tn he
seen: but they do not continually abide
in the mysterious presence, and this Is
possible for every one.
I. IL with the desire that I might learn
you. and with the almost unutterable
longing that we might know how to abide
il the Secret of His prssence" that ]
have brought you the subject. May the
Lord help us every one! have been on
the mountain tops OF Christian expert
ence. when have seemed to see the face
Of Him who loved me and gave Himself
for me, and I am sure that Won can say
the same: bnt the text says that we may
abide there in our thoughts while We may
le all the time il the very thickest OF the
fcht for God.
I like the verse. Every word is sweeter
than honey in the honeycomb. Il IL 80
restful to know that there il any Mace
In the world where we may abide. There
10 also something very winning to me in
the fact that j. is q secret place. for that
surely means that God ms something that
il inst intended for me, and for me alone.
When ! am there, I am awav from the
world. It Is the place Mrs. Brown dis
covered when she wrote the beautiful
hymn,
II love in solitude to shed
The penitential tear;
ana all his promises 10 piea0
When none but God can hear"
There 10 something about the word
Shadow" that always interests. for there
light; TINS the Secret place" must he q
place of brightness. II is place where
God Is, for the nearest of all things to me
as Journey in the sunlight is my shadow,
and he who walks in my shadow or rests
IN 1t must be very near to me; SO that
when am in the shadow of God. can
reach forth nv hand and touch Him:
can lift up mine eyes and see Him face
to face. know there is a sense in which
and He ia everywhere. But there is sorae.
thing about the Secret of His presence"
to which every one is stranger until
be has dwelt there.
In the 10th Psalm the psalmist seems
IN the first part to be writing Of the
presence of God in a general sort Of way.
As another mas said. He had been beat
ing out the golden ore of thought through
successive paragraphs OF marvellous power
and beauty. when suddenly in the fifty
first verse he seems to have become con.
speaking had drawn near and was bending
over him. The sense of the presence Of
God was borne in upon his inner con-
sciousness, and lifting up face on which
reverence ard ecstacy met and mingled.
nc cried: Thou art near, @ Lord!" II
we could only attain unto this how strong,
how happy, how useful we should be. It is
possible as well for those of US who are
in the very midst OF perpiexing cares as
Master bids US all to abide in Him, and
docs not limit either His meaning or the
number OF people who may obey. I am
absolutely certain that it rests with me
and with you to determine whether We
shall take advantage Of our high sprivil.
egc.
The typical reference must be to the
holy place Of the tabernacle, which the
priests were privileged to enter; but Peter
assures If that we have become in this
new dispensation "a holy priesthood,"
sv that It Is possible for US to enter on
that ground. II this Interpretation is al.
lowed, then it il something, too won
derful almost to describe, to which we
are bidder, for in the tabernacle just be-
yond the veil was the glory cloud, and
oil the magnificence that could be wrought
in gold and silver, purple and fine linen.
But am persuaded that even that was
as nothing when compared to that which
awaits us when we enter the secret place
of God. The writer to the Hebrews tells
Us just how we may enter. Having,
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into
the holiest by the blood Of Jesus, by
new and living way, which He hath conse-
Grated for US, through the veil, that is
to say, His fesh." how easy it all seems
when We look at it in this way! A
Christian is all wrong according to the
text if he thinks that all the life here be-
low must be turmoil and strife, for there
is an abiding even here, and q sweet,