The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-03-18

to know that only spiritual appropriation
gives real ownership. This is one OF she
messages OF the old Eden story Of Genesis,
for God placed Adam in the garden as o
poor worker. He was to till and to keep
the place and only to enjoy so much OF it
A. he made his own. The supreme. Joy OF
his position was that through toll he was
able to look upon God and the good and
make them his own. In his sin he hlled
thus shut Him out OF his soul: The return
TO Eden is the return to simplicity and re-
captivity. It is the becoming sensltive
once more to the good and the taking IN VI
truth. beauty. holiness.
1t - II false theory which assumes that
the activity OF poverty is due to reckless
ness. that the poor may choose any course
OF action, disregard any existing order: be-
cause they have "nething to lose" Even
than meat and the body than raiment." b
true cause for the activity OF poverty Is
fonnd in the rugged strength developed BY
adversely. in the constant need for adapta-
ton to the demands OF the passing days.
and. finally. in the undying belief cherished
that there 10 "a good time coming" in he
golden future.
It u the tendency Of wealth to be sat
is6ed with things as they are. industrially,
s%ocially, morally. Truths cartoon; An
English Board Meeting" is startlingly sug-
when applied TO money. "Why," the aged
and wealthy directors of the great railway
are made to ask, why must the public in.
| terfere with our business? WHY must In
ventors suggest new devices? What's The
good OF these innovations"
Tho great labor saving ideas Of The ago
have come into the minds Of the poor; they
have been developed amid suffering and
stress, and they have been forced npon .
reluctant world by men who cared more
for progress than for ense. So it is with
the men and women who, hungering and
| thirsting after Righteousness. have become
possessed Of great moral ideas. The grasp
Of these ideas upon their own souls rem.
| ders them increasingly eager to see them
| enthroned in the heart Of the race. They
are willing to fight seemingly hopeless bat
| ties. to champion despised principles, to
advocate unwelcone truths. They. know
| what they have believed, and their knowl-
| edge gives them willingness to utilize their
hard earned strength for the education n
advancement Of mankind. and these cham.
| pions of the principles of piety have been
from the days Of Jesus and from the apos-
| tolic times the sons Of poverty. When in
| the days Of primitive Christianity the COS
| pel spread from Jerusalem, il was carried
by the poor; when it laid siege to hostile
| lands, poverty fought for it; when It grew
| corrupt through the Vaccinations Of a
wicked priesthood, poor mel purified It,
| when in these last days it has become
ready for world conquest. humble servants
| Of the King have been called tn carry 1t.
But we have said that piety has as one
| Of love as the great animating and sustain.
ing principle; this recognition poverty glad
" accords. When we are told in the text
| that the poor had the gospel preached to
| them, we have, az has been said. more than
a mere statement Of fact that Jesus de-
| liyered sermons to multitudes OF the
needy: we have the implied declaration OF
q condition Of understanding OF sympathy,
between His soul and theirs. Men who
were dominated by selfish principles did
not understand Him, for they were Incapa'
| be OF recognizing love as the supreme mo-
tive Of a soul: Action, for them. was a.;
a hidden motive behind the activity OF
Jesus. =.
The Master declared that for a rich man
TO enter the kingdom is difficult. What
| did He mean? He doubtless considered the
| increasing danger of basing action upon
false motive. He knew that it is the tend.
| ency Of wealth to render action mechani'
cal, careless, and. too frequently. heart,ess,
| that the rich man may give his gold to
Charity" while his heart is as flint; that
be may support the gospel with his money
while his heart feels no joy in its message.
| But he knew that poverty rightly, con;
ceived tends to keep the life normal and
true to the true springs OF action Ito! ut ne
| they gave their mites gave them because
Of love, for no other power could cause
that to be sacrificed which represented
bread, shelter, life. He knew that they
were familiar with the ministry OF
poverty to poverty, and that they
were able 20 grasp the significance
Of q ministry based upon simple, I'M
selfish love. So He preached to them,
unfolding, His conception Of the approach
ing Kingdom Of God, the kingdom OF
| Calmly He revealed to them a life which
needed for its realization neither might
nor money. sveetly He di:couTsed 70 them s
| the hunger, the thirst. the .mcekness. the
poverty necessary in order that men might
possess it, and they understood.