The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-09-03
M; tino to the lower instincts of our ns-

ture We are destroying that wllch IS hi2n-
est and best and wilfuily striving ,uncon-
sciously, it may be) to thwart the great
end which the heavenly Fathers mafFeE
Gus love would have us attain. -,
Brethren, you may possess untold wealth..
| Fortune NAV load You with her iavorS. tns
| world may fawn at your feet. but declare
| there is no happiness to be found IN these:
neither does religion confer any outward
benefit that shall appeal as pleasures OF
sense, but it's blessedness, the highest, pur'
est. nobest gift in heaven or earth is char
| acter-character which finds lts likeness IN
| the Christ, conferring Joy which the an
| gels wonder at, and fencing the soul with
| impregnable battlements OF Godlike moral
recttude, from whicn the concentrated fu-
| res and powers of hell are hurled back IN
confusion as the oceans waves 'in the
| mighty walls of a rock-bound shore. Thus
| true happiness comes from being. not by
| having: from the life within, not influence
| without.
Every man possesses a conscience, and
| YOU will hear many declare that they can
| be Just as good. quite as moral as Chrls-
! tian through the power OF that conscience;
| But what is conscience aplrt from religion:
| In many cases it is slave j. tead OF a
master The power OF passion browns ITS
voice and weakens it by every deliberate
| sin. A man believing in the existence OF
| no higher authority will drift upon the
current of his animal nature, for those ten
denotes which are strongest will eventually
| ens'ave him. No. without living faith IN
| God or personal union with Hin the con-
science loses its power to govern and guide.
! but religion clothes it with exceeding
strength by revealing to man the source OF
| those magnificent moral attributes with
| which he is endowed. thus giving to that
':stilr small voice" within the soul an inti.
| mite worth.
There is not heart but has some con-
ception of higher life than i. now feels.
| Every young man and woman at the gate
| way of responsibility is fred with enthus-
| asm and ambitious with great purpose
which they long to accomplish: going out
into the world they have to stem mighty
currents within and without. the tenden-
| cies Of their lower nature and temptations
will arrive when the future will b. deter
| mined Moments OF dire peril fraught
with tremendous responsibility Thcv will
| then feel the need OF higher power.
greater strength than their own to thwart
the enemy OF rectitude The ideal Of pure
manhood and womanhood shining before
them will appear unattainably beyond
their reach. lost forever. How. then. can
| they safeguard AGAINST this dread exper-
ience which has blighted many promising
young lives, which. nnah'e to stand against
the waves Of adversely have sunk helpless
| and desDsiring? answer, by being relIg-
| ious. RELIGION alone can give them that
victory which crowns a life complete in
| Christ. It places them into direct commu-
| nication with God. whose delight is that
| they should become worthy TO share His
glory. Temptations will surely come, but
| religion gives them a new meaning: they
| are but reminders nf the evistrnce OF
Father who ever waits to aid and sustain.
| and. as BLESSINGS in disguise they carry
messa ces Of an infinite love for every indi-
vidual soul. rroclaming that virtue. is the
beginning and the end OF holiness, the mar
row road to perfection.
Another wonderful revelation Of religion
asserts that you and I spranp from the
bosom Of the eternal Father That as He
is eternal we too shall live through endless
ages, created in His image. sustained bv
His snirit our life shall Gather unto itself
magnificent growth. Religion sets before
us destiny whose divine splendor startles
and overnowprs orr weak conception Of its
glory. The Word Of God calls into being
an amazing sense Of power. TO think. my
frother ard sister that through aeons OF
time we shall be adding purity to purity.
love TO love. knowledge to knowledge,
glory TO glory. living forever in the pres
once Of the immortal and Infinite God. ris-
inx TO spiritual planes Of incorceivabie
grandeur and beauty. scaling heights OF
happiness beyond the dream Of angels. The
incomnrehersible destinv of living sonl
'oval to God and duty hrinos our faces tn
thc dust when we consider that this is our
heritage: you and |. with all our weakness.
corquering death and the power OF moral
evil.
In the midst Of the trifing follies of the
world the conceit OF fashion. the decrees
Of thnughtless society and rhc whirl nj
vaDid pleasures. let us keen this thourht
like BURNING fire within the hrain-the
thought of God. holiness and heaven.
Brethren. allow the character Of vour
heavenly Father as revealed by .Iesus
Christ TO stand before yor as the goal of
all attainment. Religion gives rs an ideal
and an incentive to reach it. BY conten-
Mating and really loving this excellence is
tn be inspired by it. The Christian man is
always conscious Of divine presence. In
every phase of his life he rnarks the guild
ance OF God He heho'ds His handiwork
in every flower OF the field The hosts of
shining stars as they whirl through space
declare His mi iesty. and in the phenomena
of nature he d;scerrs living expression OF
His glorv Thus by concentrating and
adoring His handiwork in the natural
WOrn WlInO't dnu tue Spirltudl WOTiu
within. Christian is given grace to subdue
all things INTO the one great end of moral
growth. True religion is not belief in a
set Of dogmas. or the recitation of = creed.
or a profession of faith: these are but tho
accessories of a particular attitude toward
trrth but it is infinitely more than this
it is the life irving breath Of the spirit of
God which rules. not certain relations. hut
all corrpsnondenre OF the heart. soul and
body with the Creator and with fellow
mon.
There is no Limitation to the exercise Of
the intellect. yet without moral rrinriple
to g,,ide and enliQhten its research. there |
can be 10 advance in the path of truth.
Manv of the greatest thinkers have died |
atheists RELIGION pives to intellect an
added power of analvsis and discrimina-
tion. medium whereby we discern truth. |
II places the mentality of man in commu.
nion with infinite knowledge. "Gifted |
with the eve of the spirit" tae glory Of
God streams upon the mage Of history. and |
every denartment Of scientific research tes- |
tifes to His perfection and wondrous love. !
The mind Of the most brilliant echolar will !
only see in phenomena natural results. |