The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-24

age of that perfect love toward which
Christianity calls us. And So we turn back
to the text, and hear the words mat 1t.
Paul said: The aim of the command
ment, the Whole aim of the Christian IN,
.:itut;on. is love out of a pure heart, and
out of a good conscience and out OF ia1lh
%unfeigned."
First-In this matter Of Christianity, we
have to do with such divine forces IN their
operation upon human nature as ElPid
hopes of even this great result. II is not
that we expect ourselves to attain any
such goodness, but is it not possible that
He who made this thing VIC cali the human
soul with all it's varied powers Of obserVa-
ton, reason, Imagination, fancy and mem
orv, conscience and will, He who made
this strange, subtle, Intangible thing we
call the human soul, may not lie [emahe
the soul. enter into its profoundest depths,
so reconstruct, recorder and INSPIRE II tnat
it not said, HE will do for us far more ex.
ceedingiy than we can ask or thing"
And that is the warrant in this Christian
church. and in all these Christian churches
for the high aspiration toward "hlch
And the other thing to be said is this,
that however true it is that most u us
who profess and call ourselves CHRISTIANS
come far very far, short OF TINS nigh ldeal
of character; however true 1t is that with
many of Us our Christianity Is SIMPLY. as
it were. an attempt to secure seif-Weli,os-
ing in the long reaching future-alas! that
il is such a narrow form of Christianity as
that-however true that may be, neverthe-
less I take it for granted that perhaps
every one present has during some time III
his experience come in contact with some
soul, has become intimate perhaps. win
some life, upon whom the divine truth, the
divine providence and the divine lnspira-
ton has so operated in Transforming power
hat the soul seems to have entered into
the very fellowship of God, even has be-
come radiant with divine life, the features
have been chiseled by the soul within; the
eye has looked tenderly out toward all
men whom it has met, and now and then
the very habitation and habit OF such a
person becomes u~nspeakably endearlng, be,
cause If this dwelling of the Lord Christ
within.
Second-The aim of Christianity is love
not only out of a pure heart, but also out
of a GOOD conscience. That is TO say, Its
aim is not a mere sentimental overflow OF
tears and pity; it shall be a living, and
mighty engine within, under the guidance
of God, as to method, and as to measures,
of a widely instructed moral sense. Chris
tianity is something beside mere happiness.
It aims at the great soul Of life under the
guidance and shaping OF an instructed
moral nature.
And finally the love at which Christian
:tv aims is a love out of faith untelgned;
Let faith return. Bring back your Bloie.
Behold one living and eternal God. he IS
love. and He has loved this poor world so
that He has effected redemption for man
kind and lifted them across the heavens.
Has thrown His arms around man, IN or
der that He might lift him up by His Holy
Spirit. PRAYER, so that the broken-hearted
and the sufferer and desolate may go apart
from the eyes of man and pour out their
hearts to God, whose ear can eaten their
~faintest sigh, and whose eye beholds the
falling tear. Providence. No sparrow falls
to the ground without His knowledge, and
the very hairs of your head are numbered.
Death: transformation. Life here; intro
duction TO the life eternal. Let these
truths enter and live within human souls,
and somehow the human race has become
transformed by these facts. / cannot meet
a man, woman or child, but at once J. know
there is one whom God loves. Why should
I not love that one? And SO it comes to
pass that wherever Christianity IS there IS
still love where it was not. ,.
Two differences are interesting. There
may seem to you to be various defects IN
the historical parts of the Bible, but if you
will only tell me where there is a system
whose breath is love, whose inspiration IS
love, which makes this earth a paradise
and a very heaven of love. If you tell me
where that comes from l am sure shall
know how God COMES down to our world
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Second. How much Christianity have
you? Not how much religion. The Brah-
min. the Mahommedan have religion; that
is common to all nations. but how much
Christianity have you? There is one an
swer. So much Christianity as we have
self-forgetfulness, self-sacrihce. charity; SO
much and no more. May God help US.
There is infinite resources for us. Let us
look to heaven, and, let us look to earth,
and do the little things at hand in order
that when the opportunity may, come we
may nourish within ourselves the victor
ious forces of helpfulness until at lenl n,
if it please God. we shall be like our Lord
Jesus Christ, who was the very fitness OF
love toward man.