The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-10-27

but here we have Christ confessing His de-
pendence on us. Marvellous thingl "The
branch cannot bear of itself except it abide
in the vine and the vine cannot bear
fruit without the branches. The Apostle
Paul puts that thought in another form
when he says: ''Ye are the body of Christ.
and memoers-each severaily--members of
that body" Apart from the body the
members perish. There is no power in the
hand, no vision in the eye, no power in the
ear to hear the voice of God apart from
the body. We are the body OF Christ; we
are the organization through which Christ
works: we are the organization by which
Christ builds up His kingdom on the earth.
We are the hands of Christ. Christ wants,
Christ desires to feed the hungry, and
clothe the naked, and visit the sick, and
build homes for the homeless, and open
prison doors for those in captivity, but
supposing the hands of the Lerd be par.
alyzed, how can He do these things: We
are the voice of Christ. Christ wants to
publish aA'oad to the end of the earth the
message of Gods love and the way of sal.
vation, but if the voice be silent, how can
He do it,
We talk about the mercy of God having
no Limitation. We talk about the bound.
less pity of God. and we do well. but the
their limitations. Not according to the dis
torted Calvinism which our fathers believ-
ed. Gods mercy is infinite; Gods pity is
boundless: His love extends to all men
that we believe: in that declaration we
glory; we count it the very flower and cor
onation of our religion. And yet Gods
mercy is limited. His compassion is bound
ed, His pity is shortened BY us-by us. Ac-
cording as We are willing or unwilling Is
the lmitlessness of the love Of God.
Let US take homely illustration. Here
is a friend-a man whom you have always
known, classmate it may be in school: an
associate in business-and he has fallen
upon evil times and everything that ne
spent his life in accumulating Is gone. You
are rich, you are perfectly able to put that
man on his feet again: to give him Sec
ond chance and another start: you are
Gods elected minister for that purpose.
But YOU don't do it. God is kindly dis
posed to that man; God would help that
man, and He has put You in position to
help him. You are His hands; you are
Gods ministering agency, but you limit
Gods goodness, don't you? o.,
God is very pitiful, very pit'iul. Rich
men can feed poor men, but they don't do
it. No mama falls from heaven to ieeu
those poor men. They starve. Coo Is
wonQrOusly pltiluis anu tHeIe aie SNoHS
people who are perfectly able 10 help. and
comfort weak and sickly people, but these
sickly people die for lack of help. No min.
istering angel comes DOWN to cool their fe-
yer and heal their Don't you see that we;
Gods hand. Gods voice, the branches and
twigs of the vine. limit the fruitfuiness of
the vine. limit the power of the Almighty!
Herein is NY Father glori6ed. that ye
be.r much fruit, SO shall We be My disci-
pies" Friends, the thought is appalling;
it oppresses me. When ! look at that
from one side am terrified to think that
the thing that God wanted done yesterday
is not done through my neglect.
And yet there is encouragement here Tor
us all. Apart from the vine the branch
withers: it can do nothing. Abiding in the
vine, the branch bringeth forth much fruit,
and we may abide and We may glorify our
Father. Glorify Him. Make Him shine
with radiance and beauty in the eyes OF
man. Make God manifest. We can make
God real; we can make the gospel sublime
in the eyes of those who are living without
it. We can 80 tell the story: we can so
live our religion; we can SO manifest the
grace of God in our lives: we can SO let
our light shine that others-our neigh bors
and friends, our children and relatives
shall glor;fy our Father in heaven.