The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-06-02

needed is the disposition, and the effort.
First of all, lock at your bank account:
Did you know you had bank account!
Well, you have. See, please, what stands
to your credit, the gift OF another. These
assets are ours because we live IN the
| twentieth century, and because we are
| Anglo-Saxons. "All things arc yourEs
Whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or
the world, or things present, sr things to
| come; all are yours; and ye sre Chrlst.s
and Christ is Gods" That is wonder.
| full statement. 1t places us under tremen-
dous obligation. What an incentive to
| attempt something, what an inspiration to
| noble achievement. The great personalities
of history-Paul, Cephas, Apollos. Past,
present, future. The world, God and
| Christ, all yours, to make the goal and
win. Then there can be no excuse TOR
| failure.
A-practical question which meets us is.
Chow may I utilize these many gifts of
| God for nv own advancement and better
ment?" The answer is, by right appro-
| priation." Just as the parched earth
drinks in the gentle rain drops, making the
grass to grow; just as the bee sips the
honey from the fragrant flower, so we must
learn to appropriate the good in every
thing, to our own growth and refinement.
Life everywhere is sustained by app-opriat-
ing the outward to itself. The great in.
tellects which teach and bless the world
appropriation of knowledge, To the good
belongs the best Of two worlds. 1t was
once thought that the Christians world
was exceedingly limited. The Bible,
I hymnal, long sermon and a dreary prayer
meeting were all that the Christian had
any right to. Anything else would chill
his fervor and narrow his vision, and
tarnish his soul. Thank God, that day Is
so far behind us. To-day we know chat
everything within reach and everything
within sight is ours, if we love God, to be
used in the advancement and enrichment
of our lives.
Look at it a moment. Take an inventory.
Try to itemize the blessings of the good
God. Explore the world of art, the product
of the centuries, it is ours, for God made
l the beautiful. What store house of les
| sons and inspirations and soul delights are
the art galleries of the world! The win
dows in cathedrals and churches have for
ages been telling the story of Christ. THE
Nativity" by Burne.Jones, is the pride OF
England; "The TRANSPORTATION" by Raph-
ael, the glory of Italy. These are but SAM
pies of the beautiful in art, which are ours
for the delight and. culture Of the soul.
All sciences and literatures belong to US,
for God is the Author Of all truth: Shakes
peare and Booth and De Reszke, these
and the host of others like them, are ours
| to charm away our cares and rest OF mind.
The marketplace crowded with the yield OF
the field, the wealth of the mine, the pvod-
uct of the factory, is ours, for God is infni-
nent in nature and industry and human
skill. The advance in surgery and medl:
cine, the hmitless pleasures in travel-a.l
| this is ours, available and usable assets
| - ,oo1,a Gfa rioh opI bappv and 0000
All this is the product of the past, the
gift of the good God. It's presence should
| shame badness out of existence. How can
| people be bad when they think of the
| goodness of God? What are we doing with
| life's assets? They are the raw materials
| out of which we may weave the souls ser
| aphic robe; they are the steps by which
we ascend to the home of perfect day.
They are to our spirits what air and dew
and sunlight are to the seed. Plants
grow by appropriating things alb extra to
their use; souls grow by doing the same
way. The business of life is to convert
all these forces and gifts into life and
character. The soul must drink in it's
the endless day beyond the stars.
What we need to know to-day is the
proper use of things. That means study,
the exercise of the mind. Others have
studied and thought for US. The result is
the locomotive, carrying us sixty miles an
hour; the electric, wire, by which we talk
to a friend 1000 miles away. If wealth
is to benefit the owner of it. he must use
it and use it wisely. So, if we are to feel
the stimulus and reap the benefit of the
accumulations of the ages, as life,s assets;
if these are to answer their need, In the
making of man-we must study and
IL II, fha r,rhf oE fhaSQ
is the making of holy character.
All that has been said is, we believe,
true But it is not the whole truth. We
must go step further. Man has heart
conditions and soul needs, which neither
nature, nor science, nor Scripture, can
meet Man needs God. God is every
where God is in the sunlight which
bathes us every day with its warmth and
glory. He is in the bread which we eat;
He is in the music which comes floating
through the air, making the heart to dance
for JOY. But this God is too vague, too
vast, too impersonal. Can this God be
to adapt Himself to the limitations and
needs of His children. We do not think
of God merely as Power, or Majesty, or
Holiness. God Is Love. Love is the win
ming thing Love conquers. Love Is bent
on drawing home to the Fathers heart all
His wayward and lost ones. The human
heart cries for God. What kind of a God?
Not the God of the atheist, not the God of
the Deist, not the God of the narrow
theologian, but the Eternal God. And
Jesus Christ has revealed Him to the
world. This Jesus Christ and this God
are ours. This completes the list. There
is nothing more that can be added. Flow
ers, pictures, music, ships, railroads, tele-
phones, philosophy, science, religion, hu-
man fellowships, friendships, loves, plus
God and Christ. All are yours. Don't
complain of poverty any more; never be
afraid of failure; never again say II can't"
Goodness does not mean exemption from
the common ills of life. Every life has its
burdens, every heart has its own secret
sorrow. We would not minimize the cares
which are inevitable. They are not joy
Gus, but grievous. Many tears are shed in
the private chamber. Many feet are tread
ing lonely paths. And blessed be God, our
heavenly Father knows it all. The Christ,
the Saviour of Men, is touched with the
feelings of our inirmities All the love of
the Deity, all the power Of the Almighty,
all the compassion of the Lover of Souls,
is for us. Look up, then. Be Of good
cheer. 'Tis better further on. In COM