The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-09-07

oaNa 1AtN
church at this place.
The text was in the eighth chapter
and twenty-eighth verse of the Epistle
of Paul the Apostle to the Romans,
namely For I am persuaded, that
neither death, o life, nor angels, nor
principalilies, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, orheight,
nor depth, any other creature, shall
be able to separate us from the love OF
God, which is in Christ Jesus u
Lord"
The preacher, as stated, took an ex-
tract from Saint Paul's writings as q
text. In like manner, we hope that
our friend will pardon us if we take
the conduct of his service last Sunday
morning as a text upon which a lay
man may write a sermon. Nothing
herein is intended to be personal ex-
cept in loving kindness, and all of
what we say will apply in a measure
to nearly all the sermons that we have
heard recently. Our long friendship
for DR.. Martin, and Jul perfect love
for so good a man would preclude the
possibility of Intentional wrong to
him.
The love of God for us is very assur-
ing and very comforting to those of US
who are ready to fold hands and 60
up, but what of our love of God and
what of our love for the attributes of
his holy Name?
The speaker, to our mind, was not
clear in what he said or meant in
speaking about the 'love of God"
Whether it was Gods love for US, or
whether it was our love for God that
he meant to enlarge upon we do not
know. But we think the text speaks
of Gods love for us, and not our love
for God.
Gods love for us is attested in every
thing, but where is the proof that We
love God? Do we keep his command
ments? Do we serve him in mind
and heart? Do we walk in the paths
that lead to the better world? Do We
forgive our enemies? Do we lift up
the fallen and tell them to be again
children of the Heavenly Father?
The preacher in both his prayer and
in his sermon followed the usual GUS
tom in emitting any mention or allu-
sion to the fact that there might be in
the audience others than Goods peo-
ple." He ignored the presence of that
class who felt that they were scarcely
worthy to enter the holy temple, and
be seemed not to be aware of the fact
that there were persons present that
had not by any means reach
ed that degree of perfection OF sancti-
fcation that would warrant them from
being classed with the multitude that
our Saviour came to save We under
stand by Goods people," that they
are an exclusive set that are better
than the rest of US, and who may
thank God that they are not as we are.
We do not recollect that DR.. Martin,
in either his prayer or in his sermon,
had anything to say in behalf of the
poor sinful creature whose soul may
have been borne down by the weight
of his iniquity, or whose heart may
have been thirsting and %hungering for
the bread of life.
We heard much of the love of God
for US, and very little of our love for
God. If the preacher had encourage
ment for the weak we do not remem-
Der it. If he, in either his sermon or
in his prayer, recognized that class Of
people for whom u Saviour died, it
was not apparent. Our Saviour came
to save sinners, and not to call the
righteous to repentance.
The rmo of itself was an able
disquisition on speculative Theology,
and appealed more to the mind than
to the heart. Appeals TO the mind are
all we'll enough in their way, but the
poor wretch who would. if he could,
walk closer to God and serve him bet
ter, hopes for and looks for something
of the tenderness and sweetness, the
grace and the loving kindness, which
distinguished the earthly career of our
Saviour. 1t all may be very well to
divide people up into classes, namely {:
Goods people" and SINNERS" but We
submit that this is not the best way to
bring a poor outcast to the foot of the
Cross. 1t may be all right in our pray
ers to neglect the lowly, the downcast,
and the weak, but if they are not re-
membered in the prayers, why should
they 60 to church? If they are dis
tinctly omitted from all benefits of the
prayers, and if they, in the sermons,
are unexpectedly referred to as "sin-
ners" In contra distinction to Goods
people," is the church an inviting
place for o~utcasts? The vilest wretch
in the sound of the preachers voice,
loves to hear prayers in behalf of the
class to which he belongs, and such
prayers are always grateful to the ver-
lest sinner. But for such people to
listen to talk about Goods people," is
about as interesting and as elevating
to them as tearing the flesh from their