The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-04-27

cultured Gamaliel can sit by my bedside IN
the hour when heart and flesh are failing
and set one single star Of hope aglow IN the
dark midnight that gathers around me;
Just one star beam to tell me that beyond
the cloud and darkness are the many man.
sions of an eternal home, that yo1noeer y1e
waits fathers welcome to love. and light
and joy ineffable? Most majestic are the
achievements of intellect.
Greek tragedy tells us how King Edipus
at the close OF life heard a cry--a strange,
weird. imperious summons. far of, yet
near. in some distant world, yet close at
hand; a voice that drew like gravltatlon;;
So does every man. in virtue of that royal
nature which allies him with heavens
throne, hear at times just such cry re-
sounding from some distant sphere. even
from that spirit realm which is his true
fatherland, yet near, within his very soul,
that beckons him to his highest destiny.
ooh, soul of man, awake, awake, snake
off the chains of spiritual slumDer ana
sloth. Escape the earth-bound life. Heav, y,
on horn and heaven. aspiring, live for Cod"
The Hindoo palace echoed with that cry
and Buddha swept out to brood in the VIII
derness depths over its mysterious mean,
| ING. Those accents foated over the. land
| of Pallas Athene, and in academy and por.
| tico there gathered groups of thinkers that
sought to follow its leading as the wise
men followed the Orient. star. Every
| dweller in Christian lands hears that cry
more plainly. 1t is borne to hlm IN the
| Quiet peacefulness of the Sabbath that
| whispers to his toil-worn spirit OF that rest
| that remaineth when the toll OF this work
aday world is done. 1t comes to hum from
The omen church door that tells him of
home shelter for his storm beaten soul. !t
speaks to him from the Scripture, where IT
svllables the splendors Of the Christ. and
| declares that such is the glorious. image
| which God has planned to reproduce IN
| him now sullied and sickened with SIN:
| But where. in all the ages, is the man that
rirdinr himself at this signal call has won
| in the race for holiness? Are we not some.
times glad that thoughts are, not audible!
| that motives are not visible? that we are
| not breastplated with transparent glass,
| through which the workings of the inner
| life might lie open to the curious eye!
| Are we not glad that it is sometimes
function of language to conceal, as wei as
to convey thought? If our struggles after
holiness be as honest hearted as that Of
| the old pagan seekers after God, we Will
unhesitatingly echo their sad avowal,
voiced by one Of. that high-souled but dis.
| couraged company, II approve the better
| courses. but follow the worst" And II
our own hearts, sin-darkened and SIN
warped, condemn US, how can, we meet the
scrutiny of Him who is greater than our
hearts and knoweth all things?
'1f thou contendest with the footmen,
and they weary thee, how canst thou con-
tend with horses" There IS but one
method by which this problem OF the he
brew prophet can be wrought out to an
encouraging solution. Let its terms be N: n:
verted. Read the formula backyard. II
the horsemen could be conquered first, VINO
would waste a thought upon footmen? II
we could meet the mightiest foes and over
| ride them there would be little difficulty
in outmatching lesser needs If we could
| run with horses and outrun them, we
| should shake the dust of sandaled scorn
in the face of the footmen. Such soIu'
! ton is limited at in scripture. Turn the
Bible page. Put the apostle against the
prophet. Reply to the challenge OF Jere'
miah with the triumph shout OF Paul.
| Over against the impotency of man array
the suficiency of God and cry, I'VE are
conquerors, yea, more than, conqgerors
through Him that loved u.s." A divine
hand extends to us the crown when; ;r un.
assisted, we are helpless to WIN. lhat
helper of men needs no other name than
personal pronoun. The whole of His won
drous story, the initial sentence OF which
was written before the morning stars sang
together. the sequel of which shall remain
to be written when The sun is old, and
the stars are cold. and the leaves OF the
Judgment book unfold" can be condensed
into three words: He loved us" Loved
US? Do you ask how did He display that
love? There is a green hill lar away
without a city wall" and there upon the
death instrument of slave. His back tuT'
rowed with the scourge, His brow bleed
ing with the thorn crown, HIS SIDE rent
with the spear thrust, spiked upon the
cross wounded in body, broken OF heart,
| troubled in spirit, in agony, IN lgnomlny,
in strange majesty, died the Christ. WHAT
| is the meaning of that spectacle which has
so strangely fastened upon itself the gaze
Of The nations? Was it theatrical dis.
ulay of the divine estimate Of sin! Was u
an heroic winning of the splendid crown OF
| martvrdom by an adherence to truth tnal
| death could not shake? II 1T be no more
| than this, then that cross ls OF little VaI1e
to a sinful world, and Jesus is OF little
| The wandering need guide. The lost soul
| needs a Saviour. Error can be reasoned
| away, evil habit can be reformed away
| The stain of sin can only be whitened by
sacri6cial blood.
I can make money in the market place;
| can obtain pleasure in the playhouse, i
can win culture in the school room. But
! the remission of my sins l can secure only
| upon Calvary, Christ is the solitary Sa'
viour.
When the sin want is appeased all want
| is met. When this is righted all Is rlght.
With the regal robes of righteousness go
the sceptre of power and the dladem OF
| peace, Bring the matter to test OF d
nersonal experience and see if it is not so,
and imagine that every one in this assem-.
| blv was a Christian; that each one OF Gs
| began the weeks work as a saved soul.
You 70 forth tomorrow morning, your
heart ag!ow with brighter splendor than
| the glory-bath with which sunrise hooos
the earth. THE light of the knowledge OF
the the eIorv M Of God as it shines in the face of
Christi You 20 downtown, not knowing
what the hours may be bringing to meet
YOU. Every footstep carries you into
realm untrodden. Every clock-tick swings
vou into a mysterious future. But You
know some things now. You know that
,Tesus TeHm died for you; that God loves you;
that, as far as the setting Of the. sun ls
from the rising, go far has your SIN oeen
carried away from you. Toll begins. Jesus
worked Trial approaches. Jesus SUI
fered. Your truest words are twisted,
your noblest acts are mlsnterpreteo' Ior
YOUR manifest endeavors mean motives are
suggested. Jesus drank the same bitter
cuns lie who told Capernaum fisher 1oik
to launch out and cast net calls you 70
take up the pen or the plane or the yard
stick or the needle or the loom lie yIo
said to Peter eed My and DO sau nurs
erv work" lie who sand to Matthew
"i'ake up the cross and follow Me" has
said to YOU: Come after Me into the lone;