The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-01-13
him to be sufficient to pay all his debts,

defray all his expenses, and secure all de-
sired comforts and luxuries for an indeh.
mite time to come he will feel no incentive
to going out and earning couple OF dol.
lars tomorrow, and so his confidence in tht
absolute and everlasting suficiency Of his
present pocket containings may easily, ls-
sue in his turning pauper. Those illustra-
tions only serve to indicate what meat
by saying that man may be as orthodox
as Calvin and as wicked as he knows how.
The principle we have been discussing
also explains why it is that so many people
who show good deal of Christian zest at
the start so soon get tired of being Chris.
tians. To have earnest views OF Christ and
to be intensely interested in them and con.
trolled by them cannot, unfortunately, be
taken as certain IS sign Of the continuance TN H,
ing down of Christian enthusiasm is coms
mon experience. Even the disciples, at
Jesus temporary withdrawal from them
at crucifxion, threw up the whole matter,
resumed their old life and went back to
their fishing. Interest is not self-sustain.
ing. Enthusiasm, like burning candle,
consumes itself in it's own heat. The sun,
so astronomers tell US, would burn itself
out and our systems fall back into original
darkness were not special provision made
for keeping up the suns temperature.
fort and employment where interest, on
the contrary, never does seem to flag,
where heat is not only maintained, but
with a mercury that is rather steadily ON
the rise. Setting aside the familiar and
rather shop worn instance OF the money
getter, who, the more he gets, the intenser.
as rule, becomes his ambition to get,
that is only one of the many pursuits
where the like enhancement of interest,
mounting up in many cases to the height
of steadily growing passion, IS seen to
evince itself. EXAMPLES of this are,
should say, especially frequent among
scholars devoted to the scientific investi-
cation of nature and natures beauties and
marvels. But in the instances of such ad-
vancing and steadily intensifying interest
the particular fact would beg you to no
tice is that what keeps the investigators
heart glowing with a warmer and warmer
fervor is not the array Of facts that have
been brought distinctly within the range
of his knowledge, that he has been abe
definitely to tabulate, and of which, IN
and finished catalogue. It is the constant
stepping forward on to new ground that
keeps his thoughts alert and his heart
aglow. Whatever it be, the old is always
tiresome, only the new is interesting. To
the naturalist the world retains its fascina-
tion, although an old world, because of the
deeper entrance he day by day gains into
that world and the ever fresh disclosures
of newly discovered wonderfulness and
beauty that she thereby makes over to
him. In the same way there are certain
books that we read and re-read. In a way
they are old books, but it is not their old
ness that fascinates US but certain ever.
Listing newness that lay beyond the reach
of our previous perusals, as eyes that look
quietly and intensely into the night-sky see
stars that are sunk too deep in the trma-
ment to be caught by first and easy
glance. And that suggests the old holy
book, the Bible, which is always new and
which the church always loves, because
there is that in it always which our last
reading was only on the edge of discover
ing. If the church should ever come to the
end of the Bible it would throw it away.
Some people have thrown it away al.
ready; some who seem to themselves to be
Christians have thrown it away; it seems
to them they have come to the end of it.
To them there is nothing new in it any
more, so, of course, by the principle we are
illustrating they can do nothing but throw
it away The OK knows enough to feel
when it is dark, but never sees sunset.
All of this leads up easily to an explana.
ton of the fact stated moment ago that
so many who have begun to be Christians
get tired of being Christians after while;
it has ceased to offer them anything new
to which interest can attach and by which
therefore enjoyment can be kept alive.
They reached little convection as to the
real import of Christ, entered into GER
tain amount of relation with Him, had
degre OF experience Of Him, learned little
of what He could do to strengthen in weak
ness, brighten in darkness, comfort in sor-
row and disappointment, and then every
thing stopped. Instead of "going on to
know the Lord" drawing closer and closer
to Him, and pressing forward into the
deeper and deeper meanings involved IN
His Spirit, presence and companlonship,
they drew up all that part of the matter,
ruminated only upon such little prospect
weary of it, drank the old cup of conso!a.
ton till its waters became stale, munched
the drying crumbs of light, strength and
comfort till they were moldy, strained
themselves to keep warm by fire that
had gone out, and ended, of course, by con-
cluding that whatever might be the theo-
retical value of personal religion it was
nothing if not uninteresting, and people
will not, if they can help it, permanently
commit themselves to course of drudgery,
even if that drudgery, be baptized by SO
honorable name ds SnFlstlduiLv.
Closing this morning with the prayer
that we may ali of US feel ourselves moved
by reverent and holy ambition to break
free from the burden and ENHANCEMENT of
all the petty and now withered experiences
,garnered long ago, entering into ever new
prospects, into larger discernments, into an
ever wider world of knowledge, comfort
and anticipation. To this end may we
have with us in our closets and in our
sanctuary gatherings the abounding Spirit
of God the Father and of His Son Jesus
Christ, to whom with the Blessed Spirit be
gwen our obedience, alteration and love
forever and ever. Amen.