The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-03-02
The Fpllness Of God.f

. How nueh OF G0d 90 you anQ.tb QcslfeN
What sort of. a Saviour are I'VE looking
this world? A God who can prolone our
lives and give us the temporal pleasures
we desife, and save US from destruction,
and finally bring us to a world better than
this with as little trouble to- ourselves az
possible? Or do we really hunger and
thirst for O God who viii satisfy all the
innermost longings of our own mysterious
souls, for things we, have nefer had nor
seen; the yearning for love OF q quality
earth does mot; know V
4 Hundreds of 'expedients there are by
which we seek to,iiill this empty place IN
or beings, power, money. FAM, pleasure
affection limited to the humaps sphere--
all these, men cast into the, Y6id in the
vain hope to fill it. And for q while it
may be- they are deceived into thinking
they have accomplished their purpose. The
very 'ardors of pursuit, the: first glow Off
possession. seems to aid them, TO- forget
the lack. But only for a; time. They haye.
forgotten God, but God has not forgotten
dies. Then when the world has turned to
bitterness, some will turn and search for
their dead Lord as did Mary when she,
went to the tomb, and to such will He
come and speak their names in lore, and
gve them glimpse of what HIS nlnes8s
is. But many of us are satisfied to sing
along our way, feeling content that we.
have made our peace with an angry Cod,
and are attempting in the main to do
about right and though we would nctbke
to confess it, We do not really want ~ be
6cient for our .needs. :, Such fuliness Of
God would hinder bur earthly plsns, and
we really have not time, life iB so short,
and 60 bright, until the shadow comes.
Il To such members of the earthly church
comes this prayer Of Paul's to- God tor tisr
bidding us remember our high birth, ofs
the ine-Rot Of Abraham or Dagid Ibut OF
%athe Father Of cEE Lord Jesus thirst i
Gsnsns re nea ssn Ss aee {. ss whom sa tie ps Ws
family in heaven and earth is named =
-"To be strengthened" the prayer goes
on. Why. we thought we were quite
strong! Are we not pillars IN the church,
Do we not teach q Sunday school class and.
lead in Christian Endeavor matters Aht
but this streAgth is not that we may be.
able to shine aB great workers, hut rather.
that we may be filed with the strength
OF His Spirit that Christ may make His
home in our hearts. His face one Of the
number about the freside Of ow secret
our lives because He dwells there. Only
until one has lived daily with a ipefsoDs
until one has experienced anothers love,
under the shadow of sorrow and loss and
humiliation, can one know the depths OF
that love, So, only wnen we live ~ CHRIST
and feel His touch at every step spfi the
way, His delight In our Joy, His comfort
and healing in our sorrow, can we begin
to feel what il that love! -.
Says Bishop Vincent: The perpetual
hold of Christ upon us is like the perpstr
al 0f ho ann q H.
earth cannot warm itself at the sun. and
then swing off on its own account. 80 be-
source Of Light and heat-lisht and heat
which it won from the sun, and now gives
it second hand, independently Of the sun,
The constant hold of the sun on the earth
is the only hope Of the earth. An that the
earth can do Is to let the sun have its OWE
way, and yield to him. So CHRIST ig our
all and in an. and is always our all. There
is none other. Our hope Is IN Hlnls Our;
faith rests in Him. Our life comes nom
Him. To be sure, We are free: Well; lf
the earth were free and Intelligent be-
inc the best it could do would be to tlet:
the sun have its radiant and regal way
With It. and to swing in its orbit and turn
and trrn toward the sun JUST as it does.
So we believers in the Sun Of Righteous
ness-His planets, His disciples
our best by doing His viii, by letting Hin
do His Will in and for and by us. d,
And best Of all. there, is never heart
hunger that His fulness is too small to;
fin. He can do exceeding sbundantly
above all that we ask or think" Dr.. Al
exander tells how his little daughter came
to him soon after her mother had gone 70;
Heaven, and said: "Oh, father, ! want
something so much, and don't know what
it is!' and how he took her on his knees
to Jesus, and the little seven.year-oid g1rl
went away happy in the love q, Chr1st.L :,
Grace Livingston Hill, in the New Yors