The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-02-23
81 pDLP77 90 s..ll :! i !
" b There are In this n
J dafxless.
There are In this vi
sands of men who dare

message or SQlTdtlODtWuO udre "
stand up and criticise he story Of the
dear Christ, His death and passion, His
life and power and strength for US.
They stand outside as critics and then
think they are in position to judge.
There is one place from which the man
can dare to Judge that which Is di-
vine and infinite, and that Is with the
light of God upon it. Come to the
foot Of the cross! Come to the place
where your heart cries out for light
and God will give it TO you. For when
we want to know and when we want
to see then the light will come to us;
a revelation will come and we shall
learn in truth the message Of CBeist.
but we must leave our position as
critic and we must come down and as
q penitent sinner at the foot OF the
cross and the light and glory of rev.
elation will stand behind that divine
and beautiful figure Of the loving. ten
der. compassionate Christ and we
shall see Him. not dead Saviour.
not even great and mighty judge
Of the world in the future, but our
own tender. loving, personal friend.
What is the next thing that seems to
me the greatest hindrance Of men who
should swiftly run the race, to the
men who shoul1 hravely climb the hills
of power, to the men who, with their
manhood and strength, should battle
on the side Of Christ? 1t is one word
and it is that word that has done more
to fill our State prisons than anything
else. 1t is weakness We are not ac-
xx-ha L Of h11tn N
race to think of men as weak. Woman
is always spoken Of rs the weaker ves-
sci, but speak not Of comparison be-
tween men and women, but between
men and men. 1t is weakness that
has led men to go with the tide. in-
stead of fighting against it. 1t is
weakness that has made them yield in
the presence of evil companionslip
and do that which their manhood and
conscience rose against. 1t is weakness
that has made them sell tkeir souls
to drink. 1t is weakness that has
made them, instead Of being the pro-
tectorS OF the weak. trample even
women under their feet. 1t is weak
ness that has made them hide their
colors when the name of God is taken
in vain or when ribald jokes are made,
when they should rise and proclaim
their Indignation against it. and, il
you should ask me what keeps these
men between prison walls, should not
answer the desire for any Of these
things, but weakness. And no man
can have strength unless the spirit OF
God is within him. 1t is weakness
that dragS him down and strength
that enables him to mount above. and
strength can only come from the touch
Of the hand divine.
Perhaps You say to me: "Do you be.
lieve that all men are weak" Indeed,
do not. / have known men. strong
men, but 1 have known no man strong
enough to be strong without the di.
vine Christ. / have known strong men
who have said that they were strong
enough to fight the evils Of this world
and it has seemed that the grosser
evils have passed them by because OF
the strength and nobility Of their char
acter, but they needed something more
than that. II they would be bless.
ing to the world that needed more than
their great, manly strength-they need
ed the strength divine. And even into
these very strong mems lives have
come some one temptation stronger
than themselves, and l have known
what it was to see the strong man de-
feated. And yet have known what II
was to see poor weak men, men whom
l have seen wrestle in anguish over
the past, men who have said to me:
II cannot live right. Look what the
past has been-a series of attempts
to do right-and all have failed. / am