The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-01-26

In ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED.
-.pIylNE coMPANIoNSHIR."
u
Hhe 1sev. Charles E. Benedict Makes q
Beautiful Commentary on the Brieiest
Yet Most Cornprehensive Biography
Ever written-Retain Gods Love.

Beautiful Commentar on the Briefest
Yet Most Comprehensive Biography
Ever written-Retain Gods Love.
BEopELYN, N. Y.-The Rev. Charles E.
Beneiiut, pastor of ST. James NJ. L.
<ieth ayenle, Bensonhurst, preached Sun
day morning on Divine Companionship.
Nhe texts were from Genesis wa: "Enoch
Nalked with God, and he was not, for God
fSok him, and Hebrews Xi:5: Before his
kranslasioa he had this testimony, that he
pleased God" Mr.. Benedict said:
This ia one of the briefest yet most COM
erehensive biographies ever written. These
passages, containing twenty-three words,
fsIl Us about all We know concerning this
MAN Euoch. Imagine the story OF your
Eye to.a in three sentences! He walked
sath God. he pleased God and he was
kzssis3ad This is the record of Enoch's
Ee-. 1t reads more like an epitaph than a
resraphy, yet I would rather have those
&Ssl two statements true of my life than
fD have the most eloquent tributes or eulo-
CYSTIC praises ever written or spoken by
men To walk with God and to please
Hint Do you know Of anything more de-
sIrabie?
1t is said that mans walk is indicative
al his career. Manner and gesture are an
index TO character. 1t is possible to make
an estimate approximately correct of the
type OF men you meet on the street by not
1ng the poise and bearing OF the average
1&ep, head erect. shoulders back, and YOU
<rel insGinctively that he is an energetic,
Ecseiute, self-respecting man, bound to sue
cred. Another shambles by with shiftless
eait, dragging his feet rather than lifting
Fkera. and YOU put him down for loafer.
"a third giides along noiselessly threading
kss way in and out among the crowd, and
yoa know intuitively that he is sly.
-scheming trickster. Another walks with
anstsaGy gait, stepping carefully, as II the
pavement were rolling and humping against
watch him stagger along YOU say, The
poor fellow is drunk" So a mans gait be-
trays him. His walk signifies the manner
OF his Ifs.
One Is likewise known by the company
he keeps. We are largely what our friends
saad companions are. Tell me the sort of
Bsersons with whom you associate. in whom
yeu conide, to whom YOU 60 with all your
&FoHbies and with whom YOU share Your
every Joy, and will have no difficulty in
estimating your character. To retain pur-
5ty OF character il ones associates are base
and iEnoble is an impossiblity. And it
would seem equally impossible to live an
1mpure. vicious. wicked life if all our asso.
-cIates are noble and virtuous. We are in
RueRced nnconsciously by the words and
actions o. our friends. Like the chame
&con, we take on the hue of our surround
1Bgs and reRec. the likeness OF our COM
yanions.
Tae human heart under normal condi-
tions Graves companionship. From the be-
:xiarMg it was so. God saw that It vas not
good Sor man 10 be alone, 50 He gave him
- companion and helpmeet. We are so
constituted that we must have some one
with whom to share our happy hours
some good. true friend who enters into
-cur experiences with sympathetic appre-
ciation, whose heart aches in our sorrow
and reJoices in our JOY.
The straugest truth contained IN all
Gods wonderful volume of truth is that
He who created the universes, the Lord
God Oranipotent, whose wisdom is omnis-
,s:ience, whose goodness is perfection. whose
narae is love, that He should condescend
to become the companion and associate OF
man, His creature. / said that this is the
,strangest truth. Let me take it back.
There is one truth more astounding yet.
It's this-that man should refuse the
friendship and disdain the companionship
ei Jehovah, his God.
Of'all the divine humilations what could
be seater than this, that He should seek
che friendship of mortal man and find it
not? That He should offer Himself for the
closest and most intimate relationship, as
companion for life's pilgrimage, comrade
for hfes struggles. an associate and conf
dant amid all hfe's changing scenes. and
get be rejected
241r trouble is and has ever been when
men have rejected God that they love the
Il than tho Enhf hacansp
their deeds are evil. From the opening
chapters of human history until now it
has been true that man. the creature. has
been out of harmony with God, the Crea-
Sor-
; 1t is refreshing, therefore, to find in the
inspired record, amid the genealogies of
ancient nobodies who lived long, bore chill
4dren, and eventually died, the story of one
holy life, man who walked with God and
sketch of Enoch's life, reading between
the lines and penetrating beneath the sur
face of the words which contain mis- bio.
Srapby, We may discover some helpful
truths concerning divine companionship.
To walk with God implies, first OF all,
reconciliation with God Man by nature is
not on good terms with his Maker. Time
was when the most loving intimacy and
harmonious relationship existed between
them. Adam walked with God IN the
garden in the cool of the day Not be-
fore Him as herald, nor behind Him as
slave. but beside Him. as His companion.
and I had almost said His equal. But
something came between them. They had
= falling out As one has. expressed it.
SeSin came and opened the mighty chasm of
separation, and since then the carnal mind
has been enmity against God"
The Fathers heart has yearned for rec
r4oneiliation, but how could reconciliation
be made? The heart of man was wholly
estranged. An impossible gulf yawned be-
tween him and his Creator. He had
sinned against Divine Majesty and for.
feited the Divine favor. But
The love of God is broader
Than the measure OF mans mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind"
Therefore, "God, who is rich On mercy,
Sor His great love wherewith He loved us.
even when We were dead in SINS" deter
mined to bridge the chasm. to heal the
breach and win back the affections alien
ated by sin. He sent Christ into the world
haliator Apd He vbo iS peana