The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-12-07

great loss. It has placed material gO6u
in the forefront. while the spirit OF
God and the spiritual life have been
relegated to a secondary place. The
result has been both natural and in
evitable.
Honor, virtue and all the spiritual
graces have been readily sacrificed to
the Unsuitable greed for gain, but the
handwriting Of God is upon the wall.
"Be sure your sin will find you out"
is an old adage, but true. Man can
not continue forever to disregard God
without having ultimately to reckon
with Him on the basis of the deeds
done in the body. Some instrument
in divine Providence will Findicate the
requirements Of the spirit God and
the spiritual life. When the finger Of
God through some stalwart Nathan Is
pointed at the sinner, it matters not
whether he is king upon his throne,
he must listen to the "Thou art the
man." Wherefore hast thou despised
the word of the Lord to do that which
is evil in His sight?" and in deep con-
triton Of soul he must cry out for
mercy and confess, 81 have sinned
against the Lord"
Not only have men as individuals
been led to false emphasis upon the
material, and to blindness toward the
spiritual, but the church herself has
become too material in the expression
which she has sought to give to the
religious impulse. Too much OF stress
has been and is laid upon form and
organization and not enough upon the
spirit. Not until the church comes
again to the side Of Jacobs we'll and
hears afresh the sweet emphasis OF
the Man Of Galilee upon the essential
spirituality of God and the supremacy
and priority of the spiritual can she
ever enter into her full heritage OF
divine power. 1t is high time that
we should have done with the be-
fogying and befooling effort to meet
the requirements OF that God who Is
spirit, with substitutes that are mere
material foibles. 1t is the inners OF
the soul that God desires and requires
It is a damning folly to offer any sub
stitute for that self which God has
destined for eternal fellowship wlth
Himself. Goodness. not goods; cnar-
acter, not cash: piety, not pretense;
sincerity, not sham; these are the
sacrifices acceptable to that God who
is a spirit and who would be wor-
SHIPPED in spirit and with reality
Another truth is placed beyond per-
adventure by these words of Jesus.
True worship is not matter of local
ity or nationality or sect. Men love to
distinguish themselves by some dis
tinguishing mark and will congratulate
and f1atter themselves that It in some
way makes them superior to their
brother man. IF he is white, he con-
graduates himself that he is rot black.
If he isSblack, he congEatulates him
self that his eyes are more shiny and
his teeth whittier. Doubtless demon
strations and sects have served some
good ends, but If men had but learned
to sweetly insist upon the truth for
truths sake, instead of lining up
against their fellows in war paint ana
with tomahawk IN hand, in utter dis
regard of the true spirit of the gospel,
the millennium would be much nearer
than it is to-day. Argue as best we
may. the essence of religion is spirit
in harmony with the infinite spirit;
Spirit to which reality, fact, truth. is
the supreme consideration To truly
worship God is to pay to Him the
homage of reverent thought and feel
ing, and Of filial trust and love. The
real temple Of God is a human heart
wherein the spirit OF a man meets IN
shekinah presence the Spirit OF God.
Such worship and such worshipers
God seeks. :.
Again, true worship is the great
solvent of life's enigmas- In one OF
the psalms credited Of Asaph he seeks
to express the doubt and difficulty
that possessed his mind when ne
sought to explain the prosperity OF the
wicked. It is surely source of con-
slant question to thoughtful mind
that the wicked flourish while many
righteous are constrained to live in
comparative If not quite penury- The
question will arise. 'How is it that
Gods material good SO constantly min.
listers to the wicked and unworthy"
In honest doubt many hearts have
asked, "Why should I worship God
who so unequally distributes His bless
inps"' This was the difficulty Of the
psalmist. He says: "Then thought l
to understand this, but it was too hard
for me; until I went into the sane
tuary Of God, then understood l the
end Of these men," When the psalm
list entered into spiritual fellowship
with God and saw the gi0ry OF that
God in all His spiritual beauty there
dawned upon his soul the reality OF
the larger truth, that Gods greatest
good is not material. good. His rich
est gifts are not houses, or lands, or
mines, or stocks. His richest gifts are
those which bring the inner spirit OF
man into perfect harmony with d.
vine heart. No wealth or pelf can
ease a restless conscience or lift the
burden from a bereaved heart. Only
God can fill to over1owing the hum2n
soul with that quiet and calm. that
peacefulness which makes all life
song. -
Does your heart cry out for God?
Would you know that peace which
passeth knowledge? Then be assured
that these blessings can come to your
life only as you recognize the eternal
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