The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-12-19
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SERMON lMLuM THEEAMoUS DIVINE.

or OF WHICH MS sole lnTOrmaLlOn ID
unscientifc or fraudulent? Which
shall be mightier, the testimony of
the soul which having fulfilled the
conditions is satisfied and sure, or the
tale of woe of the charlatan who
never met the measure?
But if it is needful to be rich with.
experience to deny the grace OF the
God blessed life, it is still more neces-
sary to be saturated with a deep,
Christly, spiritual, personal expert
ence in order to convince others OF
its value and to enjoy what Beecher
called "its privileges and preroga-
tives." The holy men of Israel knew
the beauty Of Jehovah and the glory
o. a life near to Him because they
enjoyed and practiced experimental
communion with Him. Jesus pro-
claimed the majesty of the Father
and the loneliness of a God-inspired
career because He dwelt within the
presence of His King. Paul paints
the manifold blessings Of the Chris
tian life because he was a thorough
going Christ-man. The Samaritan
woman received Jesus as the prophet
for whom her heart longed because
she had, seen Him face to face. And
her brethren from the city believed
on Christ since she repeated to them
her own short, graphic story concern
ing the truth she had both heard
and seen. There we have it, faith
founded on fact and on fact repeated
that is to say, upon personal ex-
perience.
All preaching and all testimony
which strikes home to the heart Is
the story of the personal experiences.
The first principle of a reaching talk
is, to sum it up in a sentence, tell
only the facts of life. And If in the
telling of the Gospel story and in the
application of the truth to the, de-
mands and the problems Of to-day
this element of dead certainty Is OF
such immense Importance, who snail
deny it's insistent necessity in order
to the enjoyment and appropriation
of the Gospel blessings by the ind1-
vidual.
The Christ life must be a live,
arst-hand, personal experience or 1t
| is useless. You may take your food
prepared or predigested as you will.
You may take your knowledge OF
the scientific disciplines by rote. But
no man can know Christ or enjoy
a rich and enriching spiritual COM
| munion within Him who does not live
his life within Jesus for himself.
Now we believe, not because OF thy
| saying; for we have heard Him our
| selves and know that this is indeed
| the Christ, the Saviour Of the world"
! said the men of Sychar. And this ID,
as in the nature Of the case 1t must
be-, the testimony Of every man who
| will enter or who has entered into
| the enjoyment Of the privileges Ind
the prerogatives" of the Christian
life. No other method Of entrance
| is so satisfactory. No other test1-
mony from the citizens Of the eternal
kingdom is so influential and con-
vincing. No other knowledge Is so
| certifcating to the intellect. No other
| evidence is so soul inspiring. With
out a vision of the Christ no man
may witness worthily for Him.
| Blessed with a personal experience
we may lead the m%ultitudes to God.
A Christian who is devoid of a per-
sonal experience with the presence
and the personality Of Jesus Christ
is a paradox. Strictly speaking there
Is no such thing as 81 Christian life
apart from the Immediate
! of the Lord Jesus!SWe mtgt
call a man, a sinner and Wit
pale of the kingdom OF Go
have it in the economy Of JeI
| call him a nominal Christie
speak Of nations as nominal
tan because we do not Wi
unkind in our terminotogyy v
ity a nation that is nomfp
tian is usually a nationY =.
more resemblance tur s
plans, His teachings, E 3
e. ;; !; ;5s;;;; $; :; ;; a.; ;s' WI
so denominate it.
The man who hopes IL
| with q message that s ~
f sss9 f Fl = Ds asS a, a1s st, Tb
achronism. 1t may haN
BILE at some time in the an0 5s
history to win men to Cf
say testimony, but it ca
to-day. The world ws
sage Of the eye witnes -
Of the mai who has hs'
t Hlen te g,t uwn ee Of the seisY on
tigator, the man who has +. 81
truth and has found 1T real *
Now we believe-becaui
know" ,; This is the gist OF
and the outstanding truth
joyous Samaritan day. -
test Of faith. A vote of com
the Christians who can say
unspeakable to the SHINING
finds therein salvation Tor
Two Kinds Of Iivini