The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-16
The Vital Christisn Principle

l would thou vert colo or DOL
Apoc., Ill, As. 3
These words of the beloved disciple
lead US to suspect that something more
is demanded of Christians than mere
acceptance Of doctrine and the doing
of good works. Unless the motive
power behind the good works be vital
lied by inspiring goodness their per-
Torrance cannot be viewed as q dis
tinctly Christian act.
The text has no reference to sinners
except in the sense that "the just man
falls seven times a day." Its lesson is
for those whose lives are relatively
perfect yet cannot show any positive
act to further the honor and glory OF
God or to secure their WI progress In
the spiritual life.
Such Christians are apt to deceive
themselves as to their true condition.
The facts that they do not transgress
and that they contribute to or engage
in philanthropic works are glaring
lights that injure their spiritual sight:
and they are unable to perceive their
own restitution. To these the apostle
says: "Anoint thine eyes with eye
salve, that thou mayest see." Ms
Our blessed Lord said: HE that
doth truth cometh TO the light, that his
works may be made manifest, because
they are done in God" Here, then, is
the crucial test-are your good works
done in God or through a desire to
shine before your fellow men? The
most genuine character, moved by the
sincerest human motives, can produce
only pagan economy If the Spirit Of
God be not his guide, for "that which
is born Of the flesh Is flesh, and that
which is born of the spirit is spirit"
Of such st. John says: "Knowest not
that thou art wretched and miserable
and Door and blind and naked? I coun-
sci thee to buy of me gold fire tried,
that thou mayest be made rich ana
mayest be clothed in white garments,
and that the shame Of thy ~nakednesS
may not appear"
The fire tried gold Is charity, or love
of God. Hence, whatsoever is done,
if il be not done through love Of God,
it avails US nothing. st. Paul expresses
this, saying: Though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor. and though I
give my body to be burned, and have
not charity, it profteth me nothing
Again, speaking of the basic principlS
Of all good deeds, he says: "Otber
foundations can no man lay than that
Is laid, which is Christ Jesus" Chris
tians without spiritual motive exercise
only their natural gifts in doing good,
and forget that it is only through the
merits of Christ that we r fitted
above pagan virtue and are what we
are. The pagan Christian acts are not
according to grace, but according to
nature.
Prayer, attendance at church service,
large contributions to religion are as
dross if the motive be not primarily
God and secondarily himself, his fell
low men and the world. Such Christ
had in mind when He uttered the re-
buke: 81 know thy works, that thou
are neither cold nor hot" 1t is only
when the humiliation Of calamity
comes, and we despair not Of God bot
Of ourselves, that we realize the mere,
humanitarianism Of all done. Then the
truth dawns that the building Of good
deeds was erected on a Foundation OF
gold, ailver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble." In the hour Of trial the
: structure collapsed, because Jesus
Christ was not the chief cornerstone.
Let us always, therefore, follow after
charity. and desire spiritual gifts"
that all we do shall be done for God
through the saving grace of u Lord
Jesus Christ.-Rev. John J. Donlan,
Church of the TRANSPORTATION, Brook
Ign, N. Y, in the Sunday Herald.