The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-08-15

forgive them," have we any beauty o.
| character worthy the name. To hate
is human; to forgive is divine. To
remember that is to help yourself
over MANY hard place nf temper and
hatred. 1t is an axiom that no beauty
Of character can be where no spirit
Of forgiveness abides in the heart.
Hatred, anger. tying yourself I'D into
a knot, kills beauty. Forgiveness ex-
pands the heart, opens the mind. ex.
ats the spirit. Then beauty exists.
Would you be able to command self?
Get rid OF sin. Bring in 4 stronger
will, Gods, to reinforce your OVID.
A third necessity in the retaining
of beauty is self-forgetfIlness This Is
passive quality, as Is self-controf.
1t Is also negative. But 1t is neither
passive nor negative until certain &C.
tive graces and positive virtues enter
in and make it SO. I mean by self.
forgetfu1ness the becoming oblivious
to those desires and demands Of your
nature, the remembrance OF which
make you self-contained and iii at
ease. even miserable and sinful. 70
become so. possess faith, belief In
some personality greater than your.
SELF Belief in any objective fact or
person more important than yourself,
and they all are. for you are very
insignificant factor in the life prob.
lem, mere atom In the midst Of the
sensualities, will produce self-forget-
fitness. The greater the object Of faith
the. greater the oblivion of self, for
it gives self chance to expand
along the line of the other persons
excellence. and gradually newer.
larger self takes the place OF the old
in your consciousness. It is fore
gone conclusion that faith in God.
through Jesus Christ. enlarges and
regulates the life as can no other per.
son, for you are Immediately given
the worthiest possible object on which
to fix your attention.
Then trxst Do not be afraid to
trust somebody. Test, then trust.
More loss comes to us mortals through
under trust than through over trust.
1t is hard to believe it. just as hard
to believe as to believe that sins or
omission are more Inpardonable at
the hand OF God than sins Of commits.
sion. Sins of omission are so vague
and attenuated that thev cut little nr
no figure in our consciousness. we
need to be preached to that these are
the great lack among mortals in the
consciousness of Almighty God. The
higher and grander the object OF your
trust, the more beautiful the charac-
ter fashioned. Really remarkable that
we are so constructed that we can
trust beyond sense perceptions. 1t
shows us to be spirit more than aught
else. The heart in US all was destined
before the foundation OF the earth 10
be Gods guest chamber. Forbid him
entrance, entertain less important
guests, and the spirit is burdened.
and the heart is sad. 1t Is His resi-
dence, by both creation and redemp-
ton. And. still We are such foolish
children not to yield to God and find
rest, eternal rest. infinite calm. that
no turmoil in time or eternity can
overthrow. All this helps US to see
why trust in Jesus produces beauty
in the life. He was the beautiful life
par excellent" All the virtues bios
somed and emitted fragrance in Him.
OF course, self-forgetfulness is en-
hanced and made more sure through
love. And faith and trust always
blossom into love exercised toward 4
spiritual object. Love is the peerless
transformer of our life. All else is
medal. Love only is ultimate. Love
only is all.powerful to mold like unto
itself. Love God and you become Cod
like. Self slips out the same door
that God comes in. They pass each
other on the threshold. The evicted
tenant goes out bruised, defeated,
friendless. The victor. ruler Of our
fate, comes in with all strength OF
cheer and grace Of countenance, and
all wealth of blessing in His out
stretched hands. No trouble hence
forth to forget self. and no difficulty
to be beautiful In forgetting SELF
we forget our weakness and failures,
our disappointed hopes and sorroWs.
Then the soil is ready for the good
seed to be sown, for truth and rlsnt-
eousness to grow, for beauty to BIOS
som.
This array of foundation principles
Is hardly complete without self-sur'
render. The give-up principle in lie
counts for all. The reason we 40
not find is because we are afraid TO
lose. We fail to take hold of truth
because we fail to let go of ourselves.
Through obedience we become diNcae.
All. you say, you are beguiling US INTO
religion. Just so. Did you dream
you could possess beauty of character
without being religious? We desire 10
proclaim nothing other than the oio
gospel. But to set it before you IN
new dress and uLder an ATTRACTIVE
bewitching title. A man hearing the
second sermon of this series forceo
his way to the pulpit after It was
done. and exclaimed, "I thought you
would be sensational. The sun1ect
looked it, but you everlastlnsly
preached Christ tonight. I am Dotn
disappointed and pleased" Yes. TnatS
where the effectiveness OF the sospel
comes In. It refuses to be suppressed.
No topic, if the preacher be true, can
strike home, however roundabout tue
Journey it takes, without meeting
Christ somewhere in the way. Ana
when the meeting takes place, Jesus
always gains the central place, anu
elides into our consciousness as the
hope of glory. Christ's place on resi-
dence is in the heart. He Is tue uTu' J
destined Master of Ceremonies, ne
directs the life issues that emanate
from that citadel of. attack ana oe-
tense Let Him in and all Is weE.
Then II is easy to keep the heart
with all diligence. Remember, ths
hearts emphasis is always rignt:
To eoid another lasting thing.