The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-08-01
By AMOS B. WELLS.

There is much to comfort us In
the stories of those twelve men whom
our Lord honored above all other men
by making them His chosen compan-
ions and apostles. They were so
human!T They were so full of Sfaultf
John and James would slay their enc;
mics with fire from Heaven. Peter
denied his Lord. Thomas was a.
doubter. Judas was q traitor. After
Gethsemane they all forsook Him and
fed. They were so stupid in hearing.
and so often misunderstood His teach:
ings! Their faith was so weak ana
wavering! They were so much like
usl
And yet Christ held to them, believed
in them, based His Kingdom upon
them. He knew what was III man,
mans fallibility, but also mans glori-
GUS possibilities. He could minimize
the one and He could put back Of the.
other His own inexhaustible powers.
What He did for the Twelve, He will
gladly do for US.
Christ was very patient with His
disciples. He taught them in easy.
lessons. he was ready to explain and
repeat. Indeed, He probably repeated
His parallels and other sayings so
often that as they went about with
Him, they had them in memory, and
were able to preach everywhere in
Christ's very words, and write them
down for us in the priceless Gospels
With equal patience, by easy steps
and in truth we need them!-Christ
conducts us through His great school.
Let US not be discouraged If we find
that we are still far from our gradua-
ton. ,,
Christ held out before His disciples,
imperfect as they so plainly were, the
very loftiest ideals. "Ye shall be per-.
feet" He commanded them; but COM
mand in future tense, which was also
a prophecy. They were passionate,
but He bade them turn the other.
cheek; coretous, some Of them, but He
bade them lay up their treasure in
Heaven; ambitious, but He bade them
lose their lives in love for other men.
Thus for US also our Lord is satisfied
with nothing short of the best possible
for us, and the best possible is-His
own perfection! Al
But with every hard requirement
that Christ made of His disciples, He
added a power in the strength Of which
they could meet the requirement. Go
ye into all the world and preach the
Gospel" He bade them, but added,
"Lo, I am with you Away" Take up
your cross daily" He commanded,
h,,+ od5o5 UJUho tcoovar ya shall oSk
Of the Father in My name, He will do
It." All Christ's commands are en-
ablings, in our case as in the case OF
His disciples. When we know that He
wants US to do a thing, we know that
we can do it.
And finally, Christ held out before
His disciples the most glorious and
satisfying rewards They were to
preach and His Kingdom was to come.
rhey were to suffer with Him, but they
also were to reign with Him. They
were to enter into His death, but they
were also to rise in His glory, 20
less, not one degree less, are the re-
wards He offers every one of us.
Let US not set Peter and John and
James and their comrades in class
by themselves. What Christ said to
them He said also to all that were !
to believe in Him through their iabors;
he said it, to us. We are OF the
glorious fellowship of the apostles"
Let ours be their ideals, tseir trials,
their toll Ours also, in Gods good
time, shall be their crown Of glory
Sabbath Reading. -.