The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-17
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. w. S. LEWIS.
Subject: The Secret CT the Lord.

preacher in the Hanson Place M. e.
Church. He began his services there
Sunday morning and had a good au-
dience. He is an excellent preacher.
His subject was The Fear of the
Lord" The text was from Psalm
xxv.:44: "The secret of the Lord is
with them that fear Him, and He
will show them His covenants" DR..
Lewis said:
Words, like men, are affected by
the atmosphere in which they live. A
word spoken 1000 years ago, but to
another people, and in another cline,
may fail to represent its highest and
best meaning to those born in apoth-
er age and under other skies. Many
years have flown since this word was
spoken, and at least one of these in
the text needs a word of explanation
fear. The good Book says: "The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom" but reference is made in
the New Testament to the fact that
perfect love casteth out fear. Thanks
to the cross, the broken tomb, the de-
scent Of fire which spoke on cloven
tongue, for changed atmosphere, in
which our text may read: "The secret
of the Lord is with them that love
Him"
The problem of knowledge is not
that, but how, 1t is. A few small
philosophers have doubted the fact
that they knew, but that Is carrying
doubt to the point Of insanity. We
know, and we know we know; the
how that we know is the problem.
That an idea may be passed from one
mind to another, may even by crys-
tallized into a word and remain pent
up there from century to century, to
break forth into another mind, to be
reflected on, and on, through the
ages. How this is, Is more than we
know. How that the mind may get
a voice from the rocks so that the
mountains shall speak and make
themselves understood, and from the
sky and from the sea. We know they
speak, but how? That is the ques-
ton. Do you think that God, who
has expressed His love in flower, in
brook, in sky, should have exhausted
all His resources to make Himself
known as He speaks from nature?
God speaks to the heart, the inner
world is His realm. This is His
throne, and He leaves His secrets
there to become the seed Of thought,
of inspiration and Of action. The
great problem Of hearing His word
and then to translate it through the
tongue, the finger tips and footprints,
SO that it shall become the living
word to other folks, is the problem of
the hour.
To whom will God speak? We
raise this question to answer 1t by
asking you to whom do you commit
the secrets of your heart? Do you
tell those who revile you, who have
no faith in you, who speak i'll of you?
Do you tell these the secrets of your
heart? It's great thing to be a
friend, to know how to awaken the
spirit Of friendship in others. To
whom do you commit your secrets?
The first quality of friendship is the
capacity for faith. You cannot trust
those in whom you do not believe.
You cannot inspire in them the first
note Of friendship. The captious
critic has no friends. The teacher
who asks his pupil the hardest ques-
tions and criticises him because he
fails to answer; the preacher who be-
gins his service and ends it with q
spirit of criticism, will not awaken
in the heart the deepest; the best in
spirations. We must begin by say
ing: II believe in YOU: We must
have the capacity for seeing the best
and the truest in people. We are
commanded in the good Book that
we should love one another, and !
trust we do, but I am thankful that
that does not include that command
that we must like everybody, for
there are some folks whom it is hard
to like, and Of these are the thin
voiced, pinched-faced, hollow-eyed
critic. The first quality, then, is that
of inspiring people with the idea that
we believe in them, and If we have
faith in others, they will have
faith in us, for faith in the heart be-
gets faith in one another. 1t is so
with God. If we would know Him
and awaken within Him the power
even Of committing to us His secrets,
we must believe. for with the heart
the man believeth unto Righteousness
that righteousness which brings
the image of God into the face of
clay. And then, too, we must tell
our friends that we believe in them.
7 love flowers much, but pray you do
not reserve them all for the funeral.
Tell your friends you believe them;
tell them that you love them. Speak
with your lips, speak with your eye,
speak with your finger tips. Tell
them you love them. And God, too,
is touched by the same testimony.
with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation" Another quality alb
solutely essential to friendship, abb
solutely essential to true friendship
with man and with God-and that
is downright, sincere heart honesty.
I heard man say ythe other day: my
religion is to pay my debts" He
answered the question Of how much
he is worth by a round $4,000, and
I said: "Of course, you pay your
debts. There is one little less great
than the Almighty who would be af-
ter you if you did not, for Uncle Sam
sees to that" You will pay your
debts, but that is not the measure of
honesty in the sense in which I
speak it now. 1t is that sort of spir-
itual honesty hat would blush deep
ly to think falsehood or to harbor
in the heart one moment a shadowy
thought. 1t is the kind of honesty
that is born of pure heart-a heart
touched by the sunlight Of His inf
mite love, a heart that is made clean
by the power Of His spirit. Such sim
cerity as this, such downright homes
ty of purpose, is loved Of men and
God alike. 1t is the basis Of true
with man and with God.
I read a new text the other day.
It was as old as the voice Of David,