The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-05-15

in every crowd, in the noise and the
roar itself. We need but, in the face
Of humanity, to be still before God
and await His revelations in order to
enter into enlarged knowledge and
into the perception of increasing VS.
ions.
In the face of many-sided nature
we may read the lessons God has Tor
US to learn. But we cannot learn the
most enduring lessons until we see IN
nature not an end in herself, but
rather a means to an end. We cannot
enjoy the divinest blessings until we
shut out even nature itself, with all
its loneliness, its beauty and its charm
and in solitude and expectancy a
in stiffness upon God.
The loudest prayer is not the pray
er that brings the greatest blessing.
The oft repeated words r not the
surest of reply. The prayer that tells
God what we need is not always the
most acceptable Dr. the most erica
cious. We are most blessed OF God
in prayer when we are simply still.
Our Father hath knowledge OF our
necessities before we ask. 1t is a
good thing for US to be constantly In
an attitude of receptiHty toward God.
If we would talk less to God and let
God speak more to us we should be
better off. We learn most of the
facts of the kingdom in prayer that is
not too voluble. He lis a wise Chris
tian who lets. God speak to him. That
is to say, he is wisest who is prayer
fully contemplative:
Relaxation is as; necessary as rush.
The man who is continually rushing
himself is the man who is cumula-
lively wearing himself out. His end
is at hand. None of us is a better,
man because of o~ver-exercise. Moth
ing is more dangerous than to destroy
to-day the vital forces that are stored
up for to-morrow's use. Men cannot
escape the necessity for q~uietude.
They cannot live without it for long.
Every man must, for his own self
protection, now and then withdraw
himself from the world. And that
which is true of the physical mar in
his material relations is equally so OF
humanity in its intellectual and spir-
itual departments. We must have in
tellectual relaxation. To rush the
brain is to invite the madhouse. TO
rush the soul is to invite spiritual
WEAKNESS. Men must have relaxa-
ton.
And it is in these hours Of stiffness,
of relaxation, of recuperation, of COM
munion and contemplation that the
soul of man enjoys growth and invig-
grafton. 80,
Much as we may grow III the midst
Of the conflict and the noise we do
not expand in the fullest measure ex-
cept in our hours of communion and
contemplation. Then it is that we
see with the clearest vision, then 1t is
that we comprehend the vastly truths
of Gods kingdom. And as we do not
enjoy the fullest growth except in our
times of contemplation so true is 1t
that we are truly invigorated by our
moments of communion. The rush
may give us the energy that comes
from excitement and endeavor, but 1t
is but a momentary strength. 1t Is
inevitably followed by reaction. Tur-
moil and tremendous endeavor may
minister sustentation for the time TO
our nervous force, but it is In the
hours of contemplation, of quletude,
of communion that we are really IN
vigorated, that we find true rest.
"Be still" May God give us all
the wisdom to be still and learn from
Him, learn that He is God.