The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-27

commendeth His love" Christ said
to the Samaritan woman, IF thou
knewest the gift of God" Jesus is
like eternal life, "the gift Of God"
God alone knew III condition and
need. Many centuries have elapsed
since the fall of man Each period
has revealed some new phase of the
corrupt character of the unsaved
heart. Still we are unable to fully
appreciate the horrors Of an IN
washed soul. And even if mai had
acquired a full conception of his
natural state, he could have devised
no way of escape. But God, who
not only knew just what we were,
but what we should become in sin,
devised a way by which we might
avoid the loss Of u souls. Our
condition sinful, our need a Savior.
Even if it had been the strange
fortune for some one to procure full
information concerning our state and
requirements, it would have availed
nothing, for only God could have
sent His Son. 1t is one thing to
know what we need, and quite an
other to supply it. In the order CT
things it occurs that to our ears
comes the information that a certain
thing is needed. We would be only
too glad to furnish 1t if it were with
in our power so to do, but how often
it is not. Our conception of our &C
tual condition must ever remain the
same incomplete and imperfect no.
ton, and even if it should dawn up
on us Just what we are and need, all
we could do would be to appeal to
Divine grace in prayer. We cannot
ascend to heaven and bring Christ
down. Only God would be willing
to make such a sacrifice for fnners.
IF we we're controlled entirely by hui
man nature, we would let sinners live
and die sinners. What difference
does it make to us? we would say.
And if their redemption could be OBJ
tanned at a nominal price, many
would be unwilling to give OF their
are the instances in which even the
people Of God are willing to make
sacrifices or undergo h~ardships for
the kingdom'sa sake. Are there any
who would be willing to allow a son
to become what Christ became? TO
live and labor as He did? and to
close this life on the cross? Very
few, if any. Another thought in
connection with the, heavenly gift is
that not only could God give His Son
but that He would. 1t may be that
the reason Paul called attention to
the one who presented the Son OF
Glory. was that we might not obtain
the notion that it was an act indie
pendent of the Lord Almighty, but
that the Father gave His Son to BUY
us back to Himself.
ILL.,. The Value the Apostle Attaches
to This Gift.
"Thanks be to God for His un-
s%peakable gift" BY which Paul
means that its full value is SO great
that it cannot be either estimated
or expressed.
The gift of God is unspeakable
because of the source from which 1t
has come. Before His incarnation
He resided in heaven, where He is
to-day. In different ways and at sew
eral times He appeared to chosen
ones during the old dispensation, but
the centre from which He. radiated
was the city of God. Coming. from
the New Jerusalem we prize Him the
more, since we are striving to enter
the golden gate. Sometimes a gltt
which in itself is Of but little value,
becomes of inestimable worth on
account of it's source. Without un-
dervaluiIg the intrinsic worth OF the
Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot but feel
that the very fact of His coming from
heaven makes Him more dear to US.
= The value of a gift is controlled
In part by its nature. If it is con-
structed out Of material that is but
little worth, we esteem it less highly
than we would if made out of fine
gold. The nature Of the gift to which
Paul alludes is divine. The body or
the Lord was human like our own,
but it was simply the vehicle Of His
heavenly character in which He tab
ernacled during His short earthly
STAY. The perfection of His person
atty was a living demonstration OF
His divine nature.
The purpose for which a gift IS
intended has considerable to do with
it's value. The Son of God came to
us from the mansion in the skies Tor
the sole purpose of teaching us what
we must do to be saved, and to make
atonement on the cross for us.
w. FauI's Expression Of Gratitude.
Thanks"
He was thankful to God for this
gift because it was by means OF the
ord Jesus Christ that he was saved
and made an apostle. At one time
he was lost h:t now is saved. And
the same effect was realized in the
experiences of others. Like Paul,
they were lost, but through Jesus
were saved. And we can join with
the apostle in the same praise, for
those who are saved, are saved be-
cause of the gift of Jesus to be our
Savior.
The Progress Of the Church.