The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-04-11

not so much the roar of applause,
that we want. Goodwill becomes
concrete and an aid most when it re-
solves itself into loving helpfulness.
A good round of applause may put
heart into the Christian who is work.
ing hard for Christ, but ready assis-
tance from the brethren who watch
50 sympathetically the progress Of
his toll will be most benefit to the
harvester of souls. Love for men in
sin, and words of approval for those
who are breaking Satan's shackles
from off their lives, are all we'll
enough so far as they go, but unless
the love and approval are expressed
in willing aid, they are not most OF
use. God always felt and always
does feel for men, the Father ever
has a good word for those who are
leaving sin behind, but the gift of
Christ to point to us the way, and
the sending Of the spirit who shall
send US on ahead toward God, are
more necessary and grateful to our
hearts than all Jehovah'S words OF
praise. Appreciation, applause and
approval are good; we'll wishings
and sodspeeds are full of incentive to
any man; but that goodwill which
assists and aids and helps to clear
the way to material success or to
God is the goodwill which most
brings us cheer. Goodwill is willing
helpfulness.
Faultless, truthful, graceful was
the Lord of our lives. And 1t is be-
cause He was without spot or blem-
ish or reproach; because He was the
incarnation of divine virtues; be-
cause He showed grace that is suf-
ficient unto our salvation, that we
crown Him King. Had the Christ
not been without blame; had He not
been the living expression of the
truth that He was; had He failed to
evidence a helping grace, our hearts
could never hail Him as divine.
The first appeal of Jesus to our
minds is His faultlessness in the dis
semination of the truth of God; the
next appeal is the absolute consisten-
cy of His actions with His words.
The spiritual facts which Jesus
brought to men deserve and fasten
their attention. For depth in philos-
ophy, for insight into the furthest
reaches of human life; for clearness
of application of divine truth to the
needs Aof men; for explication and
unfolding of those words Of wisdom
which point us to fuller life in God,
the Master is incompatible. Many
of the teachings OF Jesus were not
new in substance, many of His ut
terances may be paralleled in the
writings of the Old Testament and
in the teachings Of not few philo-
sophie leaders of the worlds great
faiths. But Jesus magnified and
sanctified all the old material that
He touched, by the way He spirit
ualized it and turned it up toward
God. Many Of the more prominent OF
Jesus thoughts were not new in sub
stance to the men and women of His
time; most of them felt and admit
ted the force Of His message no
doubt, so far as they went with Him;
but the central facts are these: that
Jesus breathed new life and impart-
ed new meaning to their old beliefs;
and then lived entirely the life He
preached.
Jesus was faultless, full of grace
and truth. His faultlessness implied
no blame at all. His was the fulness
of grace; that is to say, He not only
brought men assurance Of His power
to save, by word of mouth, but also
proved by deed His potency and ef-
iciency. Full of truth, He lived that
life we should expect. He demon
strated the worth of His own teach
ings by His own allegiance to them.
Believing that sin was shameful, He
lived a blameless life. Preaching
free forgiveness and the possibility
of richer life through the grace Of
God. He proved His own possession
of the grace He claimed to be the
need of men. To Him truth is eter-
nal and is to be obeyed. Claiming
to know and to reveal entire truth
Jesus never balks His own best
words. How different are we. We
hate sin, we want grace, we love
truth is fact. And we who have tried
truth. But yet we hug the wrong;
We shut the heavenly glory from our
hearts; we block and balk by action
the truth we try to preach. Jesus
is faultless. His grace is real. His
truth is fact. And we who have tried
the power of His grace to reform our
lives and to renovate our souls are
sure that only as we live His truth
are we able to be found without q
fault
Full worthy was our Lord to be
our Savior and to receive our trust
and faith. The beauty Of His mes
sage and His life are past compare.