The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-02
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The odds against truth today are
tremendous; but even as Ahab never
returned to the city of his rule, so
surely shall eternal and refining truth
conquer in the age long struggle with
the adversary.
Two things are necessary that
truth may win and be accredited.
First, we must be sure thai our i'll
sight is correct, u truth born OF
God. And then we must be loyal tc
the voice of Jehovah as He speaks to
us.
There is nothing more detrimental
to the dignity and standing of the
truth than irrational and Unbalanced
thought. Every bit of truth is tho
word of God, but some statements
which are c%aricatures Of truth are not
God-given, no matter how loudly and
how long they may claim the distinc-
ton Of divine inspiration. All truth
may we'll be labeled, thus saith the
Lord" but all statements that bear
the motto, thus saith the Lord" are
not truth. There are false prophets
to-day no less than in the reign OF
Ahab. He who will declare a mes.
sage to men must first be sure of his
ground.
Not less important is it that a Ia
be loyal to the truth revealed to him
through the workings of Gods Holy
Spirit. Truth may negative most OF
his own ideas and cherished pre-
conceptions. 1t may even subordi-
nate his noblest ideals. But by it he
must stand. Micaiah went to prison
for the truth and Jesus of Nazareth
to the cross. Stephen was stoned by
his enemies. as was Zechariah, the
son of J%ehoiada, the priest, because
he was faithful to the truth. John
the Baptist lost his head for declar-
ing that Herod had lost his. Luther
withstood a church and the Smith.
field martyrs suffered agony that
truth might be supreme. The long
list of heretics and communicated.
the host of those who have lost life
and friends, the army of those cru.
saders who, under God, have battled
hard with sin-all testify to the need,
the glory Of loyalty to divine truth.
1t is no easy thing to lead in the
march of progress or to fight the
forces of evil. Conservatism would
clutch progress by the throat anu
throttle it to the rattle. Sin mates
the light and would overcome it.
But whether or 10 the opposition
be fierce we .ns-. n must nave men
who viii uTf&- FOR lie -=.a and
not finch in the hot fight. There
is" we are told, mo more hazardous
enterprise than that of bearing the
torch of truth into those dark and
infested recesses in which no light
has ever shone." But to that man
who. filled with power by the Spirit
of the Lord, will speak what the
Lord saith unto him there will be
not only the hard warfare on the
first line Of the skirmish here, but the
the crow OF victory in the life eter.
nal.
More and more the need is for
men of the mold OF Micaiah; men to
whom the truth is more precious than
much fine gold; men whose integrity
is indivisible; men whose opinions
are the judgments of minds that
have been moved upon by the blessed
Spirit of the living God. who cannot
be bought, and who, filled with a
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divine commission as the revealers,
Interpreters andtorch-bearers of Gods
Illuminating truth will balk at 10
sacrifice; and be overaWed by no OPP
position; and be diverted by no power
from the declaration and the promul-
| cation of that truth.
Oh, that there might arise through
out this land men Of the vision and
the fidelity of the prophets of ancient
Israel. Would that there might arise
among the ministers of the Lord to-
day a prophet of Jahwe, Jehovah Tue
Lord of hosts and Of truth; a prophet
with a message and with the power
to express it tersely, intelligently,
| forcefully, fearlessly. May God give
us a Micaiah who shall tell America
the truth concerning the conditions
of to-day. The people, in the church
and out of it, are weary and undesir-
Gus of platitudes and Of unaimed YER
biage. Mani:::d awaits a prophet Of
God. And Wien he comes in the
p!enitude of wisdom and Of power;
furnished with a divine commissions;
| endued with a mission and a mes
sage for a world in sin, may the
church have the insight and the grace
to see the marks of Gods calling in
him and in his message and not per-
| secute him as did the fathers the
prophets of God aforetime.
LAS the Lord liveth, what the Lord
saith unto me, that will 1 speak,"
| May this be the motto of every man
who loves the truth. May it be also
our inspiration to fidelity and to a
glorius ministry unto men in the
name and to the honor of the living
God. And may we live so near to
God that We may be able to hear His
message and to speak with immedi-
ate authority to men.