The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-09-09
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. j. E. ADf MS.
Subject: Mans Part in Gods Plan.

lt6V. john ETShlHG Adullio, piSaSlCu
Sunday morning on Mans Part in
Gods Plan" The text was from Ro-
mans S:2S: And we know that to
them that love God all things work
together for good" Mr.. Adams
said:
The Apostle Paul has peer called
a fatalist. Perhaps, in late years,
he has been the object of more dis
cussion and criticism than any other
New Testament writer. Preacher
and pew alike have striven to under
mine his system Of theology. They
have sought to avoid many Of the
fundamentals of his faith. They
have told us that it is high time we
should come into a larger concep-
ton Of the ethics of Christ's life,
and a lessening sense Of the i'm
~portance of His death. They say
that much Of His writings was for
the Jew and couched in such igurative
language that the Jew alone could
understand and appreciate, and &C.
cordingIy, He dweltatlength upon the
typical and sacriicial rather than
upon the practical and ethical. And
in the chapter from which our text
is taken we seem to have presented
the horrible doctrine Of predestina-
ton, a doctrine which by many Is ac-
cepted as synonymous with a fatalis-
tic creed which eliminates mans
free agency and subjects all things
to an incontrovertible and change
less law of necessity. I wish to show
you, if possible, to-day, how different
was Paul's conception Of our rela-
ton to God and Gods relation to us.
Let us not doubt that Paul had
absolute convictions that in all
things Gods will would be accom-
plished. But let US not doubt, also,
that he had absolute convictions that
men must become co-workers with
God in the out-workings of the d.
vine plan. There was n occasion
when he fully illustrates these
truths. 1t is when, as a prisoner,
he is being brought to Rome to stand
before Caesar. This is the message
Of revelation to him. In this he
sees the will of God. With this pur-
pose he has nothing to do. He may
not modify it nor change it. He
resigns himself to it. Nothing
car prevent it's accomplishment. 1t
is Gods will that he should come to
Rome. But shipwreck threatens.
The ship on which he Is captive Is
overtaken with disaster. Fog, storm,
darkness, danger, all seem to indi-
cate the defeat of the divine plan.
IT, seems as if all on board must be
destroyed. And again. the divine
will is manifest. Paul is assured of
cofafr for himcn1f on6 oil on hNar6
that ship. But what does he do?
Does he, in view of this assurance,
make no effort to avoid the dangers
and overcome the difficulties? Does
he meekly resign himself and his
shipmates to the inevitable? BY no
means. He becomes a co-operator
with God in the fulfllment Of His
purpose. He heartens all on board
that ship. He feeds them. He as
sures them Of safety; but of safety
only as they use every precaution,
as they overcome %treachery; as they
strive with all courage and persis-
tence to save themselves and their
ship. He says to the Centurion and
the soldiers who had him in convey,
when the fear-stricken seamen
would have sought escape in a small
boat: Except. these abide in the
ship. We cannot be saved" In ether
words, he couples human e%ndeavor,
courage and skill with divine prom
Use and protection. And so, deliver
ance is wrought. All things were
to work together for good: but in
that result one of the essential fac
tors must be human courage and
fidelity. The sun shines to-day for
me, for all the world. That is GER
tain. Nought we can do may pre-
vent it's shining. But it only shines
for me as l open my eyes to receive
it's light. 1t is in my power to keep
my eyes shut. if I will.
Paul declares In this chapter that
nothing car separate us from the
love of Christ; neither tribulation,
distress, persecution, famine, naked
ness, peril, sword, principalities,
powers, things present, things to
come; none of these things shall in
terfere with the keeping, saving
power of Gods love, in Christ. And
yet, we hear him on another occasion
fearing, lest, having preached to
others as a minister Of Gods grace,
he himself might be a castaway. He
lives again, he says; yet not he, but
Christ in him; and still he is using
all the powers of determination and
will to keep his body under, to re-
strain It; to make it perfectly re-
sponsive to the control and ordering
Of God. To Paul, this life Is a con-
slant struggle; a warfare against
principalities and powers, with
wickedness enthroned; it is a ace
in which, if he would win, he must
strain every nerve and stretch every
muscle and lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily besets;
he must run with patience, with per-
%sistence, looking to Jesus. That
gives us the idea exactly. Use all
your own power, looking to Jesus,
rs your example. inspiration, stimu-
lus and strength. If he wrote the
letter to the Hebrews. and whether
he did or another of the saints is
immateria!, the principle is the
same; he made out a list there Of
men and of women who were In
Gods keeping, and yet wrought,
achieved, suffered, triumphed.
through the exercise of dauntless
courage and of splendid faith. And
so we are led to say that Paul's
conception of life was that of al
lance with God. He was destined
Of divinity for high achievement.
This is not pride. it is not egotism,
save of the right sort. All great men
have lived and achieved under this
conception and in this thought. The
men who have done things have
done them because they have known
themselves called of God for achieve
ment. They are in the divine plan;
thou. aro alen apents in its carving