The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-21

swered. Is it true Of human life In
general? When has come the finest
literature, the literature Of peace, JOY,
light, hope, inspiration, triumph?
Has it come from men whose lives
were free from suffering, pain and
disappointment? Sometimes, per-
haps, but not very often. 1t has not
come from those who lived in kings
palaces and wore soft raiment. Most
Of it has come out Of the depths OF
dungeon, from blind poets, from dis!
ease-racked bodies.
Jesus prophecy is true. The rea!
son it did not seem to be true was be-
cause we did not read it Alright. Read
it again: peace / leave with you;
My peace I give unto you" MY peace.
mot as the world"
1t means that this outward life Is
not our realest life. 1t means that
our outward and inward life are IN
large measure independent of each
other. It means that true peace does
not come from external situations,
but from something that Is within
us; our inward sense of our rightness
with God, our consciousness OF true
purpose and true heart.
It means the estimate Of things by
a view from above. 1t means that
Heaven is not a place to go to, but a
condition to attain. 1t means that a
man, within himself, may be like one
EMBODIED in the comfort Of his home
while the storm RACES outside. The
ultimate victory of human life is this
triumph of the inward spirit over the
outward life.
I am trying to give to men a vital
meaning for the cross. Look at the
Master this morning, fresh from Geth-
semane, facing that cross, with not
one brave soul to stand by Him to the
end. Hear again the calm, majestic
u%tterance, II have conquered the
world" Imagine yourself there with
the disciples, facing their life, and
hear Him as He says to you, you
may suffer and yet dwell upon sub
lime heights" 1.-THE storm OF ruin
may come and yet there need never
be any truce of the spirit" 1t was
lust what He had been saying all
along to them, II will give you rest"
He looked out on the city OF His
day; He saw men as we see them to-
day, racing each other for wealth,
looking upon each other with mutual
SUSPICION. He vas saying to them,
"Do not be like the frail craft, like
the little steam yacht; be like the
great ocean steamer with her iron
hull, as she moves on her way with
her ponderous throbs; do not let
yourself be tossed about upon the
ocean, but ride through her billoWs."
He was bidding men as He bids
you men to-day to seek and possess
the great ultimate realities OF life.
He was saying, Forget to watch your
little engines and look out upon the
ocean and up into the sky"
Do not guard your business, your
paltry pleasures and little interests
while you forget to think about n
deep things of life. Try this morning
to catch His spirit as did the great
Apostle Paul, who learned how to
abound and also how to be abased, to
rejoice in adversely and to let all thu
experiences Of life give their lessoni
and their strength. Do not long fol
some soft pine-laden balmy southern
air, but be made stronger by thu
bleak winds of the rock-bourd coast
Get hold of something that is be-
yond the reach of men, some JOY
which no man taketh from you. Be
like the rock unmoved by the surgina
of the waters. When stricken down.
rise again mightier than before. SUCH
is the voice Of these great gospels,
My dear men (and women, the
peace Of Jesus Christ does not come
through some mythical contempla'
ton, nor through some vague expert
ence. 1t comes by our sharing of the
spirit of the Master, by the earnest
following Of duty, the noble facing OF
responsibility, the bold confronting
of difficulties, the patient bearing OF
calumny, the quiet endurance Of per-
secution, the brave carrying of sor-
row and the prayerful sanctifying OF
our joys. Gethsemane and Calvary
are the price of this spirit. Rest can
only follow labor. The overcoming
OF outward things Is the condition OF
inward peace.
You men here, you young men
here, religion is not simply something
for women, or for you when you are
sick or dying. In those closing days
of Jesus they left this noble man to
be admired and worshiped by a few
faithful women. So you men have
done; but now I ask you, do 1t
humbly, do it modestly, do it knowing
that you are not worthy to unloose
the latchet of His shoes, but be His
disciples, admire His character, do
things "for His sake" give Hin a
great, manly affection.