The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-01

noes 1Of OH 1ellOW men. JOIu
knew the importance Of his COM
mission; he felt himself honored in
being selected TO proclaim the COM
ing Messiah, yet he reckoned HIM
self a mere voice crying in the WILL
deruess, or a bond-servant, I'M
worthy to minister to his God. We
have read that an order being given
to adorn the walls Of the House OF
Commons with pictures, Hayden sent
a petition to Parliament, asking that
he might have the privilege of paint
ing one of them, and begged at the
same time that, if his request were
denied, he might be granted the
right to paint a single figure, and
that II that should be refused, that
he should be allowed to put on a few
touches. Fearing, lest ever this last
desire should not be granted, he Pc
titioned the government to let him
mix the colors for the artists, or
rather than be excluded entirely
from participation, permit him to
hold their brushes. So great and ez-
allied was the work to be done that,
with true artistic longing, he felt
that he would be honored in the low
Hest service. Herein we find the
secret Of rue humility, the willing
ness to minister in the lowliest
places and to the most degraded Of
our fellow men, while possessing a
sense Of our greatness as children of
the Highest, Is only we can be used
Of God in advancing His purposes in
the world.
Still further, we see Johns great
ness revealed in his realization of the
presence of Christ. To him the Mes
siah had ceased. to be a coming de-
liverer; He was a present leader, a
contemporary. Moved by this pro-
found conviction he felt as did the
Apostle Paul, that he had but one
mission in life, to herald the presence
Of his Lord.
Perhaps there is nothing that Is
needed more to-day than a stronger
sense of reality in our religious lives,
a clearer vision Of the presence and
power of God. We have in our
churches machinery CROUCH; we have
organizations and committees in
abundance. Have we forgotten that
without a deep and abiding realiza-
ton of a living Christ these things
are vain?
What does a drowning man desire
most of all? A fine discourse on the
art of swimming? A pamphlet on
the buoyancy of salt water? A sched-
ule of statistics on physical en-
durance? Would not these things be
to him a mockery? What his soul
most desires is a plank, a boat, a
rope, a helping hand. What does
the needy world want more than all
else? A sermon on the art Of spiri-
tual notation? A book on the up
lifting power of human nature? A
statement regarding religious in
stincts? No; to an immortal being
engulfed by sin these are a mere
mockery. The world to-day Is call
ing for a real Saviour, one who Is
actually present, to lift and strength
en- and guide. This is an age Of ne
cations, an age in which slight refer
ence is made to the blood atonement.
But the crying need Of men, as OF
old, is the preaching az Christ a
cruciied and risen Lord. BY faith
we become identified with Him, by
faith we accept His sacrifice, by faith
we are nailed with Him to the cross,
by faith we rise with Him in new
ness of life, by faith we partake OF
divine power. Yes, we need a real
Saviour.
But again we find Johns great
ness shown in his devotion. He was
not a word repeater. He cared little
for forms. Creed making was not
in his line of work. He had out
grown Ghe -rudiments Of life and had
come to know the secret OF lswer.
The set rules of the schoolroom are
important In their place, but In after
life we forget them, having adopted
the principles that they expressed.
Words become nothing to US when
they have done their work and fixed
their meaning in our lives. John
was possessed with a realization that
he was commissioned by the Almighty
to proclaim a great fact. His whole
soul was thrilled with the thought.
File was on fire with a divine en-
thusiasm. He had no inclination to
con over the old form Of his call, but
rather to do his work under the i'm
pulse Of a new soul ambition. Who
eyer heard Of any mar being per-
manently bafled who was on fire with
a great truth? We say that circum-
stances are against us. Not so. 1t
is our faithlessness that binders u
devotion. The world always believes
in the NAL who himself believes. The
crowd always makes way for the
man of faith. The trouble Is we
keep coming owe our old formulas
instead of allowing ourselves to be
swept on by great convictions. We
repeat our creed and say, II believe
in God Almighty, maker Of heaven
and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His
only Son, our Lord" but the state
ment does not take hold Of lis and
inspire US to action.
Do you want to be great? 1t Is
a laudable ambition. But you will
never become so if you measure
greatness by show. John did no
miracle. True greatness by
faithfulness, humility, a sense Of
reality and devotion. Emotions
pass, but principles abide. It's the
man at the lever and not the man
on the trapeze that is exalted.