The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-12-23
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
DIR. S. EDWARD YOUNG.
Subject: Mountain Taught People.

N. SCdI IA
main floor and in the gallery was
filled Sunday in the Bedford Presby-
terian Church. and chairs were placed
in every available space to accommo-
date the large audiences that wished
to hear the new pastor, the Rev. DR..
S. Edward Young. His subject vas:
"Wanted-People Taught on the
Mountains of God to Toll In the Low
lands of SIM" The texts were from
St. Luke 9:33, 81 and 80: Master,
it is good for us to be here; and let
us make three tabernacles. y
When they were come down from the
hill. much people met Him. And
behold, a man of the company cried
out, saying, Master, I beseech Thee,
look upon my son." DR.. Young said:
Wanted-People taught on the
mountains Of God to toll in the low
| lands of sin. Our best training, our
noblest service, is neither up there
| altogether, nor down here altogether;
but consists in uniting wisely the
dreamer and the doer, the mystic and
the practical man. How many art
reprints cut Raphael's sermon in the
middle by showing only the top half
of his TRANSPORTATION" You may
we'll extol the composition OF that
portion, its design, its expression, us
grace. Above the adoring trio OF
disciples see that ~portraiture or
| Christ beyond which human genius
probably cannot go. Yet with you
ought to linger quite as persistently
the scene Raphael crowds at the foot
of the mount-the pitiable lad, the
! agonized father, the eager multitude,
the Knockers and the sorely harried
/ nine disciples-Raphael's way OF
writing underneath The upper glory
is needed down here" Let helpers
! come from the highland country. Oft
times off the material hills men have
dashed into earth's valleys for daring
conuuests. Their lungs had the ozone
and their limbs the litheness anc
their wills the boldness born of lofty
attitudes. From Sinaitic plateau
| Moses will break into low-lying Egypt
| End redeem his race. From Tabor or
Olivet or some other prayer-mount
Jesus will arrive every morning in
spirit renewed. The missionary en-
terprise is never from dead level to.
dead level, but always from b
heights Of God to the quagmires OF
men.
To be most useful in the hurry and
struggle of our twentieth century life
O require a Hermon Summit of the
mind, a spiritual sanctuary where
unto you again AND again resort. No
mortal's steady work can be beautiful
or sublime enough to escape the need
Of this heavenly retreat. Would you
not say that Charles Dickens sank
further than some of his characters
and remained merely a character.
sketcher, not a character-builder, be-
cause he lacked the relief that comes
by being away awhile from one task
and one's self? He was buoyed up
by the popularity of his books, by the
thunder he made, by the moEey he
got, by the cheer of his friends
these gone, his cup was. empty,
Happy are those who find surcease OF
the worlds clamor in reading au-
thors who uplift and SO shelter in the
sanctuary of literature. Blessed are
such nature loving spirits as a at
tain fine elevation and a serene out
look if only they catch a glimpse OF
blue sky or feast their eyes upon the
luster Of the stars. Most blessed are
they who, wheresoever placed, have
learned to meet with God, to keep
their tryst with Him, to see His face
and be filled with His vision for them.
No recent religious movement prom
Uses more, I am persuaded, than the
worldwide banding together Of a few
disciples here and there to observe
the morning watch, the first half hour
on waking from sleep each new day
being devoted to reading the Scrip
lures, to meditation and prayer-a
sort of holy exercising Of the evil
spirits and fleshly lusts, & washing
out of the fret and soreness OF the
heart, the amounting Of the inner self
with heavenly ideas. I entreat you
to establish this morning watch.
Keep your Jerusalem windows open.
Believe the presence Of the Almighty
about you and hear Him say: II
will be to them as a little sanctuary
in the countries where they shall
come" .. ..
Shall we not esteem u mountain
top our castle for refuge? In olden
times in Germany or France or Eng
land at the morning light through
the castle gates issued the people,
each to his farming or trading or
j%ourneying. When enemies came, or
nightfall, into the castle they HE'D
for safety. Castle-surrounded Is my
soul while I keep unprofaned a tryst-
ing place with God. Assaults are
made separate the world by haul
Ing in across the moat the ~drawbridge
of worldly thought. l let the port
cullis call. l hide within the protec-
ton of Him who is my fortress.
| Come hither, tempted men and wom-
en-. Come, any Margaret cast off by
any\Faust! Come, every Simon Peter
who falls! Make haste to the castle!
Shall we not consider our mountain
top a communion closet? Christ dis
closed the first secret Of prayer thus:
when thou prayest enter into thy
closet, and when thou hast shut the
door pray" We simply must some
times leave the world out there.
Grant yourself a little release from
u terrible New York turmoil. Oc-
~easionally shut outside your secret
Drayer-door even your dearest earthly
friends. Depths of divine communion
wait in which you a enter only
when alone. An often used prayer
cell would be the best possible feature
in a New York office building and
would prevent many a tragedy Of
character sad enough to make an
archangel weep.
Shall we not seek III mountain
top for inspiration? Are not our ma
lures like stagnant waters needing
to be lifted in looms Of light and
woven into vapors, reborn in the sky,
to descend in benedictions on the
1o,5o What ;pcpirofioO nhot ov-