The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-19

heaven and there Sltteth until he
return to judge all men at the last
day" Pestilences are not from Him.
Disease, making the body, as Pope
declares his, an apparatus Of tor
ture," is no more from God than
the disease of the soul. Jesus cured
both and inflicted neither. The body
designed to be IN instrument OF
righteousness must be strong. To
be strong it must be nourished by
pure air, pure water, pure food. Even
If these be secured by legislation,
the legislation should compass the
hygiene of homes, Offices and facto-
/ ries. the prohibition both of overtax-
ing hours for women and the Staying
of childhood upon Mammon's altar.
The wounded are to be healed. More,
the road between Jerusalem and Jeri-
chic so patrolled as to make wounds
from robbers impossible. Not only
is disease to be cured, but the
is to be removed.
Christ's ascension confirms our
hopes of immortality. We have a
twofold origin. First, the physical,
from Adam. Like myriads Of his de-
s%cendants who have lived before US,
we see how our bodies will dissolve
into the dust. Our spiritual commu-
ing from death to life in love for the
in the second Adam, Christ Jesus.
AS that which bore the image Of the
first Adam follows Him, so that in
us which bore the image of the Sec
ond Adam will follow Him.
If there were no continuation of
this life after death, Christ says: II
would have told you So" No pro-
visos concerning it's terribleness-"I
would have told o So" 1T 60 to
prepare a place for you; that where
I am, there We may be ALSO" Christ's
ascension describes our pathway be-
yond the grave, and where He is, all
the spirits of Just men made perfect
will be also. The ascension of Christ
gives most emphatic confirmation Of
our hope of the life beyond.
Joy from the ascension Of Christ
These men had parted from their
teacher, the prince among teachers,
the friend of friends. His hands
would no more be laid upon them in
benediction. No more would His
voice be heard. They were the suf-
ferers Of the most irreparable loss.
Thus bereft. their task was to dis
ciple all nations composed of hostile
peoples, eager to persecute them with
death torture. Oh, the agony Of
their despair! Yet they returned
to Jerusalem with great JOY" Album
dant must have been their ascension
joy to have absorbed their grief.
IJ{o -1rJ, ~ fho~, r,1ro Coll r1-a~
is given to me-" Wickedness would
be annihilated by His omnipotent
grace. The assurance of the fruition
Of your supreme desire gives great
Joy. The supreme desire Of these
who were trained by Him who is full
of grace and truth would be. the de-
struction Of evil and the enthrone-
ment of good. The assurance of this
consummation by Him Of almighty
power filled them with Joy.
Joy comes from power. Govern
ment is said to have it's origin in
mans desire to govern rather than
to be governed. The successful can
didate flushed with power is joyful.
All the power Of our ancestors
meets in us and must obey Jul be-
hest which may be thus far The
Dark Ages said this and arrested pro-
gress, or If further, which we of the
twentieth century say, the labors Of
the race are transmitted to the en-
richment Of posterity. These dis
ciples tense with the power of Him
by which they can do all things, were
joyful. But when it is from the
power that turns carnal Kingdoms
into those of eternal love, its inten-
sity and duration Is fullest. This
was the source of the disciples Joy.
They continually praised and blessed
God"
We may be the depository of the
spiritual power Of twenty Christian
centuries. We may exercise it to
make the world purer, juster, holier.
The pathway of the assembled Christ
may be the trial of u own spirits
to ineffable glory. Under the do
minion of these convictions as it is
our privilege and duty to be, we ez-
perience with the disciples the great
ascension joy and will like them
continually praise and bless God"