The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-04-22
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. CURTIS LEE LAWS.
Theme: BackslidinG.

ouuinS. Inc text was from Proverbs
1914: The backslider in heart
sah'i "" Il led with his own ways"
~. Tvs said:
-" sag recall your early expert
r"'-s ~ ne service of the Lord? DO
H,t -en rnber the day and hour
Wien 'a9 burden Of sin rolled OF
you hs and when you could look
up Tor the first time into the face of
Sn"y -. emily Father, rejoicing in
u'S 0TesaHce and in His love? Do
Son nor call how the whole world
.uH' ''' necame more beautiful and
40" ''"r heart yearned over your
y '. mr.. AN. enemies as never before?
- Na on old man converted to
-"'n5- vn In Washington some
Ahs He was rugged old fell
low, mis- esthetic nature had not been
much cultivated, and he did not have
an artists eye. The morning after
his conversion, when his wife came
down to breakfast, he was standing
at the dining room window looking
out at the desolate winter scenery.
He turned and said: wife. come
here and look, come here and look:
the very trees are clapping their
hands in praise to God!" All, in the
days gone by there has been many an
echo OF those words In many a heart
here.
To me after found God. the whole
world was more beautiful; the sky
was bluer, the grass was greener, the
breezes were softer, the sun was
warmer and all mankind were dearer
to me.
What is the meaning of all this?
1t means that l had found that which
was the complement of my whole be-
Ing. AS Augustine said: 20 Lord.
Thou hast made us for Thyself, and
we are restless till we rest in Thee"
1t means that in God had found the
satisfaction which this world had
never afforded me, for as the ocean
only can fill the oceans bed, so God
alone can satisfy the mind of man.
Blessed is the man who has been rec
onciled to his heavenly Father, who
has returned like the prodigal to his
Fathers love.
l turn now to the dark side Of the
picture. How few of us have kept
this early joy, and have continued In
this blessed peace? OF course you
know the story of the lost chord? A
woman, in the shadows Of the twi-
light, when her heart was sad, gently
touched the keys OF a glorious organ.
She did not know or care what she
was playing; her fingers fingered idly
but caressingly upon the keys. Sud-
denly she struck chord, and it's Won
drous melody as 1t filled the room
was uplifting and transforming and
heavenly.
1t flooded the crimson twilight,
Like the close of an angels psalm
And 1t lay on her fevered sp:rit
With the touch of infinite calm
1t quieted pain and sorrow.
Like love overcoming strife;
1t seemed the harmonious echo
From our discordant life.
1t linked all perplexed meanings
Into one perfect peace.
And trembled away in silence,
AS if it were 10th 20 cease
Something disturbed this woman
and called her from the organ. AS
soon as possible she hurried back and
began to play, but this divine chord
was gone, and though she kept on
playing she could not bring it back
again.
How similar to our experience as
the children of God and yet how op-
posite! Many of us have lost our
peace, our JOY, our rapture, but bless
God. we can all have this heavenly
music in our souls again, if we are
willing, for God is willing to heal our
mon among Christians as to be almost
universal. OF course, there are diff
ferent degrees of backsliding. Some
have gone only a little way, while
others have gone so far that the re-
turn will be difficult, but thank God,
not impossible.
First of all, let us consider how
men become backsliders. The word
itself is significant. To go forward
requires effort, to go backward re-
quires no effort at all. In the Chris
tian life. If you cease to go forward
you will inevitably go backward.
This backsliding always begins in the
heart. We may go on for a time in
the ceaseless round of Christian ac-
tfvities, while in our hearts these
things are growing more and more
distasteful. The heart NAV therefore
be in wrong relation to given thing,
while our actions may be perfectly ex-
emplary. But God knows that that
man Is a backslider, and he knows IL
himself. Whether others know it
matters very little. But after a time
oil men will know 1t, for the back
slider in heart generally becomes the
backslider in life. 1t is very hard for
men to continue long in hypocrisy.
Ordinarily mans outward life is the
expression of his inner life. A mans
character may be better than his rep
utation, or a mans reputation may be
better than his character, but ordi-
narily reputation and character agree.
We call the uncouth and uncivil @dia-
mcnds in the rough"
We constantly say of the man who
sins With his tongue, well, you
know, he is very hasty and impetuous,
sant uften says things which he does
not mean" But God SAYS these
things have their origin in the heart.
and rom the heart flow outward.