The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-02-10
$50, I Am With You Away"

That "alwayn includes past. pres
>ent and future. When Christ came
into the ' orld to be yisibIy with men
nineteen hundred years ago, it was
not His first coming; He was in the
world before His birth in Bethlehem.
He was in the world even II the
world knew Him not. Through Him
the world had been. made. Before
Abraham was Christ is. The light
has always been shining in the dark
ness. go
When we think Of the unnumbered
generations of men that have been
born, have lived and died; the nations
that have sat in darkness and then
passed away before the dawn of what
we call history; the multitudes to-day
that do not exist so far as Christian
nations are concerned, Of possible In
habitants of other worlds that science
has revealed to us, faith is apt to
waver and the thought will come that,
after all, historic and worldwide
Christianity Is a very small matter.
Then it is good to appreciate once
more that all things were made 0y
Him and that everywhere and always
is the Christ. the fulness of Him
that flleth all in all.
This Christ did not leave the world
when He assembled from Oliyet. He
went only from the sight of those few
disciples in order that His might be
to millions of believers a wider conn
ing in the Spirit. 4He Is exalted at
Gods right hand" you say. Yes, as,
suredly a blessed truth. but Gods
right hand is wherever His power Is
made manifest, and that Is every.
where. Christ is here to-day. II am
with you Away"
But He added, @Unto the end Of
the world" the contamination Of The
age. For the Christ who was before
Abraham, who is here to-day, is to be
here until He has worked out His own,
purposes. He shall continue to come
until the glorious end which even now
He sees is a reality-"tilI every knee
shall bow and every tongue confess
Him." h
t There is no need that we should
here reafhrm U faith In the per-
sonal, visible return CT thetLord.
What most we are concerned with
now is that we should keep ourselves
in the consciousness that He is in the
midst of the candlesticks, ruling and
guiding history and the progress Of
His churches. Fearful souls should
take fresh courage from the thought
that when men are about the Kings
business and with willing spirits ask
His guidance, He'does not fail to lead
them into all the truth.
Yet men must ever also remember
that that presence Of His is a condi-
tional presence-that they must be
about His business. The @lo" follows
"go." The promise which we have
quoted is not separated by so much as
a period from the Great Commission
to Christ's disciples to 60 and Ilake
disciples of all nations. Only to those
who go is the promise given. is
No man need be without diVSae
wisdom in the ordering OF his affairs,
but we like to think that most OF cur
missionary societies have with them
His presence in their deliberations.
1t was when Moses was seeking lead
ership in bringing a nation out Of
bondage that he received the prom
Use, my face shall go with thee;" II
is when Christians are considering
the claims of those who know not our
Lord that they may appreciate the
pledge, "Lo, I am with you Away,
even unto the end Of the world
Pacific Baptist.