The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-06-29

the perfect Pharisee-the slave has
overcome the son.
Of course God wants your service
in the house and in the field, but in a
sense it is true that He can do with
out it. He has hired servants enough
to do that, but only sons car love Him
as He longs for, and manifest the
flial spirit which He craves-"My
son. give Me thine heart"
One reason for this is that 1t is a
law of our being that mans predom-
inant passion gives color and tone to
his spiritual state And when VIC
are so engrossed in mere service in
the field" to the disparagement OF the
primary obligation of loving the
Father, it is plain to see that the con-
trolling motive is a low one, however
religious that service may appear to
be.
The lack of ilial spirit is manifest
ed in his boastful utterance. Never
at any time transgressed I thy COM
mand." Is not obedience a Christian
duty? Yes, but only in the spirit of
a son and not as a hireling. Before
performing them the man must have
it plainly stated what he was to do.
There is nothing in the hear to
prompt him to perform either more
than he was paid for in the way of
service or than he was actually told
to do. Is this not the spirit against
which Jesus spoke when He said.
Except your righteousness exceed
the Righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees We shall in NJ case enter
the kingdom"
Why in the Sermon on the Mount
did He in those wonderful words on
prayer and passion and providence
teach this higher righteousness? Men
had-like this older son-attained
the art Of measuring acts and ceremo-
NAL observance with such faultless
nicely, while the heart and soul we're
left untouched by piety and love. You
can to-day so serve God by letter and
be as far removed from Him In spirit
as the prodigal amid the glare and
glitter of the far country. You can
be so busy with your mere rule and
| dogma that you miss the spirit which
| alone can give them worth. 1t Is not
| the Wild and wanton spirit only which
| alienates, but the slavish spirit II i'm
| pulse and conventionalism, and you
must not wonder If your cold, cynical
and mercenary spirit keeps you IN
the field when you might be living IN
| the warmth and glow and JOY OF the
Fathers house.
""Thou never gavest me a kid that
I might make merry with my friends,
but as soon as this thy son is come
thou hast killed for him the fatted
! calf" my friends" "Thy son"-not
my brother" Do you not see how
little sympathy there was between
this son and the Father? There can
be none unless and until the spirit
| of bondage has given place to the
| spirit of adoption" whereby we crys
abba, Father"
If God looks to each of us for .
| service and obedience which alone
can spring from love to Him, so also
| He looks to us for gladness and re-
| joicing which only come from sympa-
thy with Him.
Surely it was for these reasons that
| Jesus held up the mirror before the
| faces of these men of old-and their
type Is by no means extinct to-day.
| But, as then, the Father comes and
| pleads with men to come in from the
| field where the unflial spirit drives
them.
He takes no notice Of the sneering
inuendoes on the slavish sense of duty
| or the lack of kindness to our broth
er. But with his wondrous patience
| bids us come within the circle of the
home and share with Him His wealth
of grace. He calls each one of US to a
life whose oars are open through con-
slant sympathy with Him to hear
what God desires and loves, Whose
heart has opened to receive Him as
its Master and its Lord, so that His
will IS ours through our admiring
love.
And if you would forsake the fields
into which your selfshness has sent
you, turn to Him who calls, and a
Father, I, too, have sinned, Tor
whilst I held the name of son, l lived
but as a slave. Make me no longer a
mere hireling, but an honored child
and say of me, This My son was lost
but now is found