The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1910-06-30

soul from a responsible task? why
did Jesus choose Judas?" Jospeh
Parker was once asked II do not
know" replied the doctor, but I
have a harder question, "Why did
He choose me?" This 1t was that
puzzled Paul. Why did He choose
me? Me" he exclaims, who am
less than the least" Why me?
or course you know the word "hu-
mility" has changed its meaning. In
olden times 1t was a sinister word
word Of slaves. Hardly could you
offer man a greater insult than to
call him humble. On the upturned
statue OF Rameses, uncarthcd tho
other day amid the ruins of Mem
phis, is found this inscription: II am
King of Kings. If any one wants to
know how great l am, let him try to
surpass one of my works" That was
the old appraisement. The world ac-
cepted you at your own valuation.
Therefore put the price as high as
possible. Once humility was a stig-
ma. To-day 1t is a compliment.
| Christ took the hateful word and
made it honorable. 1t is the Chris
tian's loveliest virtue and his crown
ing grace. The old order OF chivalry
has passed away. 'Tis the meek who
are mighty now.
Can a life become humble apart
| from God? l will answer that uues-
tion by asking another. Can straw
berry ripen without the sun? TIE
strawberry will grow and get Juice
and color; but no berry ever had its
sour sap changed into sweetness
without the shining of the sun. Ii
takes the whole solar system to grow
a berry. And it takes the power of
the Holy Spirit, the third person of
the Trinity, to grow simple grace
like humility. Ruskin says that il
YOU were to cut a square inch out of
| turner's skies YOU would find the in
finite in it. Just so, the lowliest
grace is rooted in the Infinite. Where
is boasting then? 1t is excluded.
Grace shows boasting to the door aud
bows it out.
III. He's a man characterized by
the gift of grace
God resisteth the proud but Civ
eth grace unto the humble" Unto
me was this grace given" Was"
past tense. The great apostle to the
Gentiles preached not because he was
gifted oratorically Not because he
felt JOY in the exercise. but because
he had been anointed ITO me was
this grace given" The preacher
may have the strength of a Hercules,
the heart of Howard, TIE tongue
of Cicero, the courage of a Luther,
the passion Of a st. Francis. He may
have all these things and fail Not
| until he is given an JUNCTION from
above is he equipped for his work
| His success depends not on the Jepth
OF his thought or the sparkle Of his
style, but on the baptism of his Lord
He must be sure that God has spoken
to him before he can venture to sneak
to others. Does he come from some
university? Then he can lift us to
learning. Does he come from some
school of music? Then he can lift us
to art. Does he come to us from
some Parliament? Then he can lift
us to politics. But if he would lift
us to God he must come from the Sc
cret of His presence. He must have
the fragrance of the Kings garden.
If he would lead us to Zion he must
know the way there. He should
wear the halo of the Infinite.
Now what is grace? Let us be
quite sure that we are travelling on
familiar lanes. 1t is not an aesthetic
outfit. Gracefulness is, but not
grace. 1t is not mere soft senti-
mental emotion. 1t is not simply
good will. 1t is a great tidal flow.
1t is the divine heart at work in the
world. Gods love as an energy 60
| ing out to the sinner-that is grace
You do not know much of village
pumps here in New York. Perhaps
you have never felt their interesting
romance. Do you remember those
old wooden pumps in the country?
! You had to work hard to get any
water, and sometimes you had first
to pour water in to get any out. How
different from a spring! A pump
labors. but spring bubbles. Grace
is not love that is pumped out. II
is love that bursts out. 1t is a spon-
taneous, gushing. artesian. It is the
outrush Of the love of God. Love
with us is passion. Love with us
is an attribute. 1t is the great card
attribute Of the Divine Essence.
III. He is intrusted with a mes
sage. And he must not change the
message-not dipthong OF It, Can
the telegraph boy change the tele-
gram? No; that is not his province
The Apostle to the Gentiles is our
model. Never for one moment was
he in doubt as to what he ought to
proclaim. 1t was not always pleas
ant. Sometimes it was unpleasant
was once delivered to the saints. 1t
was not invented by them. 1t was
handed down to them. 1t was deliv-
cred. Nay. stronger than that It
was "once for all" delivered-deliv-
cred, he means, in it's completeness.
The minister is a voice. The mes
sage does not belong to him. He be-
longs to the message. Preaching is
not man using the truth. 1t Is
truth using the man. He does not
possess 1t. He is possessed by it, He
bears the burden OF a divine urgency.
Ever should We be on guard lest we
forget that the true minister is a
prophet, not a soothsayer; not a fore
teller-a forthteller He is not NOV
ing away over there in the realm of
L h..