The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-02-09

vine fire EMBODIED in the infant; creep
ing through the human heart silently
but surely, making the life action
blossom in unselfish deeds, in purity
and worth.
Yes, indeed, Gods kingdom Is very
near to us, it's in us and about us,
and we can find it right speedily If
we Rut fix our eyes upon the eternal
good. Don't look for the coming OF
His kingdom in violent upheaval nor
in d~isorderly shouting of false pro-
phets. Don't expect the leaven to be
untrue to its very nature. Don't look
for evidences that Gods righteous
ness has, OH so much of sin to still
overcome in life. Fix your eyes upon
Jesus, fix your eyes upon the evil
dences within yourself, evidences all
about you, evidences that Gods spirit
Is living in all life, evidences that tbs
leaven Is fulfilling it's mission, evil
dences that HIS eternal truth IS
marching on.
This world of ours is not so bad, If
we don't fix our whole attention on
the badness and refuse to recognize
the silent working of the leaVen of
eternal goodness that permeates 1t
all. Seeking Gods kingdom or seek
ing the kingdom of the devil has been
exemplifed for US in the present po-
litical campaign. Mud-slinging and
the kind Of argument expected at a
reunion of the Kilkenny cats has
seemed 70 be the policy Of some, with
the result that upstate citizens be-
lieve New York is worse than Sodom
and Gomorrah, that hungry beasts OF
prey roam through the streets and
that the only safety for a stranger is
to tightly grasp his bank roll in one
hand and his watch within the other
when he is welcomed to our city.
And yet how much of truth there Is
in the lurid exaggerations of GU
cities sinfulness may be gagged, per-
haps, by the uniformity of compli
ments paid to US by u host Of visit
ors during the late celebration. Vel.
low journalism is always looking for
the spots and blemishes: it refuses to
recognize the good and by perverse
suggestions hampers more than n
other element the working of the
leaven of Gods eternal righteousness.
The kingdom Of the living God
must come first of all in individual
hearts, for there the leaven has been
placed by God. His kingdom will not
come in any outward way until the
inward man is pure.
Don't wait and pray for the last
trump on earth, don't wait and pray
trump is sounding in your heart and
your judgment days are with you
every day. Look for Gods kingdom
in your own heart and seek to mani
fest it in your little duties every day.
| Seek to attune your soul to the divine
melodies Of goods that are echoing all
around you. Open your eyes to the
| good within yourself, and that you
find in fellow-men. Shut out from
your soul the discordant clangor and
refuse to share the discord selfish
hearts have brought on earth. Fi3
your eyes upon Jesus and feel the
leaven in your Utmost heart.
How to find Gods kingdom? It's a
| plain and direct road. Simply pub.
lish peace and bring good tidings; al
and if you can't bring tidings that are
good then keep quiet till you can
Refuse 10 publish discord and strife
and hatred. Refuse to muck-rake or
bring up the ghosts of outgrown er.
rors that clog the wheels Of eternal
progress toward perfect righteousness
All! but some will say, "Your dream
| of perfect righteousness on earth is
but a dream, I fear 1t can't come
true" Even so when Il ancestors
clothed in skins were roaming through
the forest aisles, perhaps some one OF
them was blessed with glorious WIS.,
ions of days when they would no
more rend and tear each other. And
undoubtedly all his fellows said, ITS
but a dream. We shall always be
governed by the law of tooth and
claw" But Gods leaven worked in
q%uietness and power until at last men
walked at peace among the race, for.
ever emancipated from their brute
ancestry. And shall it not be so with
us? Although we refrain from ply.
steal violence to each other, yet we
war and scheme in milder ways. But
who shall deny the power Of the for
ever working leaven Of. Gods truth
to work for us emancipation even
from the necessity for competition in
our race? Who shall deny the saving
power of the immortal spirit of the
Christ? For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made
alive" "For He must reign till He
hath put all enemies under His feet"
"And when all things shall be sub.
dued unto Him, then shall the Son
also Himself be subject unto Him
that put all things under Him, that
God may be ell in all"