The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-05-04

| PLY ever after. This was n aspect
of the giant called doctrine" and
naturally the world has lost interest
in such a foolish giant. The thing to
do is to congratulate the world ana
! commend it for its growing wisdom.
instead Of condemning it.
1t is all right to weave a halo about
the past, to regt.rd it as a golden age;
but, if our inclination to idealize the
past is going to make is blind to the
fine things of the present, then this
inclination is all wrong. It's wicked.
1t Is all right to wax enthusiastic over
| the pictures of Tintoretto or Raphael,
but, if our admiration for them pre-
vents our recognizing the merits OF
present-day artists, then our admira-
| ton is all wrong. 1t Is all right to
have a creed coming down out OF
| the past, but, if that creed obscures
| our vision of the Christ in the world
at the present day, then that creed Is
a mistake. We have spent altogether
! too much time in the world worship
ing the God of our fathers, and now
| it's time to worship the God of our
| selves and the God Of our sons. We
have spent altogether too mucn time
talking about the miracles and the
spiritual experiences Of remote ages
and remote lands, and now it's time
to discard the notion that u day Is
bald and commonplace and to talk
| about the mighty works and the spir-
itual experiences of this year Of grace.
| We have spent too much time looking
for the Christ in the inspired eplstles
| of st. Peter, and now it's time to look
for the Christ in the inspired writings
of contemporaries.
Maybe there were giants in the
earth in those days, but, even If there
were, they are dead, and our concern
now Is with the giants that are in
| the earth in our day. And there are
| giants in the earth in u day. 1t
has been my good fortune to be per-
| sonallly acquainted with several OF
them. When you just looked at them
| casually their stature seemed like
that of other men, but when you
looked more closely, when you looked
with the eye of the spirit, you began
to realize that they lowered up into
the heavens, you began to realize that
they were tall men, sun-crowned, li.v-
ing above the fog in public duty and
in private thinking. You began to
realize that the spirits Of those men
| could be contained in the compass of
no ordinary body, and you confessed
to yourself that here were giants In
the earth in our day.
And then in addition to these indi-
| vidual giants of to-day there are cor
porate giants, which are more COM
monty called movements. One deals
with the prevention and cure Of dis
ease, another restricts the hours OF
labor for working women, and yet
| another protects the children of the
poor from exploitation and abuse.
There is a whole family of these
| giants, and they are a religious fam
lily, religious in the deepest sense of
that noble word. They occupy the
quarters in our life that we're former
ly tenanted by doctrines, catechisms
and kindred giants. All these move
ments that I mention, all chese agen.
cies working for the uplift and better
ment of the race, are so many mani
festations of the religion and idealism
Of our day. Revere the good old
times, my friends, but revere also the
fine, splendid spirit of your. own day.
| Honor the religion of days gone by,
but honor also it's fair offspring, the
religion Of to-day.
There are giants in the earth in
our day and you have it in you to be
numbered among them. You may
be small of stature and slight OF
| frame, but in the realm of things spir-
itual one Is rot accounted a giant be.
cause of stature or physical strength.
! If your heart beats strong and true
with a desire for the onward march
of righteousness, If from the very
depths of your being the cry goes
| forth, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will
be done;" If with all your heart, and
all your mind, and all your soul and
all your strength you love the Lord
your God and your neighbor as your
| self, then God accounts you among
the giants of His kingdom; then you
are among the giants that are in the
| earth in our day.
My friends, if in the deep and quiet
of your lives you listen closely, you
will hear q voice that bids you go
forth and take part in the giant move
ments for the uplift and betterment
Iof the world. You will hear a voice
that bids you go forth and be giants,
towering in spiritual stature far above
all ~self-seeking and petty individual
interests. Hearken with the ears of
your heart and you will hear a voice
that bids you go forth and prove by
the mighty stature of your life that
there are giants in the earth of our
day.