Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-10-25

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~ @H EW \s$8@A we shall have the
M illusion we are
dead We are happy to find that the
Bible holds the same view us to the
reality of sickness as Is held spon-
taneously by common sense.
+ Paul tells u.s. too, that his friend
was sick nigh unto DEATH" rccogniZ-
Ing the reality Of death as we'll rs
thnt Of Sickness The APOSTLE be-
lfeved Christ had abolished death, but
this last enemy Is yet to be de-
stroycd. Paul longed that he might
not be "unclothcd," by dying, but
"cl0thcd upon with our holise which,
Is from heaven" That Is, that he
might receive his gl6rihcd body by
the appearing Of Christ while he was
still alive QI Cor. lid.
But we are, especially Struck with
Paul's statement that God chad mcr-
cy on Epnphroditus, the friend Of
whom he is speaking. He considered
this mans restoration to health as
"mercy." Yet, we are told In this
same episte that 'to depart ls to he
with Christ, which IS far better"
: Il :23). How then could 1t he a
"mercy" for his life to be spared?
Recovery From Sickness Mercy.
There are. several answers to this
question. While death would have
brought this saint into the presence
Of his Lord, yet rs we have seen,
death in Itself is dark passage, even
to the Christian Ono. IL :1S; II Cor.
$50.
Again. when we die, the service Of
this our pilgrimage Is ended. Says
st. Chrysostum "rhose who are de-
parted this life can no longer win
souls"
In this particular instance, there Is
another prominent aspect of the mat
ter. The, Philippians, to whom Paul
WAS writing, greatly needed Epaph.
roditus. Hence, he shrank from
dying lest they be bereaved Of him.
He considered 1t "mercy" to- he kept
out OF heaven itself. for a time, that
others might be blessed!
Not only did Paul feel that God
had mercy on Epnphroditus, in spar
Ing his life, but that at the same time
He had had mercy on himself also,
lest he should have "sorrow upon sOr-
row." Just rs we have seen that
sickness nd death are to be regarded
rs real, SO now we nre authorized to
look upon sorrow as both real and
appropriate.
Paul was no, stole, nor are Chris
tlans generally hidden to be such.
He regarded his Imprisonment as a
sorrow" True, the things which
had happened unto him, leading to
his being Il prisoner ut Rome, had
turned out to the furtherance Of the
gospel (l:12). Nevertheless, his
prison was "sorrow" to him. He
did not rcpine; his cpistlo to the Phi
lippinns. sent from Rome, had rs Its
keynote, "Rcjoicc." But he would
have been glad for release, and says:
II trust in the Lord that I also my
self shall come shortly" q: :2D.
Regarding the prison rs Il Sorrow"
he tells us that If Epaphrodtus had
died he would have had "sorrow upon
sorrow" or course, he would have
rcjoiced over his friends entrance
into the FATHERS house. but he would
have felt the loneliness and loss Of
bereavement. Only, he would not
have sorrowed "as others which have
no hope" I Thess. 1919.
Not Angels but Folks.
When Father Taylor, the sailor
preacher Of Boston, was dying, some
one sought to comfort him by saying:
"You will soon be with the angels"
But he answered ut once: ~ don't
want angels, L want folks" Paul,
with all his spirituality, would doubt
less have approved this robust hui
man sentiment. God created our hu.
manity ana would not suppress 1t, but
rather would be gloriticd In our bodies
and in our spirits, which are His He
would miss His "little human praise"
Speaking Of our text, the late Bish-
op Moulc said: "Observe the perfect
naturalncss of Pnul's language. He
abiues in the pence of God; he 'has
. strength for all things az, 13).
But thht peace Is no frost. or torpor,
Of the heart; that strength Is not
hardness. He Is released from en-
bitttrment and from murlnurs, but
every scnsibilitw Is refined by that
very fact 1t was so with his Lord
before him (John :33, 35, 3S)."
Christ does not forbid our tears;
rather. lie wceps viii, us. But lie
stands saying: II am the resurrec-
tion and the life,' and, God shall
wipe away ali tears from their eyes"