The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-07-14

confess it, and even to the innocent
children is an inheritance bequeathed
to them by sinful sires And still fur.
ther, many OF the sicknesses We have
are self-intiicted. Now it is careless
ness, now it is excess, which opens the
grave under our feet.
Ah my brethren, what reason have
we to thank God that even death is
reryulcd7 To those who trust in
him it becomes a release from evil
and translation to the skies. What
matter then what its character or cir
cumstances may be? However it ap-
pears, it has mission of mercy to the
Christian, on the quiet bed, under fall
ing trees, or amid crashing cars. Let
the chariot be fire if it only bears US
to the throne of light
So in like manner God overrules
the painful evil of Bereavement. If
those we lose are evil, it is well that
they are gone, that the Joy of life is
no longer eclipsed, and the storm that
beat upon our overwhelmed heads
is at last abated. If those we lose
are good, what consolation fingers in
every memory oflove and truth we
cherish How iuexpressibly sweet is
the good that others speak of them
And even those pensive tears, the dews
of the heart, which distil at the men
ton of their names. Did they die
slowly? There was time for prepara-
ton. Suddenly, they were at once
relieved from pain. Are they lndeed
dead? They are delivered from their
sorrow.
Are they gone? Vacant places,
footsteps and voices only in memory.
But we ourselves are soon to follow,
[ shall go to him said David as be
kissed the white face Of the child ere
it was hidden in the cerement. /
shall go to him: but he shall not re-
turn to me 2 S. -: %. Do we sor-
row for them as those without hope
Christian your Savior forbids despair.
Them that sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him. All! Let us think
there would be no more occasion for
SORROW if death were taken quite away.
You remember perchance when a son
came home, or when a husband re-
turned safe from the war, when fam
liz gathered at board or altar in hap
py thanksgiving. The circle soon was
broken! when, when, shall it be! AS
it is death-death only which opens
the gates to that sanctuary and that
feast where there is no parting.
Thus does God stanch the wounds
Of nature; discipline from evil, hope
from loss, solace in bereavement, are
his present gifts, and hereafter he will
wipe all tears from our eyes.
Our theme teaches US the duty of
patience. We SOW here with painful
labor: Then we must wait for the
harvest. We weep, but soon we
shall unlearn the lesson of sorrow.
NO SIGH shall tremble on the
tongues
That mingle in immortal songs.
Be sure that on that day when we
shall see the end Of all the sad dis
pensations Of the life that now is, each
revealing will be a new motive to
thanksgiving, and multiply our prais-
es to Him who doeth all things well.
Our theme inculcates trust IN God.
We may be startled or shocked by
this or that Providence. Let US
think of the effects which such events
have already wrought in US. Before
I was afflicted I went astray; but
now have kept thy word" Sorrow
comes to correct our forgetfulness of
God. Once we trusted in men, in
the world, in our own strength, now
in a higher power. We turn away
from the darkned chamber and the
silent grave and the vacant place be-
side the altar of worship, to Him who
made us and exclaim: "Tho' thou