The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18


hold. Perhaps they say nothing, but they
sit down and they weep as the light goes out
from the bright eyes and the white petals Of
the lily are scattered in the blast OF death.
They watch through the long night by the
dying couch, and then, when the spirit has
gone, sooth you with great comfort They
say: Don't cry. Jesus pities you. All is
well You will meet the lost one again"
Then, when your son went off, breaking your
heart, did they not come and put the story in
the very best shape and prophecy the return
of the prodigal! Were they not in your
house when the birth angel tapped its wings
over your dwelling? And they have been
there at the baptisms and at the weddings.
Family friendsl But have to tell you that
Christ is the best family friend. Oh,
blessed is that cradle over which Jesus
bends. Blessed is that nursery where Jesus
walks. Blessed is that sick brow from which
Jesus wipes the dampness Blessed is that
table where Jesus breaks the bread. Blessed
is that grave where Jesus stands with His
SCARED feet on the upturned sod, saying: 81
am the resurrection and the life; he that be-
lieveth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall
he live" Have you babe in the housel
Put it into the arms of the great Child
Lover. Is there sick one in the housel
Think of Him who said: 'Damsel, arise. i"
Are you afraid you will come to want2 Think
of Him who fed the five thousand. Is there
a little one in your house that you are afraid
will be blind or deaf or lame? Think Of
Him who touched the blinded eye and
snatched back the boy from epileptic con.
vulsion. Oh, He is the best friend. Look
over your family friends to-day and find an
other that can be compared to Him. When
oSe Tfhs e soSn Snf uRriss IS He slways In toWn
We find that some will stick to us in
prosperity who will not in adversity.
But Christ comes through darkest night
and amid CHASTITY sorrow, and across
toughest sea, to comfort you. There are
men and women here who would have been
have gone through trial enough to exhaust
ten times their physical strength. Their
property went. their health went, their fami-
lies were scattered. God only knows what
they suffered. They are an amazement to
themselves that they have been able to stand
it. They look at their once happy home,
surrounded by all comfort. Gone! They
think Of the time when they use to rise
strong in the morning and walk vigorously
health they thought inexhaustible. Gone!
Everything gone but Jesus. He has pitied
them. His eye has watched them His om-
Impotence has defended them. Yes, He has
been with them. They have gone through
disaster, ,and He was q pillar Of fire by night.
They have gone across stormy Galilee, but
Christ had His foot on the neck Of the storm.
They felt the waves Of trouble coming up
around them gradually, and they began to
climb into the strong rock OF Gods de,
fense, and then they sang. as they looked
over the waters: fGod Is our refuge and
strength, an ever present help In time Of
trouble; therefore we will not fear though
the earth be removed, though the mountains
be carried into the midst Of the sea, though
L. 1aI
though the mountains shake with the SWELL
ing thereof. Selah." The other day there
was sailor who came into the Bethel in New
York. and said: "My lads (he was standing
among sailors, don't know what's the
matter with me. I used to hear a good deal
about religion and about Jesus Christ. l
don't know that have any religion, or that
know anything much about Christ; but
when / was in mid d-Atlantic l looked up one
day through the rigging, and there seemed to
come light through my soul. l have felt DIR
hated, and feel joy can't tell you. 1
really don't know what is the matter Of me-"
A rough sailor got up and said: my lad,
know what's the matter Of you. You have
found Jesus. It is enough to make any man
happy"
Hls worth II all the nations knew
Sure the whole earth would love him too.
remark again: Christ is precious to the
believer, as a final deliverer. You and l
must after awhile get out Of this world.
Here and there, one perhaps may come on to
eighty, to ninety years Of age, but your com
mon sense tells you that the next twenty-five
years will land the majority of this audience
In eternity. The next ten years will thin out
q great many Of these family circles. This
day may do the work for some Of u.s. Now,
why do say this? To scare You? No; but
just as would stand in your Office, IL were
q business man, and talk over risks. You do
not consider it cowardly to talk in your
store over temporal risks. Is 1t base in US
this morning to talk little while over the
risks of the soul, that are for eternity! In
every congregation death has the last
year been doing q great deal OF
work. Where is your father9 Where
is your mother? Your child2 Your brother?
Your sister? o, how cruel does death seem
to be! Will he pluck avery foweri VIII he
prison every fountainl Will He put black on
every door knob? Will He snap every heart
stringl Can keep nothingl Are there no
contend against Him? Give me some keen
sword, sharpened in Gods armory, with
which I may stab him through: Give me
some battle az that may clutch it, and hew
him from helmet to sandal. Thank God,
thank God, that he that rideth on the pale
horse hath more than match In Him who
rideth on the white horse. St. John heard
the contest, the paving OF the steeds, the
rush, the battle cry, the onset, until the pale
horse came down on his hapnehes, and MS
rider bit the dust, while Christ the con-
oueror, with uplifted voice, declared it: "Oh
death, l will be thy plague; o grave, I will
. be thy destruction"
, The sepulcher is a lighted castle on the
shore Of heavenly seas, and sentinel angels
walk up and down at the door to guard it.
The dust and the dampness OF the grave are
only the spray Of the white surf OF celestlal
seas, and the long breathing of the dying
Christian, that you call his gasplng, Is Only
the long inhalation Of the air of heaven: Oh,
bless God for what Christ Is to the Cnrlsuan
soul, here and hereafter!
heard man say some time ago that Gney
never laugh in heaven. I do not know where
he got his authority for that. I think they
do lanph in heaven. When victors come
home. DO we not laughl When fortunes are
won ina day, do we not laugh! AFTER we
have been ten or fifteen years away from
our friends and we greet them again, 90 dove we
not laugh2 Yes, we will laugh in heaven:
Not hollow laughter, not meaningless
laughter, but full, round, clear,
dee5.' resonant outbreak Of eternal
gladness. Oh, the glee Of that moment when
we first see Jesus2 think we Will taKe tne
first two or three years in heaven to look al
Jesus: and if, in ten thousand years, there @
should be moment when the do4ology
paused, ten thousand souls would cry out:
rSingI singr' and when the cry was: What
shall we singY' the answer would be: 'Jesus'
Jesusl" Oh, you may have all the crowns in
heaven; do not care 80 much about them.
You may have all the robes in heaven; do
not care so much about them. You may
have all the sceptres in heaven; do not care
SO much about them. You may have all the
thrones in heaven; 1 do not care so much
about them But give me ,Jesus-that Is