The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-03-20

we could only sing like that" But God
will say to those who have never fallen and
consequently have not been redeemed:
'You must bs silent now; you have not the
qualification for this anthem, so they sit
with closed lips and folded hands and sim
ners saved by grace take up the harmony,
for the Bible says mo man can learn that
song but the hundred and forty and four
thousand which were redeemed from the
earth"
A great prima donna, who can now do any
thing with her voice told me that when she
first started in music her teacher in Berlin
told her she could be good singer. but GER
tain note she could never reach. "And thcn,"
she said, Il went to work and studied and
practiced for years until did reach it." But
the song of the sinner redeemed, the Bible
says, the exalted harmonists who have never
sinned could not reach and never will reach.
Would you like to hear me in very poor
way play snatch Of that tune? can give
you only one bar OF the music on this
gospel harp: Unto him that hath loved
Us and washed US from our sins in His own
blood and hath made US kings and priests
unto God and the Lamb, to Him be glory
and dominion forever and ever, Amen"
God lets sin come into the world? let me say
that great battles seem to be nothing but
suffering and outrage at the time Of their
occurrence, yet after they have been long
while past we can see that it was better for
them to have been fought, namely, Salamis,
lnlerDlann, Toulouse, Arbcla. Agincourt,
Trafalgar, Blenheim. Lexington, Sedan. So
now that the great battles against sin and
suffering are going on we can see mostly
that which is deplorablc. But twenty
thousand years from now. standing in glory,
we shall appreciate that Heaven is better
of than if the battle OF this worlds sin and
suffering had never been projected.
But now l come nearer home and put
dark saying on the gospel harp, a style Of
question that is asked million times every
year. Interrogation the fourth: Why.do
have it so hard while others have it so easyi
or, why do have so much difficulty in get
ting alivelihood while others 90 around with
full portemonnaie? or, why must l wear
these plain clothes while others have 10
push hard to get their wardrobes closed, so
crowded are they with brilliant attire! or
why should have to work so hard while
others have three hundred AID sixty-fve
holidays every year? They are all practic-
ally one question. answer them by saying,
it is because the Lord has his favorites and
he puts extra discipline upon you and extra
trial because he has for you extra glory, eX-
ira enforcement, and extra facilities
That is no guess of mine but divine say-so
Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth."
"Well," says some one II would rather
have little less in Heaven and little
more here. Discount my heavenly robe
ten per cent and let me now put it on, q fur
lined overcoat; put me in less gorgeous
room of the house of many mansions and
let me have house here in better neigh
borhood." No, no; God is not going to rob
Heaven, which is to be your residence for
nine hundred ouadrilliou Of years to fix up
your earthly abode, which you will occupy
at most for less than . century, and where
YOU may perhaps stay only ten years longer,
or only enc year. or perhaps month more.
Now you had better cheerfully let God have
His way, for, you see, He has been taking
care Of folks for near seven thousand years,
and knows how to do it, and can see what is
best FOR you better than you can yourself.
Don't think you are too insignificant to be
divinely cared for. 1t was said that Diana,
| the goddess, could not be present to keep
her temple at Ephesus from burning be-
cause she was attending upon the birth Of
him who who was to be Alexander the
| Great. But tell you that your God and my
God is so great in small things as we'll as
large things that He could attend the cradle
of babe and at the same time the burning
Of a world.
And God will make it all right with you,
and there is one song that you will sing
every hour your first ten years in Heaven,
and the refrain Of that song will be: II am
so glad God did not let me have it my own
way" Your case will be all fixed up in
Heaven, and there will be such q reversal OF
conditions that we can hardly find each other
for some time. Sumo Of US who have lived
! in frst-rate houses here and in tirst-rate
neighborhoods will be found because Of our
lukewarmness of earthly service living on
one Of the back streets Of the celestial city,
and clear down at the end of it as No. sos, or
| 9OS, or 1906, while some who had unat-
tractive earthly abodes, and cramped one
at that, WILL IN the heavenly city, be il a
house fronting the royal plaza, right by the
| imperial fountain, or on the heights overlook
ing the River of Life, the chariots of saliva
tion halting at your door while those who
visit you are more than couquerors, and those
who are kings and queens unto God for
eyer. You, my brother, aud you, my sister,
who have it so hard here will have it so fine
aud grand there that you will hardly know
yourself, and will feel disposed 70 dispute
your own identity, and the first time | see
you there will cry out: Didn't I tell you
so when you sat down there in the Brook
Iyn Tabernacle and looked iucrcduous be-
cause you thought it too good to be true!"
And you will answer: * ou were right, the
half was not told mel" So this morning |
open your dark saying OF dependency and
complaint on my gospel harp and give you
Just one bar Of music, for do not pretend
to be much Of a player. THE Lamb which
is in the midst Of the throne shall lead them
to living fountains Of water and God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes" But
must confess l an little perpleXad how
some of you good Christians are going to
get through the gate. because there will be
so many there TO greet you and they will
all want to shake hauds al once and viii all
want the first kiss. They will have heard
I that you are coming, and they Will all press
around to welcome you and will want you
to say whether you know them after being
80 long parted.
Amid the tnssel and romp Of reunion
will tell you whose hand OF welcome you
had better first clasp ana whose check is
entitled to the first kiss. it is the hand and
the cheek Of Him without whom yon would
| never have got there at al, the LORD Jesus,
the darling Of the SIZES as he csles out, II
have loved taee with an everlasting love and
| thn fraa D,l floods