The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-01-23
wharf to find out which ship starts first for

we have done as yet has only been potter
ing, and guessing ana experimenting. A
boy gets hold Of his fathers saw and ham
mer, and tries 70 make something, but 1t Is
q poor affair that he makes. The father
comes and takes the same saw and hammer,
and builds the house or the ship. IN the
childhood Of our Christian faith, we make
but poor work with these weapons OF
prayer, but when we come to the stature OF
men n Christ Jesus, then, under these I'M
plements, the temple OF God will rise, and
the worlds redemption will be launched.
God cares not for the leagth of our prayers,
or the number of our prayers, or the beauty
of our prayers, or the place Of our prayers; /;
but it is the faith IN them that tells Be-
Eevirg prayer scars higher than the lark
ever sang; plupges deeper than diving bell
ever sank; darts quicker than lightning ever
flashed. Though we have used only the back
OF this weapon instead Of the edge, what
marvels have been wrought! If saved we
are all the captives Of some earnest prayer
Would God that, IN desire for the rescue OF
souls, we might in prayer lay hold OF the
resources Of the Lord Omnipotent.
We may turn many to righ teousness by
Christian admonition. Do not wait until
YOU can make formal speech. Address the
one next to you. You will not so home alone
to-day. Between this and your place OF stop
ping you may decide the eternal destiny OF
an immortal spirit. Just one sentence may
do the work Just one question. Just one
look. The formal talk that begins with
sigh and ends with caating shuttle IS not
what is wanted, but the heartthrob OF man
in dead earnest. There is not a soul on earth
that you may not bring to God II you rightly
go at it. They said Gibraltar could not be
taken. Itisa rook sixteen hundred feet high
and three miles long. But the English and
Dutch did take it. Artillery and sappers and
miners and fleets pouring out voileys OF
death, and thousands Of men, reckless OF
danger, can DO any thing. The stoutest heart
of sin, though it be rock, and surrounded by
an ocean Of tranSgreSs;ou, under Christian
boubardment may be made to hoist the flag
Of redemption.
But is all this admonition, and prayer
and Christian work for nothing? Ny text
promises to all the faithful eternal luster.
ssThey that turn many to Righteousness shall
shine as the stars forever"
As stars, the redeemed have boSEoVTcd
light. What makes Mars, and Venus, ana
jupiter so luminous? When the sun throws
down his torch IN the heavens, the stars
pick up the scattered brands, and hold them
in procession as the queen Of the night ad-
vaoces; so all Christian workers, standing
around the throne, viii shine in the light
borrowed from the Sun Of Righteousness
Jesus in their faces. Jesus in their songs,
Jesus in their tsiun ph. Christ left
Heaven once for tour of redemption on
earth, yet the glorided ones knew He
would come back again. But let Him alb
dicate His throne, and go away to stay for
ever, the music would stop; the congregation
6isperse; the temples Of God be 6arkened;
the river Of light stagnate; and every
chariot would become q hearse, and every
bell would toll. and there would 2ot be room
on the hillsides to bury the dead OF the
great metropolis, for there would be pesti-
lence in heaven But Jesus Christ lives, and
so all the redeemed live with Him He
shall recognize them as HIS comrades IN
earthly toll, and remember what they did
for the honor Of His name and
the spread Of His kingdom. AL their
prayers, and tears, and work will rise be-
fore Him as He looks iuto their faces, and
He will divide His Kingdom with them; His
peace-their peace; His hoitness-their
holiness; His ioy-ther Joy. The glory OF
Of the central throne reflected from the sur
rounding thrones, the last spot Of sin
struck from the Christian orb, and the en-
tire nature a-teszSle and a-fash with light,
they shall shiae, = the stars forever ana
ever.
Again: Christian workers shall be like
the stars in the fact that they have light
independent Of each other. Look up at the
night and see each world show its distinct
glory. It is not like the conhagration IN
which you can not tell where one dane
stops. and another begins. Neptune, Her
schel and Mercury are as distisct as II each
one Of them were the only star; so our In
dividuahsm will not be lost in Heaven. a
great multitude-yet each one as ooserva-
Bile, as distinctly recognized, as greatly cele-
brated, as if in all the space, from gate to
gate, and from hill to hill, he-were the only
;nhabitant-no mixing up, no mob, no indls-
crininate rush; each Christian worker
standing out ilustrious; all the story Of
earthly achievements-adhering to each one;
his self-denials, and pains, and services, and
victories published. Before men went
out to the last war, the orators
told them that they would all be re-
msnbered by their country and their
names be commemorate in poetry and in
song, but go to the graveyard in Richmond,
and you VIII find there 5000 graves, over
each one of which is the inscription, ~ D.
known" The world does not remember its
heroes, but there will be no unrecognized
Christian workers in Heaven. Each one
known by all; grandly known; known by
aeclamatiep; all the past story Of work for
God cleaning in cheek, AID brow, and foot,
and palm They shall shine with as distinct
light as the stars, forever and ever.
Again: Christian Workers shall shine like
ras stGrs fn clusters. In looking up, you
find the worlds in family circles. Brothers
and sisters-they take hold of each Others
hands and dance in groups. The solar sys-
tenn is only company Of children, with
bright faces, gathered around one great FIRE.
place. The worlds do not straggle off. They
80 in souadrons and fleets, sailing through
immensity.
So Christian workers in Heaven VIII dwell
IN neighborhoods and clusters. I an sure
that some people will Ike IN Heaven a
great deal better than others. Yonder is a
constellation of stately Christians. They
lived on earth by rigid rule. They never
laughed. They walked every hour anxious
lest they should lose their dignity. But
they loved God, and yonder they shine in
brilliant constellation. Yet shall not long
to get into tha; particular group. Eonder
is constellation Of smallhearted Chris
tians-asteroi6s in the eternal astronomy.
While some souls go up from Christian
battle, and blaze like Mars, these aster-
oids dart feeble ray ike Vesta. Yonder
is a constellation Of martyrs, Of apos-
ties, Of patriarchs. Our souls, as they