The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-21


can 90 off on a journey, and be gone
weeks and months, and come back and see
his home untouched of incendiary, and
have his family on the step TO greet him,
II by telegram he has foretold the moment
OF his coming But there are Amalekit-
ish disasters, and there are Amalektish
diseases, that sometimes come down upon
ones home, making as devastating work
us the day when Ziklag took fire. There
are families in my congregation whose
homes have been broken up. No batter
ingram smote in the door, no iconoclast
crumbled the statues, no flames leaped
amidst the curtains; but so far as all the
Joy and merriment that once belonged to
that house are concerned, the home has
departed. Armed diseases came down
upon the quietness of the scene scarlet
levers, or pleurises, or consumptions, or
underlined disorders came and seized upon
some member OF that family, and carried
them away. Ziklag in ashes! And you
go about, sometimes weeping and some
times enraged, wanting TO get back your
loved ones as much as David and his men
wanted TO reconstruct their dcspoled
households. Ziklag in ashes Some of
you went off from home. You counted
the days Of your absence. Every day
seemed as long us a week. Oh, how glad
you were when the time came for YOU TO
go aboard the steamboat or railcar and
start for home. You arrived. You went
up the street where your dwelling was,
and in the night you put your hand on the
door bell, and, behold, it was wrapped in
the signal OF bereavement, and you found
that Amalekitish Death which has de-
yastated thousand other households, had
blasted yours. You 90 about weeping
amidst the desolation of your once happy
home, thinking OF the bright eyes closed,
and the noble hearts stopped, and the
gentle hands folded, and you weep until
you have no more power to weep. Ziklag
in ashes!
A gentleman went TO friend Of mine in
the city OF Washington, and asked that
through him he might get Consuship 10
some foreign port. My friend said to him:
What do you want TO 20 away from your
beautiful home for, into foreign port2"
"Ob, he replied, "my home is gone. MY
six children are dead. | must get away,
sir. | can't stand IL in this country any
longer" Ziklagin ashes
Why these long shadows OF bereavement
across this audience2 Why is il that in
almost every assemblage black is the pre-
dominant color OF the apparel? Is ii be-
cause you do not like saffron or brown or
violet? oh, no. You say: "The world IL
not so bright TO us Rs Il once was" and
there Is story Of silent voices, and Of
still feet, and OF loved ones gone, and
when YOU look over the hills expecting
only beauty and loyeliness YOU find only
devastation and voc. Ziklag in ashes.
In Ulster County, n. V, the village
church was decorated until the fragrance
OF the flowers was almost bewildcring.
The maidens Of the village had empticd
the place OF flowers upon one marriage al
tar. One of their own number was ai-
iianced TO a minister OF Christ. who had
come to AXE her 10 his home With hands
joined, amidst a congratulaiory audience,
the VOWS were taken. In three days from
that time one OF those who stood ut the
altar exchanged earth for heaven. The
wedding march broke down into the fu-
neral dirgc. There were not enough flowers
now for the cotiin.lid, because they had
all been taken for the bridal hour The
dead minister Of Christ is brought 20 an-
other village. lie had gone out from them
less than n week before In his strength:
now lac comes home liiclcss The whole
church bowaiod him. The solemn pro.
ccssion moved around 10 look upon the
still face that once had bcamed with mes.
sagcs Of salvation. Little children were
lifted up 10 look at him. And some OF
those whom he had comiortcd in DAYS Of
sorrow, when they passed that silent form,
made the place dreadful with their weep
ing. Another village empticd Of lie low
en-some Of them put In the shape Of n
cross 10 symbolic his hope; others put In
the shape Of n crown 10 symbolic his tri-
umph. A hundred lights blown out In
one strong gust from the open door Of a
sepulcher. Ziklag in ashcsl
preach this sermon today because
want 10 rally YOU, NJ David rallied his
men. for the recovery OF the loved and
the lost. | want not only 10 win heaven,
but ! want all this congregation 10 20 along
with me. feel that somehow have a
responsibility In your arriving At that great
! city. have, ON other Sabbaths, used
/ other Inducements. ! mean. today, for
| the sake Of variety. hoping TO reach your
heart, 10 try another kind Of induccment
| DO you really want 10 join the companion
| ship OF your loved ones who have gomez
Are you ~ anxious 10 join them M David
! and bis men were 10 join their iamilics2
| Then | anu here, In the name OF God, 10
say that YOU may, and 10 tell you how.
| remark. In the iint place, II you want
/ 30 Join your loved ones In glory, you must
| travel the same way they went No sooner
had the hali.dead Egyptian been rcsusci.
tatcd than he pointed the way the capion
and the captiyos had gone. and David aud
| his men followed after 20 our Christian
! friends have gone into another country.
and II We want 90 reach their companion.
! ship We must take the same road. They
/ rcpcnted, We must repent They prayed;
We must pray. They trusted In Christ,
We must trust in Christ They lived a
| religious life. W. must live n religious life.
| They were In some things like ourselves.
know, nov that they are gone, there y
halo around their names, but they had
their iHulis. Thoy said aud did things
they ought never b. have said anl done
They were sometimes rcbcllIous, s0mc-
times cast down. They were lar from
being perfect. 80 | suppose that when We
have gone. some things Ia NJ that are nov
only tolcmblc may bc almost Respondent
but ~ they were like rs in deficiencies,
We ought 20 DO like them la taking
supcnal Christ iomakc up for the deficits.
Had II not been for Jesus they would
have all persisted. but Christ confronted
them, and said! II am the way" and
they took Il.
have also 10 say 10 you that tho path
that these captivcs tr0d was q troubled
path, aud that David aud his men had to
90 over the same difficult way. While
these captiycs were being taken on thoy
said. oh We are so tired We are 80 sick;