The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-20

boats and the very last man got on the rocks
in safety, you could not control your Joy.
And it Is glad time when the Church OF
God sees men who are tossed on the ocean OF
their sins plant their feet on the rock Christ
Jesus.
Oh, when prodigals come home just hear
those Christians sing. just hear those Chris
tians pray. 1t is not stereotyped suppllca-
tion we have heard over and over again Tor
twenty years. but putting of the case IN
the hands of God with an importunate plead
ing. No long prayers. Men never pray at
great length unless they have nothing to
say and their hearts are hard and cold. All
the prayers in the Bible that were answered
were short prayers: God be mercllu! 70 me
sinner" Lord, that l may receive my
sight" "Lord, save me or l perish" The
longest prayer, Solomon's prayer at the
dedication of the Temple, less than eight
minutes in length, according to the ordinary
rate of enumeration. ,
And just hear them pray now that the
prodigals are coming home. just see tnem
shake hands. No putting forth of the four
hearty grasp, where the muscles OF the hears
seem to clench the fingers Of one hand around
the other. And then see those Chrlstlan
faces, how illuminOd they are. And see that
old man get up and with the same voice that
he sang fifty years ago in the old country
meeting-ho say: "Now, Lord, lettest Ihou
Thy servant depart in peace, Tor mine eyes
of Keith who was hurled into prison in time
of persecution, and one day he got or nj
shackles and he came and stood by the prison
door, and when the jailer was opening the
door, with one stroke he struck down tne
man who had incarcerated him. Passing
where his family was. He did not dare
to ask lest he excite suspicion, but,
passing along a little way from tho
prison. he saw a Keith tankard, cup that
belonged to the family from generation 90
generation-he saw it in window his
family. hoping that some day ne would get
clear, came and lived as near as they could
to the prison house, and they set that keltn
tankard in the window, hoping he would see
it.; and he came along and saw 1t, anu
knocked at the door, and went III,
and the long.absent family were all
toyether again. Oh, il you would start
for the kingdom of God to-day, I think some
Of you would find nearly all your friends ard
and nearly all your families around the holy
tankard of the holy communlon-fath
mothers, brothers, sisters around that sacred
tankard which commemorates the love OF
Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, it will be great
communion day when your whole family sits
around the sacred tankard. One on earth,
one in heaven.
Y. Once more I remork, that when the
prodigal gets back the inhabitants OF heaven
keep festival. I am very certain of it.
If YOU have never seen telegraphic
chart. YOU have no idea how many cities are
connected together and how many lands.
Nearly all the neighborhoods Of the earth
seem articulated, and news flies from city to
city, and from continent to continent.
But more rapidly 60 the tidings from
earth to heaven, and when a ,prodigal
returns it is announced before the throne OF
God. And if these souls this morning should
enter the kingdom there would oe some one
in the heavenly kingdom to say: THAT mys
father" ''that's my mother" that's my
SON" that's my daughter ''that's my
friend" that the one used to pray for"
s'that's the one for whom I wept so many
tears" and one soul would say, "Hosanna"
and another soul would say, "Hallelu;ah"
.sPleased with the news the saints below
In scpgs their tongues employ;
Beyond the skies the tidings 20,
And heaven is filed with joy.
ssNor angels can their Joy contain,
But kindle with new fire.
The sinner lost is found, they sing,
And strike the sounding lyre."
At the BANQUET OF Lucullus sat Cicero the
orator. at the Macedonian festal sat Philip
the conoueror, at the Grecian banquet sat
Socrates the philosopher; but at our Fathers
table sit all the returned prodigals. more
than conquerors. The table is so wide its
leaves reach across seas and across lands.
Its guests are the redeemed Of earth and
the glorified of heaven. The ring OF
Gods forgiveness on every hand, the robe OF
Saviours righteousness adroop from every
shoulder. The wine that glows in the cups
is from the bowls Of ten thousand sacramenu.
Let ali The redeemed Of earth and all the
glorified of heaven rise, and with cleaning
chalice drink to the return of thousand
prodigals. Singl singl sing! "Worthy Is
the Lamb that was slain to receive blessing
and riches and honor and glory and power,
world without end"