The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-02-12


seems to be enlarging. Spain has had to give
up much Of its dominion. Austria has been
wonderfully depleted in power. France had
to surrender some of her favorite provinces.
Most of the thrones Of the world are being
lowered, and most of the sceptres Of the world
are being shortened; but every Bible printed,
every tract GsrrT3ute1, every ySunday-school
class taught every school founded, every
church established is extending, the power
of Christ's name. That name has already
been spoken under the Chinese wall, and in
Siberian snow castle, in brazilian grove and
in eastern pagoda. That name is to swallow
up all other names. That crown is to
cover up all other crowns. That empire is to
absorb all other Nominations
ALI crimes shall cease. and ancient frauds shall
fail,
Returning Justice lift aloft her scale;
Peace Ger the world her olive wand extend.
And white robed innocence from heaven descend.
Still further: it is an enduring name. You
Chamber over the fence Of the graveyard and
pull away the weeds, and you see the faded
inscription on the tombstone. That was the
name Of q man who once ruled all that
town. The mightiest names of the world
have either perished or are perlshlng;;
Gregory VI, Sancho Of Spain, Conrad
land, Louis XVI. Of France, Catnarine of
Russia-mighty names once, that made the
world tremble; but now, none so poor as 10
do them reverence, and to the great mass OF
the people they mean absolutely nothing;
thew never heard Of them. But the name OF
Christ is to endure forever. 1t will be per-
petuated in art, for there will be other Bel
linis to depict the Madonna; there will be
other Ghirlandjos to represent Chrisps bap
tism; there will be other Bronzinos to show
us Christ visiting the spirits in prison; other
.ok4 b. ,,<.l4 h.
ion. The name will be preserved in song, for
there will be other Alexander Popes to write
tbe Messiah" other DR.. Youngs to portray
His triumph, other Cowpers to sing His love.
1t will be preserved in costly and magnificent
architecture, for Professionalism as we'll as
Catholicism is yet to have its st. Marks and
it's St. Peters. That name will be preserved
in the literature Of the world, for already it
is embalmed in the best books, aud there will
be other DR.. Paleys to write tho Evidences
of Christianity" and other Richard Baxter;
to describe the Saviour's coming to judg.
ment But above all, and more than ALL that
name will be embalmed in the memory of all
the good Of earth and all the great ones of
heaven. Will the delivered bondman of
earth ever forget who freed him? Will the
blind man of earth forget who gave him
sight? Will the outcast Of earth forget who
brought him home? Mol No!
To destroy the memory of that name OF
Christ, you would have to burn up all the
Bibles and all the churches on earth, and then
in spirit of universal arson 60 through the
gate of heaven, and put torch to the temples
aud the towers and the palaces, and after all
that city was wrapped in awful confagration,
and the citizens came out and gazed on the
ruin-even then, they would hear that name
in the thunder Of falling tower and the crash
Of crumbling wall, and see it inwrought in
the flying banners of fame and the redeemed
Of the Lord on high would be happy yet and
cry out: "Let the palaces and the temples
burn, we have Jesus leftp BLESSED be His
glorious name for ever and ever. The name
thatis above every name."
Have you ever made up your mind by what
name you will call Christ when you meet Him
in heaven? You know He has many names.
Will you call Him Jesus, or the Amounted
One, or the Messiah, or will you take some Of
jhe symbolical names which on earth you
earned from your Bible?
Wandering some day in the garden of God
on high, the place a.bloom with eternal SPRING
tide, infinite luxuriance Of rose, and lily, and
amaranth, you may look UP into His face and
say: "My Lord, Thou art the rose Of Sharon
and the lily Of the valley"
Some day, as soul comes up from earth
to take its place in the frmament, and shine
rs star for ever and ever, and the lustre OF
useful life shall beam forth tremulous and
beautiful, you may look up into the face OF
Christ and say: "My Lord, Thou art a brighter
star-the morning star-a star forever"
Wandering some day amid the fountains
Of life that toss in the sunlight and fall III
crash Of peal and amethyst in golden and
crystalline urn, and you wander up the round
on the rock, and out Of the chalices Of love
you drink to honor and everlasting joy, you
may look up into the face of Christ and say:
''My Lord, Thou art the fountain Of living
water"
Some day, wandering amid the lambs and
sheep in the heavenly pastures, feeding by
the rock, rejoicing in the presence CT Him
who brought you out Of the wolfsh wilder
ness to the sheepfold above, you may look up
into His loving and watchful eye and say:
'My Lord, Thou art the shepherd of the
everlasting hills"
But there is another name you may select.
will imagine that heaven is done. Every
throne has its King. Every harp has its
harper. Heaven has gathered up everything
that is worth having. The treasures of the
whole universe have poured into it. The song
FULL The ranks full. The mansions full.
Heaven full. The sun shall set aflre with
splendor the domes of the temples, and burn
ish the golden streets into blaze and be re-
gates and it shall be noon in heaven, noon on
the river, noon on the hills, noon in all the
valleys-high noon. Then the soul may look
I'D, gradually accustoming itself to the vision,
| shading the eyes as from the almost insuffera-
| BILE splendor Of the monday light, until the
vision can endure it, then crying out: Thou
art the sun that never setsw
At this point I am staggered with the
thought that notwithstanding all the charm
| in the name Of Jesus, and the fact that it is
so easy a name, and so beautiful name, and
so potent name and so enduring a name,
there are people who find no charm in those
two syllables. o come this day and see
whether thore is anything in Jesus. I chal-
| lenge those of you who are farther from God
to come at the close of this service and test
with me whether God is good, and Christ is
gracious. and the Holy Spirit is omnipotent.
| [ challenge you to come and kneel down with
me at the altar Of mercy. will kneel on
one side of the altar and you kneel on the
other side Of it, and neither Of us will raise
up until our sins are forgiven, and we
| the name Of Jesus-you pronounclng 1t, l
pronouncing 1.-THE name that is above
every name. ----
His worth IL all the nations knew.
Suie the whole earth would love Him too
O that God to-day, by the power OF His
holy spirit would roll over you q vision OF
that blessed Christ, and you would begin to
weep and pray and believe and rejoice. You
have heard OF the warrior who went out to
fight against Christ. He knew he was in the
wrong, and while waging the war against the
kingdom of Christ, an arrow struck him and
he fell. 1t pierced him in the heart, and ly,
ing there, his face to the sun, his life blood
running away, he caught a handful OF the
blood that was rushing out in his right hand,
and held it up before the SUI and cried out:
20 Jesus, Thou hast conqueredl And if to-
day the arrow of Gods spirit piercing your