The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-26

because they cannot endure the techn1calihe9
and profound explanations of nothing, and
sermons about the 'eternal generation Of
the son." and the difference between SUBJ
lapsarianism and supra.lapsarianism, and
about who Melchisedec wasn't. There ought
to be as much difference between the modes
Of presenting truth nov and in olden time
as between lightning express rail train and
q canal boat.
Years ago went up to the door of fac
tory in New England. On the outside door
I saw the words mo admittance." went
in and came to another door over which were
the words, ''No admittance." or course l
went in, and came to the third door inscribed
with the words, mo admittance." Having
pins, beautiful pins, useful pins, and nothing
but pins. So over the outside door of many
of the churches has been practically written
tho words, mo admittance.n Some have
entered and have come to the inside door and
found the words. "No admittance." But
persisting, they have come inside and found
rs sounding out our little niceties Of belief
pointing out our little differences Of theologi-
cal misunderstanding pins!
But most distinguished was Bethel for that
famous dream which Jacob had, his head on
Q collection or stones. He had no trouble IN
this rocky region in finding rocky pillow.
There is hardly anything else but stone. Yet
the people Of those lands have way of draw
ing their outer garment up over their head
and face and such pillow I suppose Jacob
had under his head. The plural was used in
the Bible story, and you find it was not
pillow Of stone, but Of stones, I suppose, so
that If one proved to be of uneven surface he
would turn over in the night and take an
other stone, for with such hard bolster he
would often change in the night. Well that
night God built in Jacobs dream long,
splendid ladder, the feet of it on either side
it mortised i'll the sky. And bright immor.
tails came out from the castles Of amber and
gold and put their shining feet on the shining
rungs Of the ladder, and they kept coming
down and going up, a procession both ways.
I suppose they had wings, for the Bible
almost always reports them as having
wings but this was ladder on which they
used hands and feet to encourage all those
Of US who have no wings to climb, and en-
couraging US to believe that if we will nse
what we have God will provide way, and
furnish the ladder. Young man, do not
wait for wings. Those angels folded theirs
to show you wings are not necessary. Let
ali the people who have hard pi!lows-hard
for sickness, or hard for poverty, or hard for
persistence-know that hard pillow is the
landing place for angels. They seldom
descend to pillows Of eiderdown. They
seldom build dreams in the brain of the ons
who sleeps easy.
The greatest dream of all time was that of
st. John. with his head ON the rocks Of Pat
mos, and in that vision ne heard tle seven
trumpets sounded, and saw all the pomp OF
heaven in procession cherubic, seraphic,
archangelic. The next most memorable and
glorious dream was that Of John Bunyan,
his pillow the cold stone Of the floor Of Bed
ford jail, from which he saw the celestial
city. and so many entering it he cried outln
his dream, II wish myself among them"
The next most wonderful dream was that
Washington sleeping on the ground at val.
ley Forge, his head on white pillowcase or
snow, where he saw the vision Of nation
emancipated. Columbus slept on weaver.S
pillow, but rose on the ladder let down until
he could see anew hemisphere. Demosthenes
slept on cutters pillow, but on the ladder
let down arose to see the mighty assemblages
that were to be swayed by his oratory. Ark
wright slept on barber's pillow, but went
up the ladder till he could see all England
quake with the factories he set going. Aken-
side slept on butchers pillow, and took the
ladder up till he saw other generations helped
by his scholarship.
John Ashworth slept on poor mans pill
low, but LOOK Cne laQueF up untll US coulu
see his prayers and exertions bringing tnou-
sands Of the destitute in England to salvation
and heaven. Nearly all those who are to-
day great in merchandise, in craftsmanship
in law. in medicine, in art. in literature, vera
once at the foot of the ladder, and In their
boyhood had pillow hard as Jacobs. They
who are born at the top Of the ladder are apt
to spend their lives in coming down, while
those who are at the foot, and their head on
a bowlder, if they have the right kind or
dream, are almost sure to rise.
notice that those angels, either in COM
ing down or going up on Jacobs ladder.
took it rung by rung. They did not leap to
the bottom nor jump to the top. So you are
to rise. Faith aided to faith, good deed to
good deed. industry to industry, conse-
Grafton to conservation, until you reach
the top, rung by rung. Gradual going up
from q block of granite to pillar of throne
That night at Bethel I stood in front OF my
tent and looked up, and the heavens were
full of ladders, first aladder of Clouds then
O ladder of stars, and all up and down the
heavens were angels Of beauty, angels OF
consolation, angels Of God, ascending and
descending. "Surely, God is in this place"
said Jacob ''and I knew it not" But to-
night God is in this place and know it.