The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-01

We make an awful mistake If we calculate
only on the forces we can see. The
mightiest army is In the air. MY kreth-
ern, 50 much Of seldshness and pride
and rivalry and bad motives of all kinds get
into our work here that we are hindered.
But tho mighty souls that have gone up to
the flying armies Of the sky have left all
imperfection behind; and these souls are
with us and without fault and with per-
feet natures are on our side. You cannot
make me believe that after toihng
here for long years for the redemp-
ton Of the world until from exhaustion some
of them fell into their graves they have ceased
their interest in the stupendous conflict now
raging, or that they are going to decline their
but now glorifed in heaven, have you forgot
ten the work toward which you gave for more
than half a century your gracious life, your
loving voice and your matchless pen? No!
Then come down and help. Alexander Duff!
Have you forgotten the millions Of India for
whose salvation you suffered in Hindoo jun
gle and thundered on missionary platform?
No! Then come down and help David Brain
ardl Have you forgotten the aborigines to
whom you preached and for whom you
prayed until you could preach and pray no
more, lying down delirious amid the miasmas
of the swamp? Mol Then come down and
help Moncrieff and Freeman and Campbell!
Have you forgotten Lucknow and Gavin
pore? No! Then come down and help. l
rub out Of my eyes the stupidity and unbe-
lief, and I, the servant Of these great Ehshas
in the Gospel, see the mountains all round
about are full of horses Of fire and chariots Of
fire; and they head this way. lowered over
are we by great clouds of witnesses and help
ers Clouds of apostles in tho air led
on by PAUL. Clouds of martyrs in the air led
on by Stephen! Clouds of prophets in the
air led on by Isaiah! Clouds of patriarchs in
the air led on by Abraham! Clouds Of an
cient warriors in the air led on by Joshua,
and that Bible warriorat whose prayers ss-
tronomy once halted over Ajalon and Gideon
seems now to lift one hand toward the descend
ing sun of this century, and the other hand
toward the moon Of the last decade, saying:
"Stand thou still till the church of God gets
the final victory!"
Then let us take what remains Of this de-
cade to get ready for the final decade Of the
Nineteenth century. You and l may not
live to see that decade or may not live to see
its close, but that shall not hinder me from
declaring the magnificent possibility. con-
fess that the mistake Of my life has been, not
that I did not work hard-for I could not
have worked harder and lived, as God
knows and my family know-but that have
not worked under the realization that the sal
walton of this world was nearby possibility.
But whether we see it, the beginning or the
closing Of that decade, is of no Importance,
If only that decade can get the coronation,
and then all decades shall kneel before
this enthroned decade, and even the
gray grown centuries will cast their
crowns before it and 1t will be the most hon
ored decade between the time when the
morning stars sang together as the hbretto
Of worlds was opened and the time when the
mighty angel robed in cloud and garlanded
in rainbow, shall, with one foot on the sea
and the other on the land, swear by Him that
liveth forever and ever, that time shall beno
longer. Alleluia! Amen!