The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-11

ones to invite those who have failed in busi-
ness Those VINO have lost their health and
been console1 by religion ara the ones to in.
vite those who are in poor health. Those
who have had berea7ements and besn con-
soled in those bereavements are the ones to
sympathizs with those who have lost father
or mother or companion or child or friend
What multitudes OF US are alive to-day, and
in good health, and buoyant in this life, who
would have been broken down or dead long
ago but for the sustaining and cheering help
Of cur holy religionl So we say "ComeI"
The we'll is not drv. The buckets are not
empty. The supply Is not exhausted. There
Is just as much mercy and coincidence and
soothing power in God as before the first
grave was dug, or thu first tear started, OF
the first heart broken, or the first accident
Those Of us who have felt tho consolatory
power Of religion have right to speak out
Of our own experiences, and say Gomez
What dismal work Of coincidence the
world makes when it attempts to condole!
The plaster they spread does not stick. The
broken bones under their bandage do not
knit. A farmar was lost in the snow storm
on prairie Of the far West. Night coming
on, and after he was almost frantic from not
knowing which way to go, bis sleigh strucs
rut Of another sleigh, and he said, II will
follow this rut, and 1t will take me out to
safety" He fastened on until he heard the
bells of the preceding horses, but, coming up,
he found that that man Was also lost, and, al
Is rne tendency or those VINO are thus con
fused in the forest or on the moors, they
were both moving in circle and the runner
Of the one lost sleigh was following the rum
ner Of the other lost sleigh round and round
At last 1t occurred to them to look at the
north star, which was peeping through the
night, and by the direction of that star they
got home again. Those who follow the adj
vice Of this world in time Of perple2ity are
in fearful round; for it is one bewildered
soul following another bewildered soul, and
only those who have in such time got their
eye on the morning star Of our Christian
faith can find their way out, or be strong
enough to lead others with an all persuasive
invitation.
"But," says some one. 'syou Christian peo-
pie keep telling usto Come yet you do not
tell lis how to come" That charge shall not
be true on this occasion. Come be.ievingl
Come repentingl Come prayingI After all
that God has been doin- for SIX thousand
years, sometimes through patriarchs and
sonsLlmes tnrougn propdeSS and at last
through the elimination Of all tragedies on
Golgotha, can any one think that God will
not welcome your coming? Will father at =.
vast outlay construct mansion for his son,
and lay out parks white with statues, and
green with foliage, and all a-sparkle with
fountains, and then not allow his son to live
in the house or walk in the parksi Has God
built this house Of Gospel mercy and will He
then refuse entrance to His children? Will a
Government at great expense build life saw
ing stations all along the coast and boats that
can hover unhurt like petrol over the wild
est surge, and then when the lifeboat has
reached the wreck Of ship in the offing not
q n n tha or fox
the boat for the shore in safety? Shall God
provide at the cost of His only Sons asSas-
sination escape for sinking world, and then
turn deaf ear to the cry that comes up from
the breakers?
But" you say, 'there are so many things
I have to believe, and so llany things in the
shape of creed that have to adopt that I
am kept back" No no! You need believe
but two things-namely, that Jesus Christ
you are one Of them. But" you say, II do
believe both Of those thingsp Do you really
believe them with all your heart? YES"
Why, then, you have passed from death into
life. Why, then, you are son or daughter
of the Lord Almighty. Why, then. you are
an heir or an heiress of an inheritance that
will declare dividends from now until long
after the stars are dead. Halelujah! Prince
Of God, why do you not come and take your
coronet? Princess Of the Lord Almighty,
why do you not mount your throne? Pass
up into the light. Your boat is anchored,
why do You not 60 ashore? Just plant your
feet hard down, and you will feel under them
the Rock of Ages.
challenge the universe for one instance in
which a man in the right spirit appealed for
tho salvation of the Gospel and did not get
it. Man alive! are you going to Let all the
years Of your life goaway with you without
your having this great peace, this glorious
hope, this bright expectancy? Are you 60
ing to let the pearl Of great prics lie in the
dust at your feet because you are too indo-
up? Will you wear the chain OF evil hatit
when near by you is the hammer that could
with one stroke snap the shackle? VIII you
stay in the prison OF sin when here is Cos
pei key that could unlock your incarcera-
ton? No. no. As the one word Come"
has sometimes brought many souls to Christ,
I will try the experiment of pilling up into
mountain and then sending down IN an avail
anche of power many Of these Gospel
Comes" Come thou and all thy house
into the ark" Come unto Me all ye who
labor and are heavy laden and will give you
rest;" "Come for all things are now ready"
"The Spirit and the Bride say Come and
and let him that heareth say Come and let
him that is athirst come"
The stroke of one bell in tower may be
sweet, but a score of bells we'll tuned, and
rightly lifted, and skillfuly swung in one
great chime fill the heavens with music
almost celestial. And no one who has heard
the mighty chimes in the towers Of Amster-
dam or Ghent or Copenhagen can forget
them. Now, it seems to me that in this
Sabbath hour all heaven is Ginning, and the
voices Of departed friends and kindred ring
iown the sky Saying "Comer' The angels
who never fell, bending from sapphire
thrones, are chanting Gomez Yea, al the
towers Of heaven. tower of martyrs, tower
IF prophets, tower of Apostles tower Of evan
yelists, tower of the temple Of the Lord God
and ths Lamb are Ginning. "Come! Come"
Pardon for all, and peace for all, and heaven
,or all who will come.
When Russia was in one Of her great wars
the suffering OF the soldiers had been long
md bitter, and they were waiting for the
end of the strife.
One day a messenger in great excitement
ran among the tents Of the army shouting
"Peacel Peacem The sentinel on guard
asked, "Who says peace?" And the sick
soldier turned on his hosrital mattress and
asked, Who says peace?' and all up and
down the ancamJment of the Russians weat
the question, "Who says peace?" Then the
messenger responded, The Car says,
neace." That was enough That meant
going home. That meant the war was over.
No more wounds and no mora long marches.
So to-day, as one of the Lords messengers
move through these great encampnents OF
souls and cry: Peace between earth and
heaven! Peace between God and man!
Peace between your repenting soul and
pardoning Lorir' If you ask me. "Who
saws peaceY' answer, "Christ our King de.
clares it," MY peace I give unto you"
''Peace of God that passeth oil understand
ing" Everlasting peacel
~, p,1-cu or tho Illinois State