The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-25

nCer OF my DOuy, anu every 1acuity ". ihJ
mind, and every expression Of my soul Is ex-
hausted. But we all have work to do. I
cannot do your work, nor can you do my
work. God points us out the places where
we are to serve, and yet are there no people
in this house who are thirty, forty, fifty and
sixty years Of age, and yet have not begun
the great work for which they were created?
With every worldly equipment, "One thing
! thou lackest."
Again. you lack the element Of personal
safety. Where are those people who as asso-
| cIated with you twenty years ago? Where
are those people that fifteen years ago used
| to cross South ferry or Fulton ferry with
YOU to New York; Walk down the street
where you were in business fifteen years ago
! and see how all the signs have changed ;:
Where are the people gone? How many Of
them are landed in eternity cannot say, but
many, many. I went to ths village Of my
boyhood. The houses were all changed.
| passed one house in which once resided man
who had lived an earnest, useful life, and he
| is in glory now. In the next house a miser
| lived. He devoured widows houses, and
| spent his whole life in trying to make the
world worse and worse. And he isgone-the
! GOOD man and the miser both gone to the
same place. All, did they 60 to the same
| place? 1t is an infinite absurdity to suppose
them both in the same place. II the mlser
had harp, what tune did he play on it?
Oh, my friends, commend you to this re-
ligion as the only personal safety When
you die. where are you going to? When we
leave all these scenes, upon what scenes will
we enter2 When we were on shipboard, and
we all felt that we must oil 60 to the bottom.
was I right in saying to one next me: "
wonder IL we will reach heaven II we do so
down to-night" Was I wise or unwise in
asking that question: tell you that man is
fool who never thinks Of the great future.
If you pay your money you take receipt:
II you buy land you record the deed: Why?
Because everything is so uncertain, you
want it down in black and white, you say.
For house and lot twenty-five feet front by
one hundred feet deep, all security; but for a
soul vast as eternity nothing, nothingl Id
some man or woman standing in some or
these aisles should drop down, where would
you 20 to? Which is your destiny9 Suppose
man is prepared for the future world. what
difference does it make to him whether ne
goes to his home to-day or goes into glory?
Only this difference-If he dies he is better
off. Where he had one Joy on earth ne G VIII
| have million in heaven. When he has
email sphere here he will have a grand
sphere there Perhaps it would cost you
sixty, or one hundred, or one hundred and
fifty dollars to have your physical life in
sured, and yet free of charge | offer you in
surance on your immortal life payable not
at your decease, but now and tomorrow and
every day and always.
NV hope in Christ is not so bright as many
Christians, know, but would not give 1t
up for the whole universe in one cash pay
ment if it were offered me. 1t has been so
much comfort to me in time OF trouble, i:
has been so much strength to me when have
been assailed. it has been so much rest to me
when I have been perple2ed, and it is around
my heart such an incasement Of satisfaction
and blessedness that can stand here before
God and say: Take away my health, take
away my life, take everything rather than
which have in Jesus Christ, my Lord.
must have this robe when the last chill
strikes through ME. must have this light
when all other lights 60 out in the blast that
comes up from the cold Jordan. l must
have this sword with which to fight my way
through all those foes on my way heaven
ward"
When was in London saw there the
wonderful armor OF Henry VIII. and Ed
ward ILL., And yet have to tell you that
| there is nothing in chain mail or brass plate
or gauntlet or halberd that makes man so
safe as the armor in which the Lord God
clothes His dear children. Oh. there is q
safety in religionl You will ride down all
your foes. Look ont for chat man who has
the strength of the Lord God with him. In
o,den times the horsemen used to ride into
battle with lifted lances, and the enemy hed
the field. The Lord on the white horse OF
victory and with lifted lances Of divine
strength rides into the battle, and down goes
the spiritual foe, while the victor shouts the
triumph through the Lord Jesus Christ As
matter of personal safety, my dear friends,
you must have this religion.
INV c,,hiact tn eaverQl classes OF
people before me- First, to that great null
titude of young people in this house. Some
of these Young men are in boarding houses
They have but few social advantages. They
think that no one cares for their souls.
MANY of them are on small salaries, and they
are cramped and bothered perpetually, and
sometimes their heart fails them. Young
man, tonight at your bedroom door on the
third floor you will hear knock. 1t will bs
friend, saying, 'Oh, young man, let Me come
In; will help thee. will comfort thee,
will deliver thee" Take the Bible out Of the
trunk if it has been hidden away. If you
have not the courage to lay it on the shelf
or table, take the Bible that was given to
YOU by some loved one, take it out OF tha
trunk and lay it down on the bottom of the
chair, then kneel down beside it, and re1d
and pray and pray and read until all your
disturbance is gone and you feel that peace
which neither earth nor hell can rob you Of
Thy fathers God thy mothers GOD. waits
for thee, o young man. Escape for thy
Iifem Escape nowl Zone thing thou lack
aetr'
But apply this subject to the agei.not
many here-not many in any assemblage.
People do not live to get old. That Is the
general rule. Here and there an aged man
in the house. tell you the truth. You have
lived long enough in this world to know that
it cannot satisfy an immortal nature. must
talk to YOU more reverentially than 90 10
these other people, while at the same time !
the weary step, Oh, mother bent down
under the ailments of life, has thy God ever
forsaken thee? Through all these years who
has been your hest friend? Seventy years OF
mercles! Seventy years of food and clothing!
oh, how many bright mornings! How many
glorious evening hours you have seen! On,
father, mother, God has been very good to
you Do you feel it? Some of you have
children and gran lchildren; the former
.cneered your young life, the latter twlne
your gray locks in their tiny fingers. Has
ialI the goodness that God has been making
pass before YOU produced no change in your
feelings, and must it be said OF you, not
withstandng all this, Zone thing thou
lac!lest?'
Oh, if you could only feel the hand of
Christ smoothing the cares OUT Of wrnSled
faces! On, if you could only feel tho warm
arm of Christ steadying your totteriny
steps! 1 lift my voice loud enough to break
through the deafness of the ear while cry
out. Zone thing thou iackest." 1t was al
importunate appeal a young man made in
prayer meeting when he rose up and said:
''Do pray for my old father. He is seventy
years of age, and he don't love Christ:
That father passed few more stops on in
life. and then he wentdown. He never gave