The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-06-24

y
tions were made for her reception. The
vessel in which she sailed was far ont at
sea. but every hill in Scotland was illum-
ined with bonlires and torches. The
night was set on fire with artificial lllunl-
nation. The queen. standing on ships
deck. knew from that that Scotland was
full of heartiest welcome, and the thun-
der Of the great guns at Glasgow and
Edinburgh castle woke up all the echoes.
Boom! they sounded out over the sea.
Boom! they sounded up among the hills.
DO YOU know that think that our king
would land if we were only ready to re-
ceive him: Why not call to him from all
our churches; from all our hospitals, from
all our homes? Why not ali at once light
all the torches of Gospel invitation?
Why not ring all the bells of welcome:
Why not light up the long night Of the
worlds SID and suffering with bonfires Of
victory? Why not unlimber all the Cos
pei batteries and let them boom across
the earth. and boom into the partin-
heavens. The King is ready to land if
we are ready to receive him. Why can
not we who are now living see his de-
scent? Must it all be postponed to later
ages: Has not our poor world groan ed
long enough in mortal agonies? Have
there not been martyrs enough, andhaye
not the lakes Of tears and the rivers of
blood been deep enough? Why cannot
the final glory roll in now? Why can
not this dying century feel the incoming
tides OF the oceans Of heavenly mercy?
Must our eyes close in death and our
ears take on the deafness of the tomb,
and these hearts beat their last throb
before the day come IN? o Christ!
Why tarrlest thou? Wilt thou not, be-
fore we go the way of all the earth, let
US see the scared feet under some noon
day cloud coming this way? Before we
die let US behold thy hands that were
spiked, spread out in benediction FOR
lost race. And why not let US, with
out mortal ears, hear that voice which
spoke peace as thou didst 60 up speak
pardon and emancipation and love and
holiness and Joy to all nations as thou
contest down?
But the skies do not part. l hear no
rumbling of chariot wheels coming down
over the sapphire. There is no swoop
of wings. l see no flash of angelic ap-
pearances. All is still. I hear moth
ing but the tramp Of my own heart as
pause between these utterances. Tie
king does not land because the world is
not ready, and the church is not ready.
To clear the way for the Lords coming,
let US devote all our energies Of body,
mind and soul. A Russian general rid
ing over the battle field, his horse tread
ing amid the dying dead, wounded
soldier asked him for water, but the Of
ficer did not understand his language
and knew not what the poor fellow
wanted. Then the soldier cried out
"Christos," and that word meant SYM
pathy and help, and the Russian officer
dismounted and put to the lips Of the
sufferer cooling draught. Be that the
charmed word with which we go forth to
do our whole duty. In many languages
it has only little difference of termlna-
tion.. Christos! Its stands for sympa'
thy. 1t stands for help. It stands for
pardon. It stands for hope. 1t stands
for heaven. Christos! In that nam
we were baptized. In that name we
TOOK our first sacrament. That will be
the battle shout that will wln the whole
world for God! Christos! Put it on our
banners when we march! Put it on our
lips when we die! Put it in the funeral
psalm at obsequjes! Put it on the plain
slab over our grave? Christos! Bless.
ed be his glorious name forever! Amen!