The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-11-16
not until We break ranks after the last vic

or combat at any rate Oy cQaQSlng, Oy go.
| ing on, by making advancement trading
| have quit long ago, going on toward high
er state Of Christian character, and routing
out sins that we have never thought OF yet.
The fact is, IL the church of God.
If we, as individuals made rapid advance
ment in the Christian life, these stereotyped
prayerswe have been making for ten or fifteen
years would be as inappropriate to US as the
shoes, and the hats, and the coats We wore
ten or fifteen years ago. Oh, for higher
fight in the Christian lite-5hs stork and
the crane in their migration teaching us the
lesson!
Dear Lord, and aha we ever live.
At this poor dying rate
Our love 80 faint. so cold to Thee.
And Thine to us 80 great:
Again, remark that the birds Of the air
are wiser than we, because they know when
shout, 'tStop storks and cranes; don't bs in
a hurryw they would say: 'No, we canned
stop; last night we heard the roaring in
the woods bidding US away. and the shr1li
aute of the north wind has sounded the
retreat. We must 60. We must CO."
So they gather themselves into companies,
and turning not aside from storm or noun.
tain top or shock Of musketry, over land and
sea, straight as an arrow to the mark they
20. And if YOU come cut this nsrnfng with
a sack of corn an 1 throw it in the fields and
try to get them to stop. they are SO far up
thew would hardly see it. They are on their
way south You could not stop them.
Oh, that we were as wise about the best
time to start for God and heaveni We say:
await until it Is little later in the season
of mercy. Wait. until some Of these green
! leaves Of hope are all dried up and have
been scattered. Wait until next year.
owhiIo and n Ia
late, and we perish in the way when
Gods wrath is kindled but little. There
are. YOU know. exceptional cases where
birds have started too late. and In ths
morning you have found them dead on the
snow. Aud there are those who have per-
lshed half way between the world and
Christ. They waited until the last sick
on the express train going at forty miles an
hour, and they came to the bridge and the
''draw was up" and they went down, How
long to repent and pray? Two secondsi
Two secondsl To do the work OF a lifetime
and to prepare for the vast eternity in two
seconisl
was reading Of an entertainment given
In kings court, and there were musicians
there with elaborate pieces OF music.
After awhile Mozart came and began to
play, and he had blank piece Of paper be-
lore Nun, anu Ine kiuR l6mulnCy iooAeu
over his shoulder and said: Nv hat are you
playings I see no music before you"
And Mozart put his hand on his brow, as
much as to say, "l am improvising." It
was very we'll for him, but oh, my friends,
we cannot extemporizs heavenl II we do
not get prepared in this world, we Vii
never take part in the orchestral harmonies
Of the saved. Oh, that we were as wise as
the crane and the stork, flying away, flying
H.
Some Of you have felt the pinching frost
Of sin. You feel it to-day. You are not
happy. l look into your faces, and I know
you are not happy. There are voices within
your soul that will not be silenced, telling
you that you are sinners, and that without
the pardon Of God you are undone forever.
What are you going to do, my friends, with
timer Will you stand still and let the ava
lanche tumble over you? Oh, that you
would go away into the warm heart Of Gods
mercyl The southern grove, redolent with
magnolia and cactus, never waited Tor
northern focks as God has waited for you,
saying: II have loved thee with an ever
lasting love. Come unto Ne. all ye who
are weary and heavy laden, and Will give
you rest"
Another frost is bidding you away-it is
the frost Of sorrow. Where do you live noxf
"Oh," you say, II have moved" Why did
YOU mover You say, II don't want as
large house now as formerly" Why
do YOU not want as large a house! You
say. "My family is not so large"
Where have they gomez "To eternity,
Your mind goes back through that LAST
sickness, and through the almost super
natural effort to save life, and through those
that kiss which received no response because
the lips were ifeless, and I hear the bells
tolling and hear the hearts breaking-whtle
speak hear them break. A heartl An
other heart! Alone. alone, alone!
This world, which in your girlhood and
boyhood was sunshine. is cold now, and on,
weary dove, you fly around this world as
though you would like to stay, when the
wind, and the frost, and the blackenlng
clouds would bid YOU away into the heart
OF an all comforting Godl Oh. have no
ticed again and again what botch this
world makes of it when it tries to comfort
soul in trouble! It says, "Oon't cry" DO"
can wa help crying waen the hearts treas.
ures are scattered, and father Is gone, and
mother is gone AMI companions are gone,
and the child is gone, AMI everything seems
gone?
The world comes up and says ''Oh. it Is
only the body OF your lovsd one that you
have put in the ground" But there 10 no
comfort in that. That boiy is precious.
Shall we never put our hands In that hand
AGAIN. and shall we never see that sweet
facs again. Away With your heartless.
ness, Oh, world! But come, Jesus, and tell
us that when tho tears fall they fall into
Gods bottle; that the dear bodies OF our
loved ones shall rise radiant iu the resurrec,
tion, and all the breakings down here shall
be lifted uo there, and ''they shall hunger
M mora naither thirst no more neither
shall the sun light on them, nor any heat,
tor the Lamb which is in the midst OF the
throne shall lead them to living fountains
of water, and God shall wipe all tears from
their eyes,"
You may have noticed that when the
chaffincb, or the stork, or the crane starts
on its migration it calls all those OF its kind
to come too. The tree tops ale full OF chlrp
and whistle and carol and the long roll call.
The bird does not start of alone. 1t gathers
all of its kind. Oh, that you might be as wise
in this migration to heaven and that you
might gather all your families and your
friends with you'll I would that Hannah
might take Samuel by the hand, and Abra.
ham might take Isaac, and Hagar might
take Ishmael.
Start for heaven yourself and take your
children with you. Come thou and all thy
house into the ark Tell your little ones that
there are realms of balm and sweetness for
all those who fly in the right direction
Switter than eagles stroke put e,,l out otoI tor
heaven. Like the crane or the stork, stop
not night nor day until you find the right
place for stopping.
To-day the Saviour calls.
Ye wanderers come.
Oh, ye bentghted souls.
Why longer rosm:
Tho Snirit call. to-day