The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-06-15

Let me get out Of the wagon and open the
! gate while you drive through. Here is the
arbor under which those boys and girls many
years ago used to play. But it IL quite
out Of order now. for the property is
in other hands. Yonder Is the orchard
where they used to thrash the trees for
apples, sometimes before they were quite
ripe. There is NOW where they hunted for
eggs before Easter. There is the doorsill
| upon which they used to sit. There is the
room In which they had family prayers and
where they all knelt-the father there, the
mother there and the boys and girls there.
We have got to the fountain of pious and
gracious influences at last. That Is the place
that decided those seven earthly and i'm
aom sa1 more s1s 5nan tneir fatnsrs viii let them en-
be. Girls are seldom more than their mothers
will let them be. But there come times when
it seems that parents cannot control their
children. There come times in boys life
when he thinks he knows more than his
father does, and remember now that I
knew more at fifteen years of age than I
have ever known since.
There come times in girls life when she
thinks her mother is notional and does not
understand what is proper and best, aud the
sweet child says, "Oh, pshawr and she longs
for the time when she will not have to be
dictated to, and she goes out Of the door or
goes to bed with pouting lips and these
mothers remember for themselves that they
knew more at fourteen years Of age than
they have ever known since. But father
and mother, do not think you have lost your
Innuence over your child. You have a re-
source Of prayer that puts the sympathetic
and omnipotent God into your parental un-
dertaking. Do not waste your time In read
ing fimsy books about the best ways to
bring up children. Go into the secret place
OF thunder.
At nine o'clock Wednesday morning, June
Is next on the steamer City Of New York,
I expect to sail for Liverpool, to be gone un-
til September. 1t is in acceptance Of many
invitations that am going on q preaching
tour. expect to devote my time to preach.
ing the Gospel In England, Scotland, Ireland
and Sweden. want to see how many souls
can gather for the kingdom Of God. Those
countries have for many years belonged to
my parish, and go to speak to them and
shake hands with them. want to visit
more thoroughly than before those regions
from which my ancestors came Wales and
Scotland.
But who is sufficient for the work under
take? 1call upon you who have long been
my coadjutors to go into the secret place Of
the Almighty, and every day from now
until my work is done on the other side Of
the sea, to have me in your prayers. In
proportion to the intensity and continuance
and faith of the prayers, yours and mine
will be the results. II you remember me In
the devotional circle that will be we'll, but
what I most want is your impor tuning,
your wrestling supplication in the secret
place Of thunder.
God and you alone may make me the
humble instrumentality in the redemption
Of thousands Of souls. I shall preach In
churches, in chapels and In the fslds. Twill
make it campaign for God and eternity,
and hope to get during this absence q
baptism OF power that will make me OF
more service to you when return than
ever yet have been. For, brethren and
usefulness will soon be gone, and we shall
have our faces uplifted to the throne Of judg-
ment, before which we must give account.
That day there will be no secret place Of
thunder, for all the thunders will be out.
There will be the thunder Of the tumbling
rocks. There will be the thunder Of the
bursting waves. There will be the
thunder Of the descending chariots There
will be the thunder Of the parting heavens.
Booml Boom!
But ali that dim and uproar and caash
us undismayed If we have made Christ
our confidence, and as after an August
shower, when the whole heavens have
been an unlimbered battery cannonad-
ing the earth, the fields ara more green,
and the sunrise is the more radiant, and
the waters are more opaiine, 50 the
thunders Of the last day will make the
trees Of life appear more emerald, and
the carbuncle Of the wall more crimson, and
the sapphire seas the more shimmering, and
the sunrise Of eternal gladness the more en-
purpled. The thunders Of dissolving nature
will. be followed by celestial psalmody tho
sound of which St. John on Patmos de.
scribed, when he said, II heard a voice like
the voice Of mighty thunderingP Amenl