The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-03-03

IIc lS CONcrcu ana SOaKcu WIN lO0Cn-
someness and abomination. Arousing
from his debauch, he cries out: 80 God,
have mercy on me. Thou who didst
pardon the pcnitcnt thlet, hear me cry
for mercy" And The Lord listens and
pardons, aud no sooner is the poor
wretch pardoncd than three of the great
towers of heaven strike up silvery
chime. But here is waif of the street.
She passes under the gaslight, and your
soul shudders with great horror. No
pity for her. No commiscration for her.
AS she passes down the street she
hears song in midnight mission, and
as she listen TO that song she hears:
All may come, whoever will,
This Man receives poor sinners still.
She puts into that harbor; she kuccls
by the rough bench near the door; she
says: 20 Lord! Thou who didst have
mercy on Mary Magdnlcn, {; Ike my
bllstercd feet OIL tic red hot pavement
Of hell" God says, My liter, thy
sins arc forgiven thee; go N )eace.n
Now, all the lour towers OF heaven
strike slvery chime, aud they who
pass through the CELESTIAL streets say:
"Whats that? Why, the worst sinner
must have been saved. Hear all the
four towers ring and ring and ring!n
"And there is JOY in heaven among the
angels OF God over one sinner that rC-
pentcth."
My subject imprcsscs you, | think
with the thought that 1t is poss bic for
us to augment the happiness Of heaven
People think that souls before the throne
are as happy as they can be. | deny II.
Look at that mother before the throne
OF God. When she died she left her son
in this world Il vasabond. That son re.
pcntcd OF his inlQuiLics and came to
God. The report of that salvation has
reached heaven. DO you tell me that
mother before the throne of God has not
her JOY richly augmented? There is
many a man in this house today who
could go out with Il torch and kindlc a
new bonfire of victory on tho hills of
heaven. II you would this day rencnt
and come to God, the news OF your sal
vaton would reach heaven, and then,
hark! to the shout of the ransomed.
Your little child went away from you
into the good land. While she was here
you brought her all kinds Of beautiful
presents.
Sometimes you came home at night
fall with Your pockets full Of gifts for
her, and no sooner did you put your
night key into the latch than she began
at you, saying, "l'athcr, what have you
brought mc?" She is now before the
throne OF God. Can you bring her a
gift today! You may. Coming to Christ
and rcpcnting of sin, the tidings will 90
up to throne of God and your child will
hear OF it.. Oh, what n gift for her soul
today. She will skip with new gladncss
on the everlasting hills when she hears
Oft.
L was ~ Sharpsburg during the war,
and one day | saw sergeant dash past
on Il lathcrcd horse, the blood dripping
from the spurs. | sad, "rhat sergeant
'husI be going on very important mes
sage, he must be carrying very im-
portant dispatch, or he wouldn't ride
like that" Here are two angels Of God
fitting Though the house, lifting toward
the throne Oh quick dispatch. What is
the news Carrying up the story of
souls repcntant and iorgiving, carrying
the news to the throne Of Gcd, carrying
the news to your kindred who are for
ever saved. Oh, "thcrc is Joy in hca-
ven among the angels OF God over one
sinner that rcpentcth." And suppose
this whole audience should turn to the
Lord? llcaran would be filled with doX-
olOglcs. q heaven, beat with all thy
hammers that the rock may break. o
heaven, strike with all thy cleaning
swords that our souls may be free.
VI WAS reading OF Il king who, after
gainlD9a great victory, said to his army,
mo, no shouting; let everything be in
quiet; no shouting" But if this hour
your soul should come to God. "0,hiny
could stop the shouting o. the armies of
God before the Chrome. for "thvrc is 10Y
III heaven among the angels Of God over
one sinner that rcpcnlCth.'
In some families they keep a vacant
chair and a vacant plate Tor the departed.
but il in some of your households YOU
Kept vacant char and a vacant plate
lor those who have gone away from you
into the next world, The vacant chairs
and the vacant plates would oulnumbcr
those which are occupied. | once said
10 you there arc no vacant chairs in
heaven, but | recall that. Right beside
your loved one IN that good land there
Is vacant char. not made vacant by
death, Tor death never enters there; it
ls vacant chair for you. VIII you
take il?
My subject also imprcsscs me with
the idea that heaven and earth arc III
close sympaty. People talk of heaven
as thought it were il great way Off.
They say It's hundreds Of thousands of
miles before you reach the first star, and
then You 90 hundreds Of thousands OF
mllcs before you get to the second star,
and then II is millions of miles before
you reach heaven. The say heaven is
the center Of the universe and we are on
the rim of the universe. That is not
the idea Of my text. | think the heart
OF heaven beats very close to our world.
We III assure distances by the time taken
to traverse those distances.
1t used to be q long distance to San
Francisco. Many weeks ana months
were passed before you could reach that
city. Now it is six or seven days. 1t
used to be six weeks before you could
voyage from here to Liverpool. Now
you can 60 that distance in six or seven
days. And SO | measure the distance
between earth and heaven, and find it
lS OGly q flash IT. ia ono instant here