The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-08-11

White field, with the manner aud the
voice aud the start Of an actor, over
whclmed his auditory. 1t would have
been different thing if Jonathan Ed
wards had tried to write and dream
about the pilgrims progress to the c.
estlal city or John Bunyan had attempt
ed an essay on the human will.
Brighter than the light, fire sher than
the fountains, deeper than the seas are
all these Gospel themes. Song has no
melody, flowers have no sweetness, sun
set sky has no color compared with
these glorious themes. These harvests
OF glace spring up quicker than we can
sickle them. Kindling pulplts with
their fire, and producing revolutions
with Their power, lighting up dying beds
with heir glory, they are the sweetest
thought for the poet, and they are the
most thrilling illustration for the orator,
and they otler the most intense scene
tor The artist, and they are to the en-.
bassador OF the sky all enthusiasm.
Complete pardon for dircst guilt. Sweet
est comfort for ghastliest agony.
Brightest hope for grimmest death.
Grandcst resurrection for darkest Sc
pulchcr.
On what Gospel 10 preach! Christ
over all in it. His birth, his suffering,
his miracles, his parallels, hs sweat, his
tears, his blood, his atonement, his inter-
cesslOn-what glorious themes! DO we
exercise faith? Christ is its object. DO
We ha' love? 1t iastcns on Jesus. Have
We ldncss for the church? 1t is be-
cause Christ died for it. Have we hope
OF he veh? 1t is because Jesus went
ahcuu, the herald and the forerunner.
The royal robe OF Demetrius was 80
costly, so beautiful, that a tier he had put
it Of no one ever dared put it on; but
this robe of Christ, richer than that, the
poorest, and the wanest, and the worst
may wear. "Wherc sin abounded grace
may much more abound"
'Oh, my SINS, my sins," said Martin
Luther to StaupitZ; "my sins, my sns"
The fact is that the brawny German stu
dent had found Latin Bible that had
made him quake, and nothing else ever
did make him quake; and when he found
how, through Christ, he was pardonCu
and saved, he wrote to II friend, saying:
"Comc over and Join us great and uwi,,l
sinners saved bV the grace Of God. You
seem to be only q slender sinner, and
} Oh don't much GXt0l the mercy OF God;
but we who have been such very awfl
sinners praise his grace the moro now
that we have been redeemed
Can !! be that you arc so desperately
cG"iistlCai that you feel yourself in first
rate spiritual trim, and tina. from the
root o! The hair TO the tip Of the toe you
are sCar!esS and immaculate? What ,uu
need ~ looking glass, and here ii is i'll
titc BlrlC. Poor ami wretcilcd and
and blind and naked from the
crown O! the head to The sole Of the iuuU,
iull OF wounds aud putrc lying sores. No
health III lis. And then take the uct
that CLcIst gathered up all the notes
against us and paid them, and then u!-
tered Us the receipt.
Aid how much We need hun in our
SORROWS! We arc independent Of circu u
stances il we have his grace. Why he
made Paul sing IN the dungeon, and IN.
der that grace st. John from dcsolatc
patmos heard the blast OF The apoca.
lyptic .rumpcts. After all other candles
that gets brighter and brighter unto the
perfect day, and after, under the hard
hoois of calamity, all the pools OF world.
ly enjoyment have been trampcd into
deep mire, ut the foot Of the eternal rock
the Christian, from cups OF q ante, lily
trimmed and vine covered. puts out the
thirst OF his soul.
Again, remark that Christ is above
all in dying alterations. | have not
any sympathy with the morbidity abroad
about our demlae. The emperor of Con-
s;antinoplc arranged that on the day of
his coronation the stonemason should
come and consult him about his tomb
stone that after awhile he would need.
And there are monomanical on the sub
iect OF departure from this life by death,
and the more they think of 1T tho less
they are prepared to go. This is an
not worthy of you, not
worthy of me.
Saladin, tho greatest cenuueror of his
day, while dying, ordered the tunic he
had on him to be carried after his death
on spear at the head ST his army, and
then the soldier ever and anon should
stop ard say: "Behold, all that is lett
OF Saladin, the emperor and conqucror!
Ol all the states he conquered, of all the
wealth he accumulated, nothing did he
retain but this shroud!" | have no SYM
pathy with such behavior, or such absurd
demons trltion, or with much that we
hear uttered in regard to departure from
this life TO the next. There is a COM
idea on this subject that
J on and need to consider that there
are only two styles OF departure.
"A thousand feet underground, by light
of torch toiling in miners shaft, a
ledge OF rock may fall upon us and we
may de a MINERS death. Ear out at
sea, falling from the slippery ratlnes and
broken on the halyar,ls we may die Il
sailors death. On mission of mercy in
hospital, amid broken bones and rcck-
i1S lcprnsics and raging tcvers we MAJ
die II phllanthrophist's death. On the
licId OF battle, serving God and our
the gun carriage may roll over
us and we may die PATRIOTS death.
But after all there are only two styles
oi dtpar r.urc--tho death of the righteous |
and the death Of the wicked. and we ali |
want to die The former.
God grant that when that hour comes |
yUu may be at home. You want the
hand oiNour kindred i'll your hand. You |
want SI,ur rhiliroO 10 orrrD,,pI y,.,