The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-03-23

and careSSei you AMI low cd you? ana Wnen
you went astray and wanted to come back,
did He ever refuses know or q father who,
after his son came back the fourth time.
said, mo; forgave you three times, but
will never forgive you again" And the
son went off and died. But God takes back
His children the thousandth time as cheer
fully as the first. As easily as with my
handkerchief strike the dust Of book,
God will wipe out all your sins.
Again, all thu dying will fud their nest in
this goodly cedar. 1t is cruel to destroy a
birds nest, but death does not hesitate to
destroy one. There was a beautiful nest In
brooded over it. There were two or three
little robins in the nest. The scarlet fever
thrust its hands into the nest, and the birds
are gone. Only those are safe who have
their nests in the gcodly cedar. They have
over them "the feathers of the Almighty"
Oh, to have those soft warn, eternal wings
stretched over us. Let the storms beat and
the branches Of the cedar toss on the wind
no danger. When a storm comes, you can
see the birds flying to the woods. Ere the
storm of death comes down, let US fly to the
goodly cedar.
Of what great varieties heaven will be
made I'D. There come men who once were
hard and cruel and desperate in wickedness,
vet now, soft and changed by grace, they
come into glory, "All fowl OF every wing"
And here they come, the children VINO were
reared in loving home circles Hooking tnrougn1
the gates uf life, "All fowl Of every wing"
These are white and came from northern
homes: these were black and assembled from
southern plantations these were copper
colored and went up from Indian reserva.
tions-"All fowl Of every wing" So God
gathers them up. It is astonishing how
easy it is for a good soul to enter heaven.
A prominent business man In Philadelphia
went home one afternoon, lay down on the
lounge and s,id: "It is time for mo to co.
He was very aged. His daughter said TO
him. "Are you sickg' He said: 'sNo; but it
is time for me to go. Have John put it in
two Of the morning papers, that my friends
may know that am gone. Good-by;" and
as quick as that God had taken him.
It is easy to 60 when the time comes
There are no ropes thrown out to pull US
ashore; there are no ladders let down to pull
us up. Christ comes and takes US by the
this: come up higher" Do you hurt lily
when you pluck it2 Is there any rudeness
when Jesus touches the cheek, and the red
rose OF health whitens into the lily Of i'm
moral purity and gladness?
When autumn comes and the giant OF tho
woods smites his anvil and the leafy sDarEa
fly on the authm mnal gale, then there will be
thousands of birds gathering in the tree at
the corner Of the field, just before departing
to warmer climes, and they will call and .
sing until the branches drop. with the
by and by we shall migrate. Wegather in
the branches Of the goodly cedar, in prep
aration for departure. You heard our
voices in the opening song; you will hear
them In the closing song-voicss good, voices
bad, voices happy, distressful-'"All fowl Of
every wing" By and by we shall be gone.
II all this audience is saved, as hope they
will be, see them entering into life. Some
have had it hard; some have had 1t easy.
Some were brilliant; some were dull. Some
were rocked by pious parentage; Others have
had their infantile cheeks scalded with the
tears Of woe. Some crawled, as 1t were, into
the kingdom on their hands and knees, and
some seemed to enter in chariots Of flaming
fire. Those fell from a ships mast; these
were crushed in q mining disaster. ihey
are Gods singing birds now. No gun OF
huutsman shall shoot them down. They
gather on the trees Of life and fold their
wings on the branches and far away from
frosts and winds and night they sing un-
till the hills are flooded with JOY, and the skies
drop music, and the arches OF pearl send back
che echoes-'tAll fowl Of every wing"
Behold the saints, beloved OF God,
Washed are their robes In Jesus blood.
Brighter than angels, lol they shine,
Their glorles splendid and sublime.
Through tribulation great they came:
They bore the cross aud scornec the shame;
Now, In the heavenly templa blesti
With God they dwell; on Him they rest
While everlasting angels roll
Eternal love shall feaet thet- soul.
And scenes Of bliss. forever new
Rise In succession TO Bheir view.