Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1892-03-10

! They say that somehow fruit does
not taste as it used to. Their hearing
gets detective, and they miss a great
deal that is said in their presence.
Their friends have all gone and ev-
erybody seems ostrange. The world
seems to go away from them and
they are left all alone. They begin
to feel in the way when you come
into the room where they are, and
they move their chair nervously and
say, 81 hope 1 am not in the way"
Alas! that father and mother should
ever be in the way. When you were
sick, and they sat up all night rock
ing you, singing to you, administer
ms to you, did they think that you
were in the way2 Are you treu of
the old people2 Do you snap them
up quick and SHARPE You will be
cursed to the bone for your ingrad-
tude ard unkindness!
Oh, it is hard to be old without re-
ligion-to feel this world going away
and nothing better coming. If there
be anv here who have gone far on
witLAdt Christ, I address you def
erentially. You have found this a
tough world for old people. Alas!
to have aches and pains, and no
Christ to soothe them. I want to
give YOU a cane better than that YOU
lean on. 1t is the cane that the Bible
speaks Of whenit says, Thy rod and
thy staff they comfort me-" l want
to give you better spectacles than
those you now look through. 1t is
the spiritual eyesight of divine grace.
Christ will not think that you are In
the way.
Does your head tremble YIN the
palsy of Old age? Lay it on Christ's
bosom. Do you feel lonely now that
your companions and children are
gone? l think Christ has them.
They are safe in his keeping. Very
soon he will take you where they
are. l take hold of your arm and try
to lead you to a place where you can
put down all your burden. Go with
me. Only a little while longer, and
Your sight will come again, and your
hearing will come again, and with
the strength of an immortal athlete
YOU will step on the pavement Of
heaven. No clutches Ill heaven; no
sleepless nights in heaven; nc cross
looks for old people. Dwelling
there for ages, no one will say:
Father, you know nothing about
this. Step back. You are in the
way Oh, how many dear old
folks Jesus has put to sleep! How
sweetly he has closed their eyes!
How gently folded their arms! How
he has put his hand on their silent
hearts and said: REST now, tired
pilgrim. 1t is all over. The tears
viii never start again. Hush. hush"
SO he gives his beloved sleep. think
the most beautiful object on earth is
an old Christian-the hair white, not
with the frosts of winter, but the
blossoms of the tree of life. I never
feel sorry for a Christian old man.
Why feel sorry for those upon whom
the glories of the eternal world are
about to burst? They are going to
the goodly cedar. Though their
wings are heavy with age, God shall
renew their strength like the eagle,
and they shall make their nest in the
cedar. "All fowl of every wing"
THE VERY BAD MAY COME.
Again. the Very bad, the outra-
geously sinful, may come. Men talk
of the grace of God as though it
We're so many yards long and so many
yards deep. People point to the
dying thief as an encouragement to
the sinner. How much better it
would be to point to u own Hee
and say. If God saved us he can
save anybody" There may be those
here whoneverh had one earnest word
ssid to them about their souls. Con
slider me as putting my hand on
Your shoulder and looking in your
eye. God has been good to you
You ask&S"How do you know
thatl He hac been very hard on
me Where dc you come FROM"
Home" Then ecu have a home.
Have YOU ever Thanked God for your
home: Have You Children" Yes"
Have you ever thanked God for
your Children Who keep them
safe Were You ever sick?' Yes"
Who made you well: Have you been
fed every day. Who feeds youz Put
Your hand on your pulse. Who
makes it throb?= Listen 20 the res
piration of Your lungs. Who helps
you to breathe2 Have you a Bible in
the house, spreading before you the
future lfel Who gave you that
Bible"
Oh, it has been a story of goodness
and mercy all the way through. You
have been one of Gods pet children.
Who fondled you and caressed you
and loved you? And when you went
astray and wanted to come back did
he ever refuse2 I know Of a father
who, after his son came back the
fourth time, said, NO; ] forgave
you three times, but 1 will never for
give YOU again" And the son vert
off and died. But God takes back
his children the thousandth time as
~cheerfully as the first. AS easily as
with my handkerchief strike the
dust off a book God will wipe out all
your sins.
There are hospitals for s.incura-
bles. When men are hopelessly
sick they are sent there. Thank
God, there is no hospital for spiritual
mcurabIes! Though you had the
worst leprosy that ever struck a soul,
your flesh shall come again like the
flesh of a little child. Oh, this mercy
of God, l am told it is an ocean.
Then l place on it four swift sailing
craft, with compass and charts, and
choice and skllful navigators,
and I tell them to launch away and
discover for me the extent of this
ocean.
That craft pats out in one direc-
ton and sails to the north; this craft
70 +ba co,7th. thic To tba cast. thic m