The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-02-24

eight copies had been sold out of the city,
and those forty-eight copies saved Shakes
peare for all nations and all time. Your
suppression on a smaller scale may last u
good while, but for all you are worth you
will yet shine out on earth or in heaven.
Again, learn from my subject that con-
nected with the most distressing judgments
of God there are displays of divine mercy.
God might justly have left Nebuchadnezzar
| in the field, but infinite compassion brought
him back to the palace. No sooner was Eden
blasted than blessing followed on tie heels
| Of the curse promising the coming of One
who would destroy sin and make the whole
world paradise. The deluge descends, out
not until Noah had invited the people into
the ark. The destroying angel comes upon
Egypt for the shifting Of the first born, but
left uumolested every house whose door was
| sprinkled with the blood Of sacrifice.
Fiery tempests bear down upon Sodom,
but not until two angels have warned Lot
and biz family to flee from the destruction.
Jerusalem was utterly destroyed, but not
| until Jeremiah had sounded an alarm,
bidding them turn from their denominations.
| On the darkest cloud Of wrath their is
rainbow of mercy. Zechariah in his pro-
phetic vision beheld four chariots, symbol
ical of Gods government.
| The first chariot was drawn by red horses
| They indicated the wars that were coming.
The second chariot was drawn by black
horses. They indicated the coming OF
famine and pestilence. The third chariot
| was drawn by white horses. They indicated
the srotless purity of His conauests. But
mark well that the fourth chariot was
drawn by horses ''grisled and bay, denoting
| that mercy was mixed with all the desc.
Iating judgments of God. Sinai cannot
thunder so !oud as to drown the invitations OF
Calvary. The Lord utters the admonition,
"The wages OF sin is death" but exhaustless
mercy responds, "Deliver him from going
down to the Dit, for have found ransom"
Hide Thee quick In the rock, Christ Jesus.
Let not this insignificant Nov" absorb
| Thee more than the great hereafter. The
path leading to this side Of the grave Is only
q few furlongs but the path which com
mences at the other side ct tits without end.
| The powers Of darkness gather about your
soul, and the temptations Of an evil heart
and the allurements OF the world know are
| irving to drown the voice OF the preacher,
but taking hold of the silver trumpet OF the
Gospel which made Felix tremble. and at
| the Pentecost brought three thousand souls
out Of their sepulcher, would blow one !'
long, loud blast, crying, "WhosoeVer Will,
| let him come"
Take this goodly religion which has done
| so much for me that can commend 1t to all.
| Without it I should have gone the whole
downward career. Stolid and phlegmatic
natures going astray do not 60 so far, but
| natures like mine, sanguine, intense, emo
| tional optimistic, social to the last degree
| and echoing to all the heights and depths OF
mirth. if they get OF the track they 60 with
one wild leap to hell. As to the restraining
power of this religion upon mercurial tenn
perament, I testify. This is not abstraction
or something gotten from books; s., lspeahS OF
what know. 10 out and ask all who nave
| tried this religion and ask them how 1t
| works.
Three young men in factory came ouu
| on the Lords side, but two OF them, over
come BY the jeers Of their comrades went
/ back and Joined the scof3ers. The one held
| on to his Christian hope, and one day wnen
| they pressed him hard and were telling now
much infldelity had done for the world. and
| that Christianity had done nothing. the per.
secuted Christian turned upon them, and
| pointinc to Henry and George, who had Tor
| a little while followed Christ and then turned
you have tried your principles on them
| and know what they have done for them.
| When they tried to serve Christ they were
civil, good tempered, kind husbands H,Ni ana
and ready to oblige. What have you made
thenp Look and see. They are cast down
and cross: their mouths are full of cursing
| and fllthiness: they are drunk every week;
their children half clothed, their wives
| broken hearted, their homes wretcned. Ihat
is what your principles have done. NOV
have tried Christ and His religion and wnag
has it done for me3 You know well what
used to be. There was none or you
| desperately and fight so mastery. l
had no money and nobody would trust me.
| NV wife was i'll used, was ill humored,
hateful and hating. What has religion done
for mep Thank God, am not afraid to put
it to you. Am not happier man than l
wasf Am I not q better workman auo q
kinder companions Would once have put
up with what now bear from you!
could beat any Of you as easily now as ever
| WHY don't II Do YOU ever hear foul word
from NV mouth, Do you catch me at
public house? Has anybody score against
mef Go and ask my neighbors II am not
altered for the better Go and ask my wlle.
Let nv house bear witness. God be
praised, here is what Christianity has done
for me; there is what infdelity has done for
Henry and George"
Out Of this audience could gather thou
sand men and women who could tell you as
thrilling a story as that as to what rellaion
has done for them. Yea, il times Of perss-
cution should come as Of old, and they may
come, they are thousand here who would
for Christ's sake Us cheerfully walk into the
furnace of fire as though III were an arbor
of thyme and honeysuckle, and face the
lions as though they were lambs Of frisking
of the hillside, and wads down into the deep
waters which are 70 submerge them as hap
PLY as ever at Narragansett beach they took
the surf at summer bathing.
Come up and join those on the way to q
palace. What an absurd thing for king
to be eating grass. Instead Of living on the
| door fodder that the world affords come and
sit among ths princes OF God at the royal
banquet and hear the bands play: "Eat. o
Friends! Drink, o Baloved!" Here Is
crown, wear it. Here is a scepter, sway 1t.
Here is a throne, mountit. This is your hour,
improve it.
The wheat crop OF Canada the past