The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-01-18

A ciockmaker in one OF the old English
townS appreciated the value OF time when
he put on the front OF the town clock the
words, snow or whens' Mitchell, the as
tronomer, appreciated the value OF time
when he said, II have heen iu the habit OF
calculating the value Of a thousandth part
Of q second" That minister OF the Gospel
did not appreciate the value OF time who
during season OF illness instead o. employ
ing his time in useful reading or writing.
wrote a silly religious romance. which IN
some unknown way came into the possession
Of the famous Joe Smith, who introduced
the book as q divine revelation, which be.
came the foun lation of Mornonisn. the
most beastly abomination OF all time.
They best appreciate the value Of time
| whose Sabbaths have been wasted and
whose opportunities Of repentance and use
fulness are all gone, and who have nothing
left but memories, baleful and elegiac.
They stand in the bleak September, with
bare feet, on the sharp stubble Of reaped
wheat feld, CRYING, 1.-THE harvest is pastP'
And the sough Of an autumal equinox
means for tn In echo. The harvest is pastf
But do not let US get an impression from
chronology that because the years OF time ne
haye been 80 long in procession they ara to
90 on forever. Matter is not eternal. NO,
| mol II you watch half day, or whole
day or two days, as once did to see mill
! tary procession, you remember the last
| brigade, and the last regiment, and the last
| COMPANY finally passed on. and as we rose TO
! 20 we said to each other ut is all over"
So this mighty procession OF earthly years
will terminate. Just when have no power
| to prognosticate, but science confirms tne
Bible prophecy that the earth cannot always
| Last. Indeed there has been fatality or
worlds. The moon is merely the corpse Of
,l.aH - Qnianf1stQ Qpatn
and again gone up in their observatories to
attend the deathbed Of dying worlds, and
| have seen them cremated. So am certain,
| both from the Word of God and science,
that the worlds chronology will sooner or
! later come to its last chapter. .
The final century will arrive and pass on,
and then will come the final decade, and
then the final year, and the final month, and
the final day. The last spring will swing its
censer of apple blossoms and the last winter
| bank its SHOWS. The last sunset will burn
| like Moscow and the last morning radiate
the hills. The clocks will strike their lass
| hour. and the watches will tick their last
second. No jncsndiaries will be needed to
run hither and yon with torches to set the
| world on fire.
Chemistry teaches Us that there Is very
| inflammahle element in water. While oxy.
gem makes up part Of the water. the other
part Of the water Is hydrogen, and that Is
very combustible. The oxygen drawn out
from the water, the inaammable hydrogen
will put instantly into condagration the
Hudsons and Savannahs and Mississippis and
Rhines and Urals and Danubes and Atlantic
and Pacific and Indian and Mediterranean
seas. And then the angel Of God, de-
scending from the throne, might put one
foot on the surf Of the sea and the other on
the beach and cry to the four winds of
heaven, "Time was. but time shall be no
longerIh Yet found in Christ, pardoned
and sanctihed, we shall welcoms the day
with more gladness chan you ever well
coined Christmas or New Years morn.
When wrapt In fire the realms Of ether glow
Aud heavens last thunder shakes the earth be.
low,
Thou, undIsmayed, shalt DER the ruln suile
And light toy torch at natures funeral pile.