The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-05-16

Or walk the golden streets.
Then let our songs abouni
And every tear be dry
We are marching through Immanuel's ground
To fairer worlds on hiso.
It Is prosperity that kills and trouble that
saves. While the Israelites were on tho
march, amid great privations and hardshfps,
they behaved well. After awhile they prayed
for meat, and the sky darkened with great
flock Of quails, and these quails fell In large
multitudes all about them, and the Israelttes
ate and ate and stuffed themselves until
they died. Oh, my friends, 1t Is not hard
ship or trial or starvation that Injuries the
SOUL but abundant supply. It IS not the
yulture OF trouble that eats up the Christians
life it Is the quails, it Is the quails! You
will yet find out that your midnight wrestFe
by the brook Jabbok Is with the angakof
God, come down to bless and save.
Learn again that while our wrestling
with trouble may be triumphant We must ex-
pect that It will leave It's mark upon Us.
Jacob prevailed, but the angel touched hin,
and his thigh bone sprang from Its socket,
and the good man went umptng on his way.
Wemust carry through this world the mark
of the combat. What plowed those pren1a-
ture wrinkles in your faces What whiteDed
your hair before it was time for frost? What
silenced forever 50 much OF tue hilarity OF
YOUR househo4d2 Alb, It Is because the angel
OF trouble hath touched you that you go
limpins on your way. You need not be sur
prised that those who have passed through
The Are do not feel as gay as they once did.
Do not be out OF patience with those who
come not out of their dependency. They
may triumph over their loss, and yet their
GAIT shall tell you that they have been trouble
touched. Are We sto!cs that we can, un.
moved, see our Cradle rifed OF the bright
eyes and the sweet lips2 Can we stand un-
moved and see our gardens OF earthly de-
light uprooted? Will Jesus, who wept Him.
self. be angry with US II we pour our tears
into The graves that open to swallow down
what we love best? Was Lazarus more deal
to Him than our beloved dead to usP' No
We have a right to weep. Our tears mus
cone. You shall not drive them back tc
scald the heart. They fall into Gods bottle.
Afflicted ones have died because they could
not weep. Thank God for the sweet, the
mysterious relief that comes to US tn tears
Under this gentle rain the flowers OF corn
put forth their bloom. God pity that dry,
wrings its hands and grinds its teeth and
bites its nails unto the quick, bet cannot
weep! We may have found the comfort OF
the cross, and yet ever after show that In the
dark night and by the brook JabboS we were
trouble touched.
Again, We may take the idea OF the text
and announce the approach OF the day dawn.
No one was ever more glad to see the morn
ing than was Jacob after that night ofstrug-
and Christians to cry out with this angel OF
the text, 1.-THE day breaketh.", The worlds
prospects are Frightening. The church Of
Christ Is rising up In Its strength to so forth
''fair az the moon, clear as tbs sun and terri
bic as ah army with banners"
Chap your hands, all ye people, tho day
breaketh. The bigotries OF the earth are
perishing. The time was when We were
told that If We wanted to get to heaven we
believe In the perseverance OF the saints, or
in falling away from grace, or liturgy or
no liturgy, or they must be Calvlnists or
Armfnians in order to reach heaven. We
have all come to confess now that these are
nonessentials In religion.
During my vacation one summer was In
Presbyterian audience, and II was Sacra-
mental day, and with grateful heart re-
ceiped the Holy Communion. On the next
Sabbath was In Methodist church and sat
at q love feast. On the following Sabbath I
was tn an Episcopal church and kneit at the
alter and received the consecrated bread !
do not know which service enjoyed the
most ~ believe In the communion OF saints
and in the life everlasting" "The day
breaEeth.
AS Iiook upon this audience I see many
who have passed through waves Of trouble
that came up higher than their girdle. In
Gods name proclaim cessation OF hostili-
ties. You shall not 90 away saddened and
broken-hearted. God will Lift your burden.
God will bring your dead to life. God will
stanoh the hearts bleeding. I know He will.
Like as father pities his children, 80 the
Lord pities you. The pains OF earth will
end The tomb will burst. The dead will
rise. The morning star trembles on bright
ening sky. The gates OF the east begin to
swing open. The day breaketb.
Luther and Melanchthon were talking to-
gether gioomily about the prospects OF the
church. They could see no hopes of deliver
ance. After awhile Luther got up and said
to Melanchthon "Come, Philip, let us sing
the forty-sixth psalm Of David, Col is our
refuge and strength, very pleasant help In
trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though
the earth be removed and though the noun
tains be- carried into the midst OF the sea !:
though the waters thereof roar and be trou-
bled though the mountains shake with
the swelling thereof. Selah.'"
Death to many, nay to al, Is struggle
md wrestte. We have many friends that
1t will be hard to leave. I care not how
bright our future hopsis. 1t ts bitter
thing to look upon this fair world and know
that we shall never again see its blossomins
spring, its falling fruits, its sparkling
streams and to say farewell to those with
whom we played in childhood or eounseled
in manhood. In that night, like JACOB, we
may have to wrestle, but God will not leave
US untHessed. It shall not be :old In heaven
that dying soul cried unto Col for help,
but was not delivered. The lattice may be
turned to keep out the sun, or book set to
dim the light OF the midnight taper, or the
room may be- filled with the cries OF orphan
age and widowhood, or the church OF Christ
may mourn over our going, but II Jesus calls
all is we'll. The strong wrestling by the
brook will cease the hour Of deaths night
will pass alonS-1 O'Clock IN the morning q
o'clock in the morning; o'clock in the
morning. The day breaketh.
So would have it when die. I am IN nc
grudge against this world Toe only fault
have to find with the world Is that It treats
me TOO we'll, but when the time comes to so
TRUST 10 be ready, my worldly affairs all
settled. Ill have wronged others, want
then 20 be sure OF their forgiveness. In
that last wrestling, my arm enfeeoled with
sickness and my head faint, I want Jesus oe-
side me. II there be hands on this side OF
the flood stretched out 10 hold me back,
want the heavenly hands stretched out to
araw me forward. Then, o Jesus, help me
on end help me up. Untearing, undoubt.
ing, u.ay step right out into tne light and
/ ,,,I Innt- haat- n m EInlrS1 anil