The Greenville times., 1894-02-24

house and is buried in the potter's field
Another young man who heard that Jolly
skeptieism made up his mind that 'sit makes
no difference what we do or say, for wa will
all come out at last at the right place, and
began as consequence 10 pnrloin. Some
money that came INTO his hands for others
he applied to his own uses, thinking per-
maps he would make it straight some other
time, and all would BE- well even If he did
not make it straight. He ends in the peni-
tenfiary. That seoffer who uttered the jokes
against Christianity never realized what bad
work he was doing, andhepassed on through
life and out of it and into future that am
not now going to depict.
do not propose with asearehlight TO show
the breakers OF the awful coast on which that
ship is wrecked. for my business now is to
watch the sea after the keel has plowed IL.
NO phosp In the wake OF that ship,
but behind ii two souls struggling in the
wave--two young men destroyed by reckless
skeptieism. an untllumined ocean beneath
and on all sides Of them. Blackness OF dark
ness.
You know what gloriously good man
hey. John Newton was the most OF his life,
but before his conversion he was a very
wicked sailor, and on board the shin Har-
wieh instilled infdelity and vice into the
mind of young man-principles which de-
stroyed him. Afterward the two met. and
Newton tried to undo his bad work, but in
vain. The young man became worse and
worse and died protiigate, horriying those
who stood by him in his last moments.
Better look OUT what bad influence you
start, for you may not be able to stop IL. 1t
does not require very great force to ruin
others. Why was II that many years ago a
great flood nearly destroyed New 0rleans2
A crawiish had burrowed into the banks OF
the river until the ground was saturated and
the banks weakened until the Hood burst.
But find here man who starts out in
life with the determination that he will
never see suffering but he will try TO al
leviate Ii, and never see diseouragement
but he will try to cheer it. aud never meet
with anybody bur he will Try to do him
good. Getting his strength from God, he
starts from home with high purpose Of doing
all the good he can possibly do in one day.
Whether standing behind the counter, or
talking in the business Office with pen be-
hind his ear, or making bargain with fell
low trader. or out in the field discussing
with his next nelghbor the wisest rotation OF
the crops, or in the shoemakers shop pound
ing sole leather, there Is something In his
face, and in his phraseology and In his man
ner, that demonstrates the grace Of God In
his heart. He can talk on religion without
awkwardly dragging II in by the ears. He
loves God and loves the souls OF all whom he
meets and Is interested in their present and
eternal destiny
For fifty or sixty years he lives that life
and then gets through with IL and goes into
heaven u ransomed soul. But am not goini
to describe the port into which that ship has
entered.
am not going to describe the Pilot who
met him outside at the "lightship." | AN
no, going to say anything about the crowds
OF friends who met him on the crystalline
wharves up which he goes on steps o
chrysoprases. For God IN His words to J0t
calls me- to look at the path OF foam In the
wake OF that ship, and | tell you ii is al
a-yleam with splendors Of kindness done
and rolling with illumined tears that were
wiped away, aud a-dash with congratula-
tions. and clear out to the horizon in all di
rections is the sparkling. flashing, billownl
phosphorescence OF Christian life. "Ht
maketh path to shine after him."
And here / correct one OF the mean no
tions which at some time takes possession o
all OF us, and that is ~ TO the brevity OF hu
man life. When / bury some very useiu
man, clerical or lay, in his thirtieth or for
tieth year. say "Wnat waste OF ener
gies Il was hardly worth while for him Il
get ready for Christian work. for he had Sc
soon to quit it, But the fact Is that ma,
insure any man or woman who does an.
good on large or small scale for life OF
earth as long rs the world lasts. Sickness
trolley car accidents. death itself, can NJ
more destroy his life than they can tea
down one OF the rings OF Saturn. You cal
start one good word. one kind act. on
cheerful smile, on n mission that VIII las
until the world becomes bonfire, and ou
of that blaza it will pass into the heavens
never to halt rs long as God lives.
There were In the seventeenth century me-
and women wnose names you never hear
OF who are to-day influencing schools, col
leees, churches, Nations. You can no NOR
measure the gracious results OF their lie
time than you could measure the length an
breadth and depth OF the phosphorescenc
last night following the ship OF the Whit
Star line 1900 miles out at sea. How tn
courage and consecration OF others inspir
us TO follow. as a general in the AIerica
army, ccol amid the flying. bullets, inspire
a trembling soldier. who said aiterward, y
was nearly scared to death, but l saw IN
Old mans white mustache over his shoulde
and went on" Ave, we are all followin
somebody, either In right or wrong dire'
tions.
A few days ago stood beside the ga
landed cssket Of gospel minister, and
my remarks had occasion to recall snow
night in a farmhouse when was a boy an
an evangelist spending night at my father
house, who said something so tender an
beautiful and impressive that II led me int
the kingdom OF God and decided my destin
for this world aud the next. You will. b.
fore twenty-four hours go BY, meet some ma
or woman with big pack OF care and tro'
BILE. and you may say something to him {
her that will endure until this world sha
have been so far lost In the past that nothin
hut the stretch Of angelic memory will
able to realize that 1t ever existed at all.
lam not talking Of remarkable men an
women. but of what ordinary folks can d.
am not speaking OF the phosphorescent
in the track OF Newfoundland flshin
smack. God makes thunderbolts out
sparks. and out of the small words and deet
OF small life He can launch power th
will flash and burn and thunder through Il
eternities.
How do you like this prolongation of yo'
earthly life by deathless influence9 Many
babe that died at six months OF age by Il
anxiety created In the parents heart to me
that child In realms seraphic Is living yot
the transformed heart and life OF tho
parents and will live on forever in the hi
tory OF that family. II this be the opport
nifty OF ordinary souls, what is the oppo
tunity OF those who have especial intellectu
or social or monetary equipmentY
, Have you any arithmetic capable OF es
. | la xf r.t,r srnnd and rr