The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-04-25

ir our cities have been ruined by simply
going to observe without any idea OF partict-
pating. The fact is that underground city life
is filthy, tuning, reeking, pestiferous depth
which blasts the eye that looks at It. In the
reign ofterror in 1892 in Paris people escap-
ing from the officers of the law got into the
sewers of the city and crawled and walked
through miles of that awful labyrinth, stif1ed
with the atmosphere and almost dead, some
of them, when they came out to the river
Seine, where they washed themselves and
again breathed the fresh air. But have to
tell you that great many of the men who go
on the work Of exploration through the un-
derground cutters Of New York life never
come out at any Seine River where they
can wash off the pollution Of the moral
sewerage. Stranger. II one Of the represen-
tatives Of q commercial establishment pro-
poses to take you and show you the "sights"
of the town and underground New York, say
to him, "Please, sir, what part do you pro-
pose to show me?"
About sixteen years ago as minister OF
religion felt had divine commission to
explore the iniquities Of our cities. did not
ask counsel Of my session or my presbytery
or Of the newspapers, but asking the com
panionship of three prominent police officials
and two of the elders Of my church I un-
rolled my commission, and It said: s'Son OF
man, dig into the wall. And when I bad
digged into the wall behold door, and He
said 90 In and see the wicked denominations
that are done here. And went In and saw
and beholdT Brought up In the country
and surrounded by much paternal care, Z
had not until that time seen the haunts OF
1niquity. By the grace Of God defended, I
had never sowed my "wild oats"
I had somehow been able to tell from
various sources something ebout the tniqui-
ties ofthe great cities and to preach against
them, but saw In the destruction OF great
multitude of the people that there must be
an infatuation and a temptation that had
never been spoken about, and said, 81 will
explore" I saw thousands OF men going
down, and II there had been spiritual per-
cussion answering to the physical percussion
the whole air would have been full Of the
rumble and roar and crack and thunder OF
the demolition, and this moment, II We
should pause in our service, we should hear
the crash, crash! Just as in the sickly sea-
son you sometimes hear the bell at the gate
OF the cemetery ringing almost necessarily,
80 I found that the bell at the gate Of the
cemetery where ruined souls are buried was
tolling by day and tolling by night. I said.
81 will explore"
Invent as physician goes into fever
lazareto to see what practical and useful In
formation I might get. That would be
foolish doctor who would stand outside the
door of an invalid writing Latin prescrfp-
tion. When the lecturer In q medical col
lege is done with his lecture, ne takes the
students into the dissecting room, and he
shows them the reality. went and saw
and come forth to my pulpit to report
plague and to tell how sin dissects the body
and dtssects the mind and dissects the soul.
"Oh," say you, "are you not afraid that IN
consequence Of such exploration OF the int-
quities OF the city other persons might make
exploration and do themselves damage" I
reply 'sIf In company with the commts-
sioner of police, and the captain OF police,
and the inspector Of police and the COM
pany of two Christian gentlemen, and not
with the spirit Of curiosity, but that you may
see sin in order the better to combat It, then,
in the name OF the eternal God, 20? But, If
not. then stay away"
Wellington, standing in the battle Of
Waterlooo when the bullets were buzztng
around his head, saw civilian on the field.
He said to him: "Sir, what are you doing
here2 Be of! "Why," replied the civilian,
"there Is no more danger here for me than
there Is for you" Then Wellington flushed
up and said, "God and my country demand
that be here, but you have no errand here.
Now I, as an officer in the army OF Jesus
Christ, went on that exploration and on to
Cndt p6ttleuelu. IL SoO uodI o hho Sou1uAio-
sion, go. If not, stay away. But you say,
"Don't you think that somehow the descrip-
tion OF those places induces people to 60 and
see for themselves?" I answer yes, just as
much as the description Of yellew fever In
some scourged city would induce people to
70 down there and get the pestilence.
But I may be addressing some stranger
already destroyed. Where is he, that may
pointedly yet kindly address him? Come
back and wash In the deep fountain OF q
Saviour's mercy. I do not give you cup,
ply to effect your ablutions. point you to
the five oceans Of Gods mercy. Oh, that the
Atlantic and Pacific surges of divine forgive
ness might roll over your soul As the glori-
GUS sun of Gods forgiveness rides on toward
the mid heavens ready to submerge you In
warmth and light and love bid you good
morning. Morning OF peace for all your
troubles. Morning Of liberation for all your
incarcerations. Morning of resurrection for
your soul buried in sin. Good morning
Morning for the resuscitated household that
has been waiting for your return. Morning
for the cradle and the crib already disgraced
with being that of O drunkard's child. Morn.
ing for the daughter rkat has trud ged of
to hard work because you did not take care
OF home. Morning for the wife who ut forty
or fifty years has the wrinkled face, and the
stopped shoulder. and the white lalr. Morn
ing for one. Morning for all. Good morn
ing! In Gods name, good morning!
In our last dreadful war the Federals and
the Confederates were encamped on opposite
sides of the Rappahannook, ard one morn
Ing the brass band of the northern troops
played the national air, ana all the northern
troops cheered and cheered. Then on the
opposite side OF the Rappahannock the brass
band of the Confederates played my Mary
Iand' and s:Dixie." and then all the south
ern troops cheered and cheered. But after
awhile one OF the bands struck up "Home,
Sweet Home" and the band on the opposhe
side OF the river took up the strain, and
when the tune was done tie Confederafes
and the Federals all together united as the
tears rolled down their cheeks In one great
huZza, huzza!
Well, nv friends, heaven comes very near
to-day. 1t is only stream that oiTiaes US,
the narrow stream OF death, and the voices
there and the voices here seem to commtn-
gle, and we join trumpets and hosannahs and
halleluiahs, and the chorus of united song
of earth and heaven is Home, Sweet Home: u
Home OF bright domestic circle on earth:
Home Of forgiveness In the great heart OF
God. Home OF eternal rest in heaven. Home
Honel Home!
But suppose you are standing on crag
OF the mountain and on the edge OF precl-
pice, and all unguarded, and some one
either in joke or hate shall run up behind
YOU and push you off, 1t is easy enough to
push you off. But who would do 80 das.
tardly deed! Why, this is done every hour
of every day and every hour OF every night
Men come 10 the verge of city life and say
snow, we will just look of. Come, young
young man, do not be afraid. Come near
let us look or" He comes to the edge anf
looks and looks until after awhile, satar
sneaks up behind him and puts a hand OF