The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-11-05

them to stop, they are so far up they
would hardly see it. They are on their
way to the south. You could not stop
them. Oh, that we were as wise about
! the best time to start for God and
Heaven! We say: ''Wait until it is
a little later in the season of mercy.
Wait until some of these green
leaves of hope are all dried up and
have been scattered. Wait until next
year" After awhile we start, and it is
too late, and we perish in the way
when Gods wrath is kindled but lit
tie. There are, you know, exceptional
cases, where birds have started too
late, and in the morning you have
found them dead on the snow. And
there are those who have persisted half
way between the world and Christ.
They waited until the last sick
ness. when the mind is gone, or
| they were on the express train
going at forty miles an hour,
and they came to the bridge and the
'draw was up" and they went down.
How long to repent and pray? Two
| seconds! To do the work of lifetime
and to prepare for the vast eternity in
two seconds! 1 was reading of an en-
tertainment given in a kings court,
| and there were musicians There. with
| elaborate pieces of music. After
| awhile Mozart came and began to
play, and he had a blank piece
| of paper before him, and the
king Familiarity looked over his shoulder
and said: What are you playing?
see no music before you" And
Mozart put his hand on his brow. as
to say: 81 am improvising." 1t was
very well for him, but oh, my friends,
we can not extemporize for Heaven.
If we do not get prepared in this
world, we will never take part in the
orchestral harmonies of the saved. Oh,
that we were as wise as the crane and
the stork, flying away, flying away
from the tempest
Some of you have felt the pinching
frost of sin. You feel it to-day. You
are not happy. I look into your faces,
and know you are not happy. There
are voices within your soul that will
not be silenced, telling you that you
are sinners, and that without the par
don of God you are undone forever.
What are you going to do, my friends,
with the accumulated transgres-
sions of lifetime! Will you stand
still and let the avalanche tumble over
you? On, that you would go away
into the warm heart of Gods mercy.
The southern grove, redolent with
magnolia and cactus, never waited for
northern focks, as God has waited for
you, saying: II have loved thee with an
everlasting love. Come unto me, all
ye who are weary and heavy laden,
and will give you rest"
Another frost is bidding you away
it is the frost of sorrow. Where doyou
live now? "Oh," you say: II have
moved" Why did you move? You
say: 81 have moved" Why did you
move? You say: II don't want as large
house now as formerly" Why do you
not want as large a house? You say:
"My family is not so large" Where
have they gone to? Eternity! Your
mind goes back through that last
sickness and through the almost
supernatural effort to keep life, and
through these prayers that seemed
unavailing, and through that kiss
which received no response, because
the lips were lifeless, and l hear the
bells tolling and l hear the hearts
breaking-while speak, 1 hear them
break. A heart! Another heart!
Alone! Alone! Alone! The world,
which in your girlhood and boyhood
was sunshine, is cold now, and oh!
weary dove, you fly around this
world as though you would like
to stay, when the wind and the frost
and the blackening clouds would bid
you away into the heart of an all
comforting God. Oh, l have noticed
again and again what a botch this
world makes of it when it tries to COM
fort soul in trouble! 1t says: Don't
cry!" How can we help crying when
the hearts treasures are scattered, and
father is gone, and mother is gone, and
companions are gone, and the child is
gone and everything seems gone. 1t is
no comfort to tell a man not to cry.
The world comes up and says: ''Oh, it |
is only the body of your loved one that |
you have put into the ground!' But |
there is no comfort in that. That body !
is precious. Shall we never put our |
hand in that hand again, and shall we
never see that sweet face again? Away !
with your heartlessness, oh, world!
But come, Jesus! and tell us that when |
the tears fall they fall into Gods bottle;
that the dear bodies of our loved ones
shall rise radiant in the resurrection;
and all the breakings down here shall
be fittings up there, and they shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any
more, neither shall the sun light on
ON them nor any heat, for the Lamb,
which is in the midst of the throne.
ln1l a.. o., 1;-i.,, fo,nto;ns ~