The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-09-12

the sepulcher OF dead Christ, but for the
purpose of reaching the throne OF living
Jesus. When an army is to be made up, the
recruiting officer examines the vol
unteers. He tests their eyesight, Q sounos
must be lust right or they ara rejected. But
there shall be no partiality In m ak1ns up
this army OF Christ. Whatever 20 ur moral
or physical stature, whatever your dlsslpa-
lions. whatever YOUR weakness, 7 nave g
Commission from the Lord Almighty to make
mo this regiment OF redeemed souls, and
cry, "Arise ye and depart for this Is not
your rest"
MANY Of you have lately Joined this com
pany. and my desire Is that you may all join
il. Why not2 You know in your own hearts
experlence that what have said about this
world is true-that it is no place to rest IN.
There are hundreds here weary-oh, now
weary weary with sin, weary with trouble,
weary with bereavement. Some Of you nave
been pierced through and through: you
carry the scars of thousand connlctS Id
which YOU have bled at every pore, and you
sigh. "Oh, that had the wings OF dove,
that might fly away and be at resi-! iou
have taken the cup Of this WORLDS P!eaSuress
and drunk It to the dregs, and Still tue tnlrss
claws at your tongue, and the 1eyer s.rlses
to your brain. You have onaseu p.easaiiS9 piS
throueh every valley, by every stream, amid
every brightness and under every SHADOW,
but inst at the moment when you were ready
70 nut your hand upon the rosy, Laughing
sylph Of the wood she turned upon you with
tbs glare of a fend and the eye of satyr,
her locks adders and her breath the chill
damp Of grave. Out OF Jesus Onrist no
rest, No voice to silence the storm. NO
light to kindle the darkness. NO ory oocS
TO repair the split bulwark.
Thank God, 7 can tell you something bet.
ter' II there is no rest on earth, there is
rest In heaven. Oh, ye who are worn out
with work, your hands calloused, your backs
bent. your eyes half put out, your fingers
worn with the needle that IN this world you
NAV never lay down, ye discouraged ones
who have been wagtng hand ngnt i0t
bread, We to whom the night brings nttie
.ast and the morning more druogery@on,
ye o. the weary hand, and OF the weary
side, and the weary foot' near me ea'A ao0u'
rest
Look at that company Of enthroned ones.
Iook at their hands look at their teeti
;ook at their ewes. It cannot be that those
bricht ones ever toiled? Yes, yes! Thess
hacked the Chinese teabo1es, and through
missionary instruction escaped into glory.
These sweltered on Southern plantations,
and one night after the cotton picking went
nm as white as II they had never been back.
Those died Of overtoil In the Lowell carpet
factories, and these In Manchester mus.
Those helped build the pyramids, ana Inese
broke away from work on the Gay Onrist
was bounded out OF Jerusalem. NO more
towers to build heaven IS done. go mols
Garments to weave; the robes are-1ntshed.
No moro harvests to raise; the garners are
full. Oh. sons and daughters OF toll, arise
We and depart. for that Is your rest
Scovill McCsllum, boy OF my sunday.
school. while dying said to his mother,
"Dont cry, but sing, sing
"There Is rest for the weary,
There Is rest for the weary"
Then, putting his wasted hand over his
heart, said, s'There Is rest for me-"
Oh, ye whose looks are wet with the deWs
OF the night of grief; ye whose hearts are
heavy because those well known footsteps
sound no more at the doorway, yonder 1s
your rest There Is David triumphant. but
once he bemoaned Absalom. There Is Aorar
ham enthroned, but once he wept for Sarah.
There is Paul exultant, but he once sat With
his feet in the stocks. There Is Payson
radiant with immortal health, but on earth
he was always sick. No toll. no tears, no
partines. no strife, no agonizing cough to-
night. No storm to rufae the crystal sea.
No alarm to strike from the cathedral
towers. No dirge throbbing from seraphid
harps. No tremor In the everlasting song,
but rest-perfect rest-unending rest.
Into that rest how many OF our loved ones
have gone! The little children had been
gathered up into the bosom OF Christ. One
OF them went out Of the arms OF q widowed
mother, following its father, who died few
weeks before. In its last moment 1t seemed
TO see the departed father, for It said, look
ing upward with frightened countenance,
HPapa, take me up"
Others put down the work OF midlife, feel
ing they could hardly be spared from the Of
flce or store or shop for day, but are to be
spared from It forever. Your mother went.
Having lived life Of Christian consistency
here, ever busy with kindness for her chill
dren. her heart full of that meek and quiet
spirit that Is in the sight Of God great price,
suddenly her countenance was transhgured,
and the gate was opened, and she took her
place amid that great cloud OF witnesses that
hover about the throne.
Glorious consolation! Theyar not dead.
You cannot make me believe they are dead.
They have only moved on. With more love
than that with which they greet US on earth,
they watch US from their high place, and
their voices cheer US In our struggles forthe
sky. Hail, spirits blessed, now that ye have
nassed the food and won the crown! with
weary feet we press up the shining way, un-
til In everlasting reunion we shall meet
again. Oh. won't It be grand when, our
Conflicts done and our partings over, we
shall clasp hands and cry out, 'Th1s Is
heayenw