The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-06-27

at half mast, and the minute guns on Boston
| Common throbbed after his heart had ceased
to beat. Was 1t always 80? While he lived
how censured oflegislative resolutions; how
| carIcatured Of the pictorials how charged
with every motive mean and ridiculous !;
| how all the urns Of scorn and hatred and
| billingsgate emptied upon his head; how,
when struck down IN Senate chamber, there
were hundreds Of thousands OF people who
said, "Good for him; serves him right !"
| how he had to put the ocean between him
| and his maligners that he might have lit
| tie peace, and how, when he went off sick,
they said he was broken hearted because he
could not get to be President or Secretary OF
| State!
o, Commonwealth of Massachusetts,, who
| Is that man that sleeps In your public hall
covered with garlands and wrapped in the
| stars and stripes? Is that the man who, only
| few months before, you denounced as the
| foe OF republican and democratic institu-
tions? Is that the same man? Ye American
people, ye could not by one week OF funeral
eulogium and newspaper leaders, which the
| dead senator could neither read nor hear,
| atone for twenty-five years OF maltreatment
| and caricature.
When I see man like that, pursued by
| oil the hounds OF the political kennel so long
| as he lives and then buried under O great
| pile Of garlands and amid the lamentations
Of whole nation, say to myself: What an
unutterably hypocritical thing Is all human
applause and all human favor You toos
twenty-five years IN trying to pull GOWN hr
fame and then take twenty-five years in try
ing to build his monument. My friends, was
there ever better commentary on the hoi.
lowness Of all earthly favor? If there are
younc men who read this who are postpon-
ing religion In order that they may have the
favors Of this world. let me persuade them
of their complete folly. If you are looking
forward to gubernatorial, senatorial or pres.
idential chair, let me show you your great
mistake.
Can It be that there Is now any young
man saving: "Let me have political office,
LET me have some Of the high positions OF
trust and power and then will attend to
religion, but not now. Go thy way for this
time. When I have convenient season,
will call for theer"
And now my subject takes deeper tone,
and It shows what dangerous thing Is this
deferring OF religion. When Pauls chain
ratified down the marble stairs of Felix, that
was Felix's last chance for heaven. Judging
from his character atterward, he was re-
probate and abandoned. And 30 was Dru-
silla.
One day in the southern Italy there was
trembling of the earth, and the air got black
with smoke intershot with liquid rocks, and
Vesuvius rained upon Drusilla and upon her
son q horrible tempest Of ashes and fire.
II of. They did not understand that that
day. that that hour when Paul stood before
them, was the pivotal hour upon which every
thing was poised, and that 1t tipped the
wrong way. Their convenient season came
when Paul and his guardsman entered the
palace. Il went away when Paul and his
guasdsnan left. Have you never seen men
waiting for convenient season? There IS
such great fascination about It that, though
you may have great respect to the truth OF
Christ, yet somehow there is in your soul
the thought: "Not quite yet. 1t is
not time for me to become a Christian" I
say to boy, "Seek Christ" He says, HNo.
Wait until get to be young man." Isay
to the young man, "Seek Christ" Hesays,
"Waft until come to midlite." I meet the
same person in mldllfe, and say, "seek
meet the same person in old age and sayto
him, "Seek Christ" He says, "Wait until
am on my dying bed" I am called to his
dying couch. His last moments have come.
bend over the couch and listen for his last
words. have partially to guess what they
are by the motion Of his lips, he Is so feeble,
but rallying himself he whispers until I can
hear him say, "1-am-waiting-ior-aI,
more-convenient- and he Is gone!
will come I can tell you the year. 1t will
be 1894. can tell you what kind Of a day
It will be- It will be the Sabbath day.
lean tell you what hour 1t will be. It will
be between and 10o'clock. In other words,
It Is now. Do you ask me how know this
Is your convenient season? l know 1t be-
cause you are here, and because the elect
sons and daughters Of God are praying for
your redemption. All, know It Is your
convenient season because some Of you, like
Felix, tremble as all your past life comes
upon you with its sin, and all the future life
comes upon you with its terror. This night
air is aglare with torches to show you up or
to show you down. It Is rustling with wings
to lift yeu into light or snite yol into de-
spair, and there is q rushing to and fro, and
q beating against the door of your souls with
great thunder OF emphasis, telling yor,
"Now, now Is the best time, as 1t may be the
only time"
May God Almighty forbid that any OF you,
my brethren or sisters, act the part OF Felix
and Drusllla and put away this great SUBJ
ject. II you are going to be saved ever,
why not begin tonight? Throw down your
sins and take the Lords pardon. Christ has
been tramping after you many a day. An
Indian and white man became Christians.
The Indian, almost as soon as he heard the
gospel, believed AMI was saved, but the
Wa2lO u1hA StA uS6A0A VA IL NeAA nAASSS AVA q
long while before he found light.
After their peace in Christ the white
man said to the Indian, "Why was it that I
was kept so long in the darkness and you
Immediately found peace?" The Indian re-
piled; II will tell you. A prince comes
along, and he offers you coat. You look
at your coat, and you say. My coat is
good enough aud you refuse his
offer, but the prince comes along,
and he offers me the coat, and
look at my old blanket, and throw that
away and take his offer. You, SIR" contin-
ued the Indian, ''are clinging to your own
righteousness; : you think you are good
enough, and you keep your own righteous
ness but I have nothing, nothing, and so
when Jesus offers me pardon and peace
| simply take it."
My reader, why not now throw away the
| wornout blanket Of your sin and take the
robe OF Saviour's righteousness-a robe so
white, so fair. so lustrou5, that no fuller on
earth can whiten it? o Shepherd, tonight
bring home the lost sheep! o Father, to-
night give IL welcoming kiss to the wan
| prodigal! o friend of Lazarus, tonight
break down the door of the sepulcher and
say to all these dead souls as by irresistible
fiat: "Live! Live!"