The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-23
REV. DIR. TAIIMAGE
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject: "a Point Blank Question"


wayside, he shouts. Whoa! Whoa!" to the
iathered span. Then leaning over to Jehon
adab Jehu salutes him in the words Of the
text-words not more appropriate for that
hour and that place than for this hour and
place. SIS thine heart right?"
should like to hear of your physical
health. Well myself. like to have every
body else well. and so might ask, Is your
eyesight right. your hearing right, your
nerves right, your lungs right. your entire
body right? But I am busy to-day taking
diagnosis Of the more important spiritual
conditions. I should like to hear of your
financial welfare. want everybody to have
plenty of money, ample apparel, large store
house and comfortable residence, and might
ask. Is Your business right. your income
right, your worldly surroundings right? But
what are these financial questions compared
with the inquiry as to whether you have
been able to pay your debts to God; as to
whether YOU are insured for eternity: as to
whether you are running yourself by the long
credit system Of the soul? have known
men to have no more than one loaf Of bread
at time, and yet TO own a government
bond Of heaven worth more than the whole
material universe.
The question ask you to-day is not in re-
gard to your habits. make no inquiry
about your integrity or your chastity or
your sobriety. 1 do not mean to stand on
the outside Of the gate and ring the bell but
coming up the steps, open the door and
come to the private apartment Of the soul,
and with the earnestness Of n man that must
give an account for this day. work cry out,
Oh. man, oh, woman immortal, is thine heart
right2
I will not insult you by an argument to
prove that We are by nature all wrong. II
there be factory explosion and the smoke
stack be upset, and the wheels be broken in
two, and the engine uujointed. and the
ponderous bars be twisted, and man should
look in and say that nothing was the matter,
you would pronounce him fool. Well, 1t
needs no acumen to discover that our nature
is all atwist and askew and unjointed. The
thing doesn't work right. The biggest
trouble we have in the world Is with our
souls. Men sometimes say that though
their lives may not be Just right, their heart
is all right. Impossible. A farmer never
puts the poorest apples on top OF his barrel;
nor does the merchant place the meanest
goods in his show window. The best part OF
US is our outward life. do not stop to dis
cuss whether we all fell In Adam, for we
have been our own Adam, and have all eaten
of the forbidden fruit, and have been turned
out OF the paradise OF holiness and peace,
and though the flaming sword that stood at
and comes behind to drive US in, we will
not go.
The Bible account of US is not exaggerated
when it says that we are poor and wretched
and miserable and blind and naked. Poor!
The wretch that stands shivering on our
doorstep on a cold day is not so much in
need Of bread as we are of spiritual help.
Blind Why, the man whose eyes perished
in the powder blast. and who for these ten
years has gone feeling his way from street
to street, is not in such utter darkness as
we. Naked Why, there is not one rag OF
holiness left to hide the shame Of our sin.
Sick, Why, the leprosy has eaten into the
head and the heart and the hands and the
feet, and the marasmus Of an everlasting
wasting away has already seized on some
OF us.
First we need a repenting heart. II for
the last ten, twenty or forty years OF life we
have been going on in the wrong way. it is
time that we turned around and started in
the opposite direction. II We offend our
friends, We are glad to apologize. God is
have never apologized for the wrongs We
have done Him!
There Is nothing that we so much need to
get rid Of as sin. 1t is horrible black mon
ster. It polluted Eden. 1t killed Christ. It
has blasted the world, Men keep dogs In
kennels, and rabbits in warren, and cattle
in pen. What man that would be who
would shut them up in his parlor. But this
foul dog OF sin and these herds OF transgres-
sion we have entertained for many long
year in our heart, which should be the
cleanest, brightest room In all our nature.
Out with the vile herd! Begone, ye befoul-
ers Of an immortal naturei
Turn out the beasts and let Christ come
In! A heather came to an early Christian
who had the reputation Of curing diseases.
The Christian said, "You must have all your
idols destroyed" The heather gave to the
Christian the key to his house, that he might
go in and destroy the idols. He battered to
pieces all he saw, but still the man did not
get we'll. The Christian said to him. "There
must be some idol in your house not yet de-
stroyed." The heather confessed that there
was one idol OF beaten gold thas he could
not bear to give up. After awhile, when
that was destroyed, in answer to the prayer
Of the Christian. the sick man got well.
Many man has awakened in his dying
hour to find his sins all about him. They
clambered up on the right side OF the bed,
and on the left side, and overthe headboard,
and over the footboard. and horribly de-
voured the. soul.
Repent, the voice celestial cries,
Nor longer dare delay.
The wretch that scorns tho mandate dies
And meets fiery day.
Again, we need believing heart. A good
many years ago weary one went up one OF
the hills OF Asia Minor, and with two logs
on his back cried out to all the world, offer
ing 10 carry their sins and sorrows. They
pursued Him. They slapped Him in the face.
They Knocked Him. When He groaned, they
groaned. They shook their fists at Him.
They spat on Him. They bounded Him as
though He were a wild beast. His healing
OF the sick. His sight giving to the blind, His
mercy to the outcast, silenced not the re-
venge of the world. His prayers and benedic-
tions were lost in that whirlwind Of execra-
ticn: Away with Him! Away with Him."
All, it was not merely the two pieces Of
wood that He carried; it was the transgress-
ions Of the race. the anguish OF the ages, the
wrath OF God, the sorrows OF hell, the stu
peniuous interests Of an unending eternity!
No wonder His back bent. No wonder the
blood started from every pore. No wonder
that He crouched under 4 torture that made
the sun faint, and the everlasting hills trem-
ble and the dead rush up in their winding
sheets as He cried. III it be possible, let this
cup pass from Me-" But the cup did not
pass. None to comfort.
There He hangs! What has that hand done
that it should be- thus crushed in the palm!
1t has been healing the lame and wiping
away tears. What has that foot been doing
that it should be so lacerated? Il has been
going about doing good. OF what has the
victim been guilty? Guilty of saving a
world. Tell me. We heavens and earth, was
there ever such another criminal? Was there
ever such a crime? On that hill of carnage,
that sunless day. amid those bowling riot
ers, may not your sins and mine have per-
ished? believe it. Oh, the ransom has
been paid. Those arms of Jesus were
stretched out so wide that when He brought
them together again they might embrace the
world. On, that might, out of the bios
SONS Of the spring or the flaming foliage OF