The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-05-15

and could have staid there for q whole
week. but had only little time. 80, hav-
ing glanced at the wonderful carving on the
doors, passed In and looked at the radiant
altars and the sculptured dome. Alas, that
30 many stop at the outside door OF Gods
holy word, looking at the rhetorical beauties
instead Of going In and looking at the altars
OF sacrifice and the dome of Gods mercy and
salvation that hovers over penitent and be-
lieving soulsi
Oh, my friends, If you merely want to study
the laws OF language, do not 20 to the Bible.
1t was not made for that. Take "Howe's
Elements OF Criticism" It will be better
metaphysics, better than the Bible will be
the writings Of William Hamilton. But If
you want to know how to have sin pardoned
and at last to gain the blessedness OF heaven
search the Scriptures, "for In them ye have
eternal life"
When people are anxious about their souls,
there are those who recommend good books.
That Is all right. But I want to tell you that
the Bible Is the best book under such circum-
stances. Baxter wrote "a Call to the I'm
converted" but the Bible Is the best call to
unconverted. Philip Doddridge wrote "The
Rise and Progress OF Religion In the Soul" )"
but the Bible is the best rise and progress.
John Angel James wrote "Advice to the
Anxious Inquirer" but the Bible Is the best
advice to the anxious inquirer.
Oh, the Bible is the very book you need,
anxious and inquiring soul! A dying soldier
said to his mate, "Comrade, give me drop"
The comrade shook up the capteen and said.
"There isn't drop Of waterin the canteen."
what want. Feel in my knapsack for my
Biblej" and his comrade found the Bible and
read him few Of the gracious promises. and
the dying soldier said: "Ah, that's what
want. There isn't anything like the Bible
for dying soldier, Is there, my ccmrade2"
Oh. blessed book while we live! Blessed
book when we die! ,
/ remark again we must seek God through
church ordinances. "What," say you, "ean't
a man be saved without going to church,"
reply there are men, suppose, In glory who
have never seen church, but the church Is
the ordained means by which we are to be
brought to God, and II truth affects Us when
we are aloneit affects US more nightly when
we are in the assembly, the feelings Of others
emphasizing our own feelings. The great
law of sympathy comes into play. and a truth
that would take hold only with the grasp of
sick man beats nightly against the soul
with q thousand heart throbs.
When you come into the religious circle,
come only with one notion and only for one
purpose-to find the way to Christ. When
see people critical about sermons, and criti-
cal about tones Of voice, and critical about
sermonic delivery, they make me think OF
man in prison. He Is condemned to death,
but an officer Of the government brings q
pardon and puts it through the wicket Of
the prison and says: "Here Is your pardon.
Come and get It," "What! Do you expect
me to take that pardon offered with such q
voice as you have, with such an awkward
manner as you have? I would rather die
than 80 compromise my rhetorical notions"
All, the man does not say that. He takes 1t.
It Is his life. He does not care how 1t Is
handed to him. And II to-day that pardon
from the throne Of God Is offered to our
souls should we not seize it regardless of all
nouessentials2
But I come now to the last part Of my
text. 1t tells US when we are to seek the
Lord, "while He may be found" When is
that? Old age2 You may not see old age.
Tomorrow You may not see tomorrow.
Tonight You may not see tonight. Now
Oh, II I could only write on every heart In
three capital letters that word N-O-W-now!
Sin is an awful disease. hoar people say
with toss of the head and with trivial
manner, "Oh, yes, I'm sinner" Sin Is an
awful disease. 1t Is leprosy. 1t Is dropsy.
It Is consumption. It Is all moral disorders
in one. Now, you know there Is crisis In d
disease. Perhaps you have had some hius-
tration OF it in your family. Sometimes the
physician has called, and he has looked at
the patient and said: "That case was sim
pie enough, but the crisis has passed. II you
had called me yesterday or this morning, l
could have cured the patient. It Is too late
now. The crisis passed" Just so it Is In the
spiritual treatment Of the soul-there ts
crisis.
There are some here who can remember in
stances in life when, II they had bought q
certain property, they would have become
very rich. A few acres that would have cost
them almost nothing were offered them.
They refused them. Afterward large VII.
lage or city sprung up on those acres OF
ground, and they see what a mistake they
made in not buying the property. There
came Lack again. And so 1t Is In regard to
mans spiritual and eternal fortune. There
Is chance. If you let that go, perhaps 1t
never comes back. Certainly that one never
comes back.
A gentleman told me that at the battle OF
Gettysburg he stood upon O height looking
off upon the conflicting armies. He said 1t
was the most exciting moment Of his life.
Now one army seeming to triumph and now
the other. After awhile the host wheeled In
such way that he knew In five minutes the
whole question would be decided. He said
the emotion was almost unbearable. There
Is just such time today with youItne
forces Of light on one side, the forces OF death
on the other side, and in few moments the
matter will be settled for eternity.
There Is time which mercy has set for
leaving port. If you are on board before that
you will get passage for heaven. II you
are not on board, you miss your passage Tor
heaven. As in law courts case Is some
times adjourned from term to term and from
year to year till the bill Of costs eats up the
entire estate, so there are men who are ad-
journing the matter of religion from
time to time and from year to year until
heavenly bliss Is the bill Of costs the man
will have to pay for il.
Why defer this matter, oh, my dear hearer?
Have you any idea that sin will wear out;
that It will evaporate; that 1t will relax Its
grasp; that you may find religion as man
accidentally finds lost pocketbook2 All,
mol No man ever became Christian by ac-
cident or by the relaxing of sin. The en-
barrassments are all the time increasing. Tho
hosts OF darkness are recruiting, and the
longer you postpone this matter the sleeper
the path will become. ask those men VINO
are before me now whether In the ten or nj
teen years they have passed In the postpone
ment of these matters they have come any
afraid to challenge this whole audience, so
far as they may not have found the peace OF
the gospel, In regard to the matter. Your
hearts, YOU are willing frankly to tell me,
are becoming harder and harder, and that II
you come to Christ 1t will be more OF IN
undertaking now than 1t ever would have
been before. The throne Of judgment WILL
soon be set. and II you have anything to DO
toward your eternal salvation you had better
do it now, for the redemption Of your soul Is
precious, and It ceaseth forever.
oh, If men could only catch onv glimpse