The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-28

rising sun was too strong for him, and "a
pulled the window curtain down. The last
thing the great Quaker poet did was to waya
his hand to have the curtain up. He wanted
to depart In the full gush OF the me crnine.
And thought 1t might be helpful and in-
spring to all Christian souls to have more
light about the future, 80 pull up the cur
tain in the glorious sunrise OF my text and
say, "Rejoice that your names are written In
heaven" Bring on your doxologies! Wave
your palms! Shout your victories! Pull up
all the curtains Of bright expectations Yea!
hoist the window itself aud let the perfume
Of the "morning glorles" OF th3 Kings gar.
den come In, and the music Of harps all
a-tremble with symphonies, and the sound
Of the surf Of seas dsshing to the foot OF the
throne Of God and the Lamb.
But there Is only one word on all this sub.
ject Of Divine chiroSraphy In heaven that
confuses me, and that is the small adYerb
which St. John adds when he quotes the text
In Revelation and speaks of some "whoseS
names are not written In the Book Of Life Of
the Lamb slain" Oh. that awful adverb
"notw By full submission to Christ the
Lord, have the way all cleared between you
and the sublime registration of your name
this moment: Why not look up to ses that :
they are all ready to put your name among
the blissful immorts!s? There is the mighty
volume: It Is wide open. There Is the pen:
It Is from the wing OF the "Anee! Of the
from the Calvarean sacrifice. And there Is
the Divine Scribe: the glorious Lord who
wrote your fathers name, and your moth !:
ers name there, and your child's name
there, and who ts ready to- write your name
there. Will you consent that he do II? Be. Z
fore say "Amen" to this service. ask Him
to do II. / wait q moment for the tremen.
dous action Of your will. 70: It is only an
action Of your will. Here some one says,
"Lord Jesus, with pen plueked from angelic
wing, and dipped In the red ink Of Golgotha,
earthly name or that which shall be my
heavenly name" pause second longer
that all may consent. The pen Of the Divine
Scribe Is in the fingers and Is lifted and Is
lowered, and it touches the shining page,
and the word Is trace1, In trembling and
bold aud unmistakable letters. he has put 7
It down In the right place.
And If there be in all this assembly hope
less case, so-called hopeless by yourself and
others, take the responsibility OF saying !.
that there is place In that Book where your
name would exactly flt In, and look beauti-
full, and you can, quicker than can clap my J.
hands together, have It. there A religious
meeting was thrown open, and all those who
could testify Of the converting grace OF God
were asked to speak Silence reigned mo.
ment, and then man covered with the
marks Of dissipation arose and said: "You
can see from my looks what have been, but .
I am now q saved man. When left home q.
thousand miles from here I had so disgraced
my fathers name that he said, AS you are
going away have only two things to ask OF
you, first. that you will never come home
again, and next, you will change your name
I promised. I have not heard my real nane
for years. went the whole round. OF sin,
until there was no lower depth to fathom.
But am by the grace OF God changed
man. wrote home asking forgiveness for Z
my waywardness, and here are two letters,
one from my father and another from my I
sister. My mother died Of broken heart.
But these two letters ask me to come home, z
and boys, ! start tomorrow morning. The
fact was that his name was written In
heaven, where pray God all OF our names
may be written though so unworthy are the :
best of rs, and all Of u.s. II you have ever
been in the thick woods and heard the sound
of village bells you know the sound Is him
dered and muff1ed by the foliage, though
somewhat sweet, but as you como to the
edge Of the woods the sounds become clearer,
and more charming and when you step out
from the deep shadows into the sunlight you
hear the full, round, melliauous ringing OF
the bells. Oh! ye, down In the thick shadows
of unbelief and who hear only the faint
notes OF this Gospel bell, come out into the I
clear sunlight Of pardon and peace, and hear
the full chime Of eternal harmonies from ell
the towers of heaven. On! Come out ofthe
uoodai .....H' 81 ~