The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-09

Standing in court room, you say 70 your
self: "At this bar crime has often been
arraigned; at this witness stand the oath has
often been taken; at this Jurors bench the
desk sentence has been pronounced. But I
have to tell you to-day OF trial higher than
any Oyer and Terminer or Circuit or Su-
preme or Chancery. 1t is the trial OF every
Christian man for the life Of his soul. This
trial is different from any other in the fact
that 1t is both civil and criminal.
The issues at stake are tremendous. and l
shall in my sermon show you, first, what are
the grounds OF complaint; then. who are the
witnesses in the cause, and lastly, who are
the advocates.
When trial is called on the first thing Is
to have the indictment read. Stand up then,
o, Christian man. and hear the indictment
of the court Of high heaven against thy soul.
It is an indictment Of ten counts, for thou
hast directly or indirectly broken all the ten
commandments. You know how it thun-
dered on Sinai and when God came down
how the mountain rocked and the smoke
assembled as from q smoldering furnace. and
the darkness gathered thick, and the loud,
deep trumpet uttered the words: "The soul
that sinneth, it shall die!" Are you guilty,
or not guilty? Do not put In a negative plea
too quick, for have to announce that 'all
God. There is noEe that doelh good; no,
not one. Whosoever shall keep the whole
law, yet offend in one point. he Is guilty Of
ALL" Do not, therefore. be too hasty in
pronouncng yourself not guilty.
The lawsuit before US also charges you
with the breaking OF q solemn contract.
Many a time did we promise to be the Lords.
We got down on our knees and said 10.
Lord, I am Thine now and forever" Did
you keep the promise2 Have you stood up
to the contract? Have you not sometimes
faltered when you ought to have been true?
Have you not been proud when VOC ought
to have been humble? Have you not played
the coward when you ought to have been
the hero2 I charge |. upon you and charge
it upon myself-we have broken the con-
tract.
Still further; this lawsuit claims damages
at your hands. The greatest SANDER on the
the Christian religion Is an inconsistent pro-
fessor. The Bible says religion Is one thing;
we. by our inconsistency, say religion Is
some other thing, and what is more deplora-
BILE about it is that people can see faults In
others while they can not see any In them
selves. If you shall at any time find some
miserable old gossip, with imperfections
from the crown of her head to the sole Of her
foot, a perfect blotch OF sin herself, she will
go tattlinc, tattling, tattlinS, all the years OF
her life about the inconsistencies of others.
having no idea that she is Inconsistent her.
SELF God save the world from the gossip,
female and male! I think the males are the
worst
Now you have heard the indictment read.
Are you ready to plead guilty or not guilty?
Perhaps you are not ready yet to plead.
Then the trial will go on. The witnesses will
be called, and We shall have the matter de-
atI Inl IL thn H11 ban
clamation: Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! whoever
hath anything to offer in this trial In which
God is the plaintiff and the Christian soul
the defenisnt, lei him now step forth and
give testimony in this solemn trial.
The first witness call upon the stand in
behalf of the prosecution IS the world-all
critical and observant OF Christian char
acter. You know that there are people
around you who prrpetually banquet on the
frailties q Gods children. You may know,
If you have lived in the country. that crow
cares for nothing so much rs carrion. There
are those who imagine that out OF the faults
OF Christians they can make a bridge of
boats across the stream Of death, and they
are going to try it; but, alas forthe mistake!
When they get mid-strea n away will go tho
bridge and down will 60 their souls to perdi-
ton. o world OF the greedy eye and the
hard heart, come on the stand now and te5.
t;fy in behalf Of the prosecution against this
Christian soul on trial. WHAT do you know
about this Christian man? "Oh," says the
world, 81 know great deal about him. he
talks about putting his treasures In heaven,
but he Is the sharpest man in trade I ever
knew. He seems to want Us to believe that
he Is child Of God, but he Is just full Of
imperfections. do not know but / am a
great deal berter than he is now. Often
times he is very earthly, and he talks 80 lit
tie about Christ and 80 much about himself
am very glad to testify that this Is bad
man."
Stop, o World. with the greedy eye and
hard heart. fear you are too much inter-
ested in this trial TO give impartial evidence.
Let all those who hear the testimony OF this
witness know that there Is an old family
quarrel between these two parties. There
always has been a variance between the
World and the Church, and while tho World
on the witness stand to-day has told great
deal Of truth about this Christian man, you
must take 1t all with much allowance, re-
membering that they still keep the old grudse
good. o, World ofthe greedy and the hard
heart, that will do; you must sit down.
The second witnesss call in this case Is
Conscience. Who art thou. o Conscience?
What is your business2 Where were you
born? What are you doing here? "Oh,
SAYS Conscience, ~ was born In heaven. I
I came down to befriend this man. have
lived with him. have instructed him. I
have warned him. showed him the right
and the wrong, advising him to take the one
and escheI the other. I have kindled
great light In his soul. With whip OF
scorpion have scourged his wlckedness, and
have tried to cheer him when doing right;
and yet I am compelled to testify on the
stand to-day that he has sometimes rejected
my mission. Oh, how many cups OF life
have / pressed to his lips that he dashed
down, and how often has he stood with his
hard heel on the bleeding heart OF the Son
OF God! It pains me very much that have
to testify against this Christian man, and
yet must, in behalf of Him who will in no
wise clear the guilty, say that this Christian
man has done wrong. He has been worldly.
He has been neglectful. He has done u
thousand things he ought not to have done,
and left undone thousand things he ought
to have done" That will do, Conscience.
You can sit down.
The third witness call in the case is an
angel of God. Bright anu shining one, what
does. thou here? What hast thou to say
against this man on trial? :'Oh." says the
angel, II have been messenger to him. l
have guarded him. have washed him. With
this wing have defended him, and often
times, when he knew it not, led him into
.reen pastures and beside still waters. I
,natched from h,m the poisoned chal-
ices. When bad spirits came upon him to
destroy him, Tough, them back with infinite
ferceness. and yet have to testify to-day
that he has rejected my mission. He has
not done as he ought to have done. Though
came from the sky, he drove me back.
Though with this wing defended him, and
hough with this voice l wooed him, have
. announce his multiplied imperrec,ions.
'are not keep back the testimony, for then
aould not dare to appear again amongst
he sinless ones before the great white
'hrone."
There is only ono more witnessto be called
IN behalf Of the prosecution. and that Is the
;reat, the holy, the august. the omnipotent
,nirit Of lod Wa he, dn1un hafnrh Him