The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-01-08

secured? \ m!gEter earthquake than
that which demolished tho Phihppian
penitentiary will rumble about Your
ears The foundations Of the earth Will
give way. The earth b one tremor Will
fling all the American cities into the
dust. Cathedrals ard palaces and prls-
ous which have stood for thousands OF
years will topple like chilG's block
house. The sTrges Of the sea Will sub
merge the land and the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans above the Alps and the
Andes clap their hands. What then Will
become OF me: What then will become
of you? I do not wonder at tho anxiety
of this man Of my text, for he was not
only anxious about the falling of the
prison, but the falling Of world.
Invest In Eternal Securities.
Again, remark, characterize this
question of the agitated jail keeper as
one of Incompatible importance. Men
are alike, and I suppose lie had scores Of
questions OH bis mind, but all questions
for this world are hushed up, forgotten,
annihilated in this one question of the
text. "What must l do to be saVed:"
And have you, my brother, any ques-
tion of Importance compared with that
question? Is it question of business:
Your common sense tells you that yOu
will soon cease worldly business. You
know very well that you will soon pass
out Of that partnership. You know that
beyond 4 certain point, Of all the mil
lions of dollars worth of goods sold
you will not handle yard Of cloth, or
a pound Of sugar, or a penEy'S worth.
After that, if a confia9ratiCn should
sweep all Washington into ashes, 1t
would not touch you, and would not
damage you. II every cashier should alb
scond and every bank suspend payment
and every insurance company fail, II
would not affect you. Oh, how inslg-
nifcant is business this side the grave
with business on the other side the
grave! Have you made any purchases
for eternity? Have you any securities
that will last forever? Are you jobbing
for time when you might be Whoiesal-
ing for eternity? Is there any question
so broad at the base, so altltudlnouS, so
overshadowing as the question, What
must I do to be sayed?" Or, is 1t q do
mcstic question, is it something about
father or mother or husband CT wife CT
son CT daughter that is the more impor-
tant question? You know by universal
and inexorable law that relation will
soon he broken Lp. Father will be gone,
mother will bo gone. children will be
gone, you Will be gone, but after that
the question Of the text will begin to
harvest its chief gains or deplore It's
worst losses or roll up its mightiest
magnitude or sweep its vaster circles.
What Difference Does 1t Make?
Oh, what question, What an impcr-
tant question! Is there any question
that compares with it IN Importance:
What is it now 10 Napoleon III whether
he triunaphcd G: surrendered at Sedan,
whether he died at the Tuilerlcs or
ChiselhUrst, whether he was emperor or
exile? Because he was laid ont IL tie
coffin in the dress Of a field marshal,
did that give him any better chance for
tho future than # he had Laen laid out
in a plain shroud? What difference will
it soon make to yen or to me whether III
this world we walked Or rode, whether
we were bowed TO or maltrcatcd, Wheth-
er we were applauded or Missed at, wei
ccned il or kicked cut: While laying
hold of every moment Of the future and
burning in every splendor or every griet
and oyerarchiny CT uuGe1girG!ng all
time and all eternity Will be the plain,
startling, infinite, stupendous question
of the text, What must l do to be
saved?"
Again, I characterize this question Of
the agitated jail keeper rs one crushed
out by his misfortuncs, pressed ont by
his misfortunes. The falling Of the peni-
tentiary, his occupation was gone. Be
sides that the flight Of prisoner was
ordinarily the death Of the jailcr. He
was held responsible. If al had gono
we'll, if the prison walls had not been
shaken of the earthquake, il the prison
ers had all staid quiet III The stocks, if
the morning sunlight had calmly drop
ped on the jaiIer's pillow, do you think
he would have hurled this rcdhOt Qucs-
ton from his soul into the ear of his
apostolic prisoners? All, 10. You know
as we'll as I dc it was tho earthquake
that reused him up. And it is trouble
that starts great many people to ask
ing the same question. 1t has been SO
with a multitude cf you. Your apparel
is not as bright as it once was. Why
have you changed the garb? Do you not
like solferino and crimson and purple as
we'll as once? Yes. But you say: while
I was prospered and happy those colors
were accordant with my feelings. Now
they would be discord to my soul" And
so you have plated up the shadows into
your apparel The world is a very differ
cnt place from what it was once fer
you! Once you said, "Oh, if could
only have it quiet little WHILE 1t is
too quiet.
Some people say that they would not
bring back their departed friends from
heaven even if they had the opportu
nifty, but if you had the opportunity
you would bring back your loved ones,
I'D soon their feet would be sounding
IN the hall, ani soon their voices would
be heard in the family, and the old times
would come back just as the festal days
of Christmas and Thanksgiving-days
gone forever. Db, it is the earthquake
that startled you TO asking this question
the earthquake of domestic misfor
tune. Death is so cruel, so devouring. so
relentless, that when it swallows up our
loved ones we must have some one to
whom we can carry our torn and bleed
ing hearts. We need balsam better
than anything that ever exuded from
earthly tree to heal the pang of the soul.
1t is pleasant to have our friends gather
around Us and tell us how sorry they are,
and try to break up the loneliness, but
nothing but the hand Of Jesus Christ can
take the bruised soul and put it il his
bosom, hushing it with the lullaby Of
heaven. 0 brother o sister. The grave