The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-19
think Of the anguish oftelling your friends

stand the selling OF Sour norary OF tue luo'
ing into palmer house. The misfortune:
OF life have accumulated. You wonder Wna
makes the sky so dark. 1t is toward even
ing.
Trouble Is an apothecary that miles ;
great manv drafts bitter and sour anC
nauseous, and you must drink some ore o
4 them. Trouble puts up great many packs
and you must carry some one OF them
There is no sandal so thick and we'll ad
r iusted but some thorn will strike through it
e There is no sound so sweet but the under
, takers screwdriver CRATES through it. In this
! swift shuttle OF the human heart some OF the
: threads must break. The journey from
Jerusalem to Emmaus will soon be ended
! ton, reiterate in tones that we cannot mis-
take and ought not to disregard. It is to-
ward evening.
On, then, for Jesus to abide with US! He
sweetens the cup. &c extracts the thorn. He
wipes the tear. He bushes the tempest. He
soothes the soul that flies to Him for shelter.
Let the night swoop and the enrocydon
cross the sea Let the thunder roar. Soon
all will be well. Christ in the ship to soothe
His friends. Christ on the sea to stop Its
tumult. Christ in the grave to scatter the
darkness. Christ in the heavens to lead the
way. Blessed all such. His arms will en-
close them. His grace comfort them, His
light cheer them, His sacrifice free them, His
glory enchaut them. If earthly estate takes
wings. He will be an incorruptible treasure.
If friends die. He will be their resurrection.
Standing with us in the morning OF our Joy
and in the monday OF our prosperity, He
| will not forsake US when the luster has faded
| and it is toward evening.
Listen to Paul's battle shout with misfor-
tune. Hark to mounting Latimer's fire song.
Look at the glory that has reft thu dungeon
and filed the earth and heavens with the
crash of the falling manacles Of despotism,
! And then lock at those who have tried to
cure themc>>ves by human prescriptions. at
| tempting to heal ganSrene with patch OF
court plaster and to stop the plague Of dying
empires with the quackery Of earthly wis
dom. Nothing can speak peace to the soul,
nothing can unstrap our crushing burdens,
| nothing can overcome our spiritual foes,
nothing can open our eyes to see the sur
rounding horses and charIots Of salvation
| that fill all the mountains. but the voice and
command of Him who stopped one night at
| EmmauS.
The words of the text are pertinent to US
all, from the fact that we are nearing the
evening Of death. have heard it said that
We ought 20 live as though each moment
were to be our last. do not believe that
theory. As far as preparation ia concerned,
always be thinking Of death, for we have
duties in life that demand our attention.
When man is selling goods. it is his busi-
ness to think of the bargain he is making.
When Il man is pleading in the courts, It Is
his duty to think of the interests oe his
clients. When clerk is adding up his &C,
counts, it IS his duty to keep his mind upon
the column of figures. he who fills up his
life with thoughts of death is far from being
the highest style OF Christian. l knew
man who used to often say at night. II wish
might die before morning" He became an
infdel
But there are times when we can and ought
to give ourselves to the contemplation OF
that solemn moment when to the soul time
ends and eternity begins. We must 90
through that one pass. There is no round
about way, no bypath, no circuitous route.
Die we must; and it will be to us shameful
occurrence or a time Of admirable behavior.
Our friends may stretch out their hands to
keep US back. but no imploration on their
part can hinder us. They might offer large
retainers, but death would not take the fee.
The breath will fail. and the eyes will close.
and the heart will stop. You may hang the
couch with gorgeous tapestry. but what does
death care for beautiful curtains2 You may
hang the room with the finest works OF art,
but what does death care for pictures? You
may fill the house with the waillnRs OF
| wldowhood and orphanage; does death mind
weeping?
This ought not to be depressing theme.
Who wants to live here forever? The world
has always treated me we'll and every day I
feel less and less like scoding and complain,
Ing But yet would not want to make this
my eternal residence. love to watch the
clouds and bathe my soul In the blue sea Of
heaven. but expect when the armament ts
rolled away as scroll to see new heaven,
grander, higher and more glorious. You
ought to be willing to exchange your body
that has headaches and sideaches and weak
ness innumerable, that limps with the stone
bruise or testers with the thorn or flames
on the funeral pyre OF fevers for an incor.
ruptible body and an eye that blinks not be.
fore the jasper gates and the great white
throne. But between hat..and this there is an
hour about which no man should be reckless
or foolhardy. doubt not your courage, but
tell you that you will want something bet-
ter than strong arm, a good aim and
trusty sword when you come to your last
battle. You will need better robe than any
you have In your wardrobe to keep you
warm in that place.
Circumstances do not make 80 much diff
ference. It may be bright day when you
push of the planet, or 1t may be dark
forest. It may be spring, and your soul may
go out among the blossoms, apple orchards
swinging their censers In the way. It may
be winter and the earth in q snow shroud.
| II may be autumn and the forests set on fire
| by the retreating vear-dead nature laid out
| in state. 1t may be with your wife's hand in
your hand. or you may be in strange hotel
with servant faithful 10 the last. 1t may be
| in the rail train, shot of the switch and
! tt1vn ir
| the embapkment-crash, crash! I know
not the time, know not the mode, but
the days of our life are being subtracted
| away and we shall come down 10 the
| time when we have but ten days left,
then nine days, then eight days. then
seven days, six days, FIVE days. four days,
three days. two days, one day. Then hours
three hours, two hours, one hour. Then
only minutes Iefr-fve minutes, four min
utes. three minutes, two minutes, one minute.
Then only seconds lefr-tour seconds. three
seconds. two seconds, one second. Gone!
The chapter of life ended. The book closed.
The pulses at rest. Tho feet through with
the journey. The hands closed from all
worS. No word on the lips. No breath In
the postils. Hair combed back to lie un-
disheveled By any human hands. The mus
cles still. The nerves still. The lungs STILL
| The tongue still. All still. You might put
the stethoscope to the breast aud hear no
sound. You might put a speaking trumpet
to the ear, bur you could not wake the deaf
ness. No motion, no tnrob, no life. Still,
still!
So death comes to the disciple! What ii
the sun Of life is about to set2 Jesus is the
day spring from on high. the perpetual morn
ing OF every ransomed spirit. What if the
darkness comesf Jesus is the light Of TIE
world and OF heavt What though this
| earthly house does rrunhIey Jesus has pre-