The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-03-04
tie north, and &.
&LnA a, nnl CO

tie north, and
| that chain and go i ...->i 81
| other surveyor take thas cll;tll ana 60 -
! the east, ai.ei another surveyor take that
chain and go to the west, ard then make
q report Of the square miles Of that vast
kingdom CT Gods mercy. Age, you will
have to wait to all eternity for the re-
| port of that measurement. 1t cannot be
measured. Paul tried to climb the
height Of it, and he went height over
height, altitude above altitude, noun
tam above mountain, then sank down
in discouragement and gave it up, for
ne saw Sierra Neyadas beyond and Mat
terhorns beyond, and waving his hands
back to Us in the plains he says, Past
finding out; uHsearchable, that in all
things he might have the pre-eminence. "
You notice that nearly all the sinners
mentioned as pardoned in the Bible
were great sinners-David great sim
ner, Paul great sinner, Rahab great
sinner, Magdalene a great sinner, the
prodigal sou great sinner. The world
easily understood how Christ could par
don half and half sinner, but what
the world wants to be persuaded Of is
that Christ will forgive the worst SIN
ner, the hardest sinner. the Oldest sim
ner, the most inexcusable sinner. TO
the sin pardoning Shiloh let all the
gathering of the people be.
But, I remark again, the people will
gather aroun Christ as sympathiZer.
Oh, we all want sympathy I hear peo-
pie talk as though they were independ-
ent Of it. None Of Us could live without
sympathy When parts Of our family
are away, how lonely the house seems
until they al get home! But, alas, for
those who never come homo. Sometimes
it seems as if it must be impossible.
What, will their feet never again come
over the threshold? Will they never
again sit with rs at the table? VIII
they never again kneel with Us at fami-
ly prayer: Shall we never again look
into their sunny faces? Shall we never
again on earth take counsel with them
for our work? Alas me, who can stand
under these griefs? Oh, Christ, thou
cansG do more for bereft soul than any
cne else! 1t is he who stands beside rs
to tell Of the resurrection. 1t is he that
came to bid peace 1t is ho that comes
to Us and brecthes into as the spirit Of
submission until we can look up from
tho wreck and ruin Of our brightest ox-
pectations and say, "Father, not ny will,
bat thine, be done" Oh, ye who are
bereft, ye anguish bitten come into this
refuge! The roll CT these who came for
relief 10 Christ is larger and larger.
Unto this Shiloh CT oirnipotcnt syinpa
thy the gathering Of tho people shall be.
Oh, that Christ would sta3d by all these
empty cradles and all these dcso!atod
homesteads and all these broken hearts
and persuade us it is we'll!
Christ's Sympathy.
The world cannot offer you any help
at such a time. Suppose tie world
comes and offers you money. Yea would
rather live On crust il cellar and
have your departed loved o0es with you
than live IN palatial surroundings ard
they away. Suppose the world offers
you its honors to console you. What is
the presidency to Abraham Lincoln
when little Willie les dead in the White
House? Perhaps the world comes and
says, "Tir~e Will cure it al" Alb, there
arc griefs that have ragged Oh for 80
years and are raging yot. And yet hun
dreds have betn comTorted, thousands
have been coi1forted, millions have
been con?forteG, and Christ had done
the work. Oh, What you want is sym
pathy! The worlds heart OF sympathy
beats very irregalarly. Plenty of SYM
pathy when wo do not waut it, and Of
ten when we are in appalling need Of it
no sympathy. There are multitudes Of
people dying for sympathy-sympathy
in tho;r work, sympathy in their IA
tjgues, sympathy III their bereavements,
sympathy il tier financial losses, sym
pathy in their physical ailments, SYM
pathy IN their spiritual anXieties, SYM
pathy in the tine Of declining years
wide, deep, high, everlasting, almighty
sympathy VIZ must have it, and Christ
gives it. ThaV is the cord with which
he is going 10 draw all nations to him.
At the story Of punishment mans
eye flashes and his teeth set, and his
| fist clinchcs, and ho prepares to do bat
tie even though it lie against the heav-
| ens. Yet what heart so hard bat it Will
saccumb to the story Of compassion !
Even a mans sympathy is pleasant and
helpful. When we have been in some
hour Of weakness, to have a braWny
man stand beside US and promise to see US
through, what courage It gives to cur
Lea-t, and what strength il gives to CUR
| arm. Still mightier is q woman's sym
patty. Let him tell the story who,