The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-06-02

suppose David the psalmist was no more
pious when he called on everything human
and angelic, animate and inanimate, even
from snowflake to hurricane, to praise
God than when he said, "Out OF the
depths of hell have I cried unto thee,
pious when he wrote his prophecy than
when he wrote his Lamentations,
or Job when he said, II know that
my Redeemer liycth," than when
covered over with the pustules Of ele-
phantiasis as he sat in the ashes scratch
ing the scabs off with broken piece Of pot
terry, or that Alexander Cruden, the con-
cotdist, was q better man when he COM
piled the book that has helped 10000
students Of the Bible than when under the
power Of physical disorder he was hand
cuffed and straight-waistcoated in Bethnal
Green Insane asylum. "Oh," says some
Christian man. mo one ought to allow
physical disorders to depress his soul. He
in the sunshine" Yes, that Is good advice,
but warrant that you, the man who gives
the advice, has sound liver. Thank God
for q healthful hepatic condition, for as
certainly as you lose 1t you will sometimes,
like David, and like jeremiah, and like
Cowper and like Alexander Cruden, and
like 10, 900 other invalids, be playing dead
march on the same organ with which now
you play staccato.
My object at this point is not only to
emolliate the criticisms Of those In good
health against those in poor health, but to
show Christian people who are atrabilious
charge against the heart the crimes Of
another portion of your organism. Do not
conclude that because the path Of heaven
Is not arbored with as fine foliage, or the
banks beautifully showed with exquisite
chrysanthemums as once, that, therefore,
you are on the wrong road. The road will
bring you out at the same gate, whether
you walk with the stride OF an athlete or
come up on crutches. Thousands Of Chris
tians, morbid about their experiences and
morbid about their business, and morbid
about the present and morbid about the
future, need the sermon am now preach
ing.
Another practical use of this subject is
for the young. The theory is abroad that
they must first SOW their wild oats and af-
the delusion. Wild oats are generally sown
in the liver, and they can never be pulled
up. They so preoccupy that organ that
there is no room for the implantation Of q
righteous crop. You see aged men about
US at eighty erect, agile, splendid, grand
old men. How much wild oats did they
SOW between eighteen years and thirty2
None, absolutely none. God does not very
often honor with old age those who have In
early life sacrificed swine on the altar OF
the bodily temple. Remember, o young
man, that, while in after life and after
years of dissipation you may perhaps have
your heart changed; religion does not
change the liver. Trembling and stagger-
ing along these streets to-day are men, all
bent and decayed and prematurely old for
the reason that they are paying for lines
they put upon their physical estate before
they were thirty. By early dissipation they
put on their body first mortgage and q
second mortgage and third mortgage to
the devil, and these mortgages are now be-
ing foreclosed, and all that remains Of their
earthly estate the undertaken will soon put
out Of sight. Many years ago, In fulfill
ment OF my text, dart struck through
their liver, and 1t is there yet. God for
gives, but outraged physical law never,
never, never. Solomon In my text knew
what he was talking about, and lie rises up
on his throne Of worldly splendor to shrek
out warning to all the centuries.
Oh, my young brother, do not make the
mistake that thousands are making in
opening the battle against sin too late, for
this world too late, and for the world to
come too late! What brings that express
train from st. Louis into Jersey City three
hours late? They lost fifteen minutes early
on the route, and that affected them oil the
way, and they had to be switched of here
and switched of there and detained here
and detained there, and the man who loses
time and strength in the earlier part OF the
Journey Of life will suffer for it all the way
through, the first twenty years OF life dam
fha fo1lowinU Aftv vnarG
Some years ago scientific lecturer wen.
through the country exhibiting on great
canvas different parts q the human body
when healthy and the Same parts when
diseased. And what the world wants now
is some eloquent scientist to go through
the country, showing to our young people
on blazing canvas the drunkard's liver, the
idler's liver, the libertine's liver, the
gamblers liver. Perhaps the spectacle
might stop some young man before he
comes to the catastrophe and the dart
strikes through his liver.
Ny hearer, this is the first sermon you
have heard on the gospel health, and 1t
may be the last you will ever hear on that
subject, and charge you In the name Of
God and Christ and usefulness and eternal
destiny take better care Of your health.
When some Of you die, II your friends put
on your tombstone truthful epitaph, 1t
will read, Here lies the victim of late sup
pers," or it will be, "Behold what lobster
salad at midnight will do for man, or it
will be, "Ten cigars day closed my earth
ly existence" or it will be, Thought
could do at seventy what did at twenty,
and am here" or it will be, Here Is the
consequence Of sitting half day with wet
feet" or it will be, "This Is where have
stacked my harvest Of wild OATS" or in
stead OF words the stone cutter will chisel
for an epitaph on the tombstone two fig
ures-namely, a dart and liver.
There is kind Of sickness that Is beauti-
full when it comes from overwork for God,
or ones country, or ones own family. l
have seen wounds that were glorious. 1
have seen an empty sleeve that was more
beautiful than the most muscular forearm.
I have seen green shade over the eye, shot
out in battle, that was more beautiful than
any two eyes that had passed without in
jury. I.have seen an old missionary, worn
out with the malaria OF African junSles,
who looked to me more radiant than rubi-
cund gymnast. I have seen mother, after
six weeks watching over family OF chill
dren down with scarlet fever, with glory
around her pale and wan face that sur
passed the angelic. 1t oil depends on how
YOU cot YOUR sickness and in what battle
your wounds.
II we must get sick and worn out, let 1t
be in Gods service and In the effort to make
the world good. Not In the service OF sin.
No, no. One OF the most pathetic scenes
that T ever witness, and I often see 1t, Is
that OF men or women converted in the
hities or sixties or seventies wanting to be
useful, but they so served the world and
satan in the earlier part OF their life that
they have no physical energy left for the
service of God. They sacrificed nerves,
muscles, lungs, heart and liver on the
wrong altar. They fought on the wrong
side, and now. when their sword Is all hack.
ed up and their ammunition all gone, they,
enlist for Emmanuel. When the high met.
tied cavalry horse, which that man spurred
into many cavalry charge with champing