The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-12-29

curves, with eoronets; with exqutsiteness,
With pomp, with almost supernatural spec.
tacle. Then you will appreciate what my
text says, as It declares, "By the breath Of
God frost Is given" You will see on the
window pane, traced there by the frost.
whole gardens of beauty, forms, orchids.
daffodils, heliotropes, china asters, foun.
tains, statues, hounds on the chase, roe.
bucks plunging into the stream, battle
scenes with dying and dead, catafalques Of
kings, triumphant professions, and as the
morning sun breaks through you will see
cities on fire and bombardment with burst
ing shell and illuminstions as for some
great victory, coronations and angels on
the wing. All night long, while you were
sleeping, the frost was working. and you
ought not to let the warmth obliterate the
scene until you have admired 1t, studied 1t,
absorbed 1t, set 1t up In your memory for
perpetual refreshment, and realize the
force and magnitude and intensity OF my
text: "By the breath Of God frost is given"
He Is stupid Christian WHO thinks so
much of the printed. and bound Bible that
nor reads the wisdom and kindness and
beauty Of God written In blossoms on the
orchard, in sparkles on the lake, In stars
in the sky. In frost on the meadows. The
greatest jeweler Of all the earth is the
frost.
But I 60 astep further, and speak Of the
frost as an evangelist, and q text OF Scrip
tureis not OF much use to me unless can
find the goypeiinit. The Israelites in the
wilderness breakfasted on something that
looked like frozen. dew. The mamma fell on
pulverized material, white and looking
like frost; but 1t was mama, and OF that
they ate. So now, this morning, mixed
with the frozen dew Of my text, there is
mama on which we may breakfast our
souls. You say the frost kills. Yes, 1t
kills some things, but we have already
seen that It gives health and life to others.
This gospel Is the saver Of life unto life, or
death unto death. As the frost Is mighty,
the gospel is mighty. AS the frost de-
scends from heaven, the gospel descends
Is given. BY the breath Of God the gospel
is given. AS the frost purifles, so the grace
Of God puriffes. the frost vests the
earth, so grace beJ> ,gels the soul. AS the
frost prepares for food many things that
otherwise would be inedible, so the frost
Of trial roens and prepares food for the
soul. aas i
Thank God for frosts. What helped
make Milton the greatest OF poetsa The
frost of blindness. What helped make
Washington the greatest of generals2 The
frosts of Valley Forge. What make it ap-
propriate for one passing John Bunyan's
dreamers?". The frosts of imprisonment.
The greatest college from which we can
graduate Is the College Of Frosts. Especial
trials fit for especial work. just now
watch, and you will see that trouble Is pre-
parative and educational. That Is the
grindstone on which battle axes are sharp
ened. Without complaint take the hard
knocks. You will see that after q while,
though you may not appreciate 1t now,
that BY the breath of God frost Is given.
Let the corners Of your mouth, 80 long
drawn down in complaint, be drawn up In
smiles Of content.
For years poets and essayists have cele-
brated the grace and swiftness OF tho Ara
Arab horses get their feetness and poetry
of motion2 Long centuries ago Mahom-
med, with $4,000 cavalry horses on the
march, could find for them not q drop OF
water for three days. Coming TO the top OF
q hill river was in sight. With wild dash
the so, 900 horses started for the stream.
4 minute after an armed host was seen ad.
vancing, and at Mohammed's command
one hundred bugles blew for the horses to
fall In line, but all the $4,000 continued the
wild gsllop to the river, except five, and
they, almost dead with thirst, wheeled into
line OF battle. Nothing In human bravery
and self-sacrifice excels that bravery and
self-sacrifce Of those five Arabian war :
horses. Those five splendid steeds Mohsm-
med chose for his own use. and from those
five came that race of Arabian horses, for
ages the glory Of the equestrian world.
And let me say that, in this great war OF
truth against error, of holiness against sin,
and heaven against hell, the best war
horses are descended from those who, after
pang and self-denial and trouble, answered
the Gospel trumpet and wheeled into line.
Out of great tribulation, out OF great fires,
out of great frosts they came. And let me
say, 1t will not take long for God to make
up to you in the next world for all you
have suffered In this.
: AS Won enter heaven God may say "Glve
this man one of those lowered and colon
naded palaces on that ridge OF gold over
looking the Sea Of Glass. Give this wom-
an home among those amarathine blooms
and between those fountains tossing In the
everlasting sunlight. Give her O couch
canopied with rainbows to pay her for all
the fatigues OF wifehood and motherhood
and housekeeping, from which she had no
rest for forty years. Cup-bearers OF heaven,
give these newly-arrived souls from the
earth the costliest beverages and roll to
their door the grandest ohariots, and hang
on their walls the sweetest harps that ever
to fingers seraphio. Give to
them rapture on rapture, celebration on
celebration, jubilee on jubilee, heaven on
heaven. They had hard time on earth
earning livelihood, or nursing sick chill
dren, or waiting on querulous old age, or
bai,tling faIsehoods that were told about
them, or were compelled to work after they
got tshort-breathed and rheumatic and dim.
sighted. Chamberlains Of heaven! Keepers
Of the Kings robesI Banqueters Of eternal
royaltyl Make up to them hundredfold,
q thousandfold, q millionfold, for NIL they
suffered from swaddling clothes to shroud,
and let all those who, whether on the hills,
Or in the temples, or on the thrones. or on
jasper wall, were helped and sancti1ed and
prepared for this heavenly realm by the
Mission OF the Frosts stand up and wave
their scepters!" And Hooked, and behold,
of the ransomed rose to their
ieet, and nine-tenths Of the soepters swayed
to and fro in the light Of the sun that never
sets, and then understood, far better than
ever did before, that trouble comes Tor
benefcent purpose, and that on the cold
est nights the Aurora is brightest In the
heavens, and that "by the breath
of God frost ID given"
TWO HUNDRED MURDERS IN A YEAR
Bishop Capers Sets q Day For Preaching