The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-02-09


Eocau-a.eroen: to All Christian v:es X
ers-strons chsrsc ess Seedee.
DR. Talmaee here shows The style n
Chrls.ian c3sractec required l5r ia
times in which we live and gtesaS .'r
more heroicS. Tbe text Is. Esther y
Il, "Wro kCoweLh wheI6sr tlo,, sfE
come to the kingdom for 2Uch 8 t-a1@
as this2'
Esther the besuti,,ui ~,ss ire wife Ct
Ahasuerus tee a5oui> abe. @the tine
had come FOR her 10 present 9 psHit21,
to her infamous husband IT hthsitef
the Jewish ns:ion, 10 wnlch she hac
once belonged Sne was afraid TO IN
6ertake the work lest she shcU q less
her own life. bur her cousin, MOr6e-
cai, who hsd brought her up, enccOr
aged her with the suggestion tbst
probably she had been raised up Of
God for tbst peculiar mission Who
knoweth Whether thou art ccma ~ the
kingdom for such time SIS lhiS2,'
Esther had her God appointed Tcrk.
You ard have ours. 1t is my oasl
ness to tell you what style OF m4n ant
women ycu ought TO be Il order thaS
yoa meet the cemand Of he age u
which God has cast your lot. So this
discourse will not ceSi with me !ech.
nicalities, but Only with the pcac2ea
bilities. When two srIaits hsvs rush.
ed into battle tbs ctHc rs CT eiihef
army do not wan! a pallo5cPh-c i otS-
cussion about the c2ernicai properties
Of human blood or the nature Of gun,
powder. They want scme ore 10 man
the batteries ard take cut the guns.
And now, when alI The forces o. ii&ai
and darkness Of heaven and he'll have
PLUNGED INTO the fight, It is no tlne 10
give ourselves 10 the deunluonS ana
techuicalities and convenLonaLLes OF
religion. What We want IS practical,
esrnes.., concentrated, enthusiastic a10
triumphant help.
In the first plsce. n order to meet
the special demand OF this age, you
need to be an unmistakable, ag2resS.
i've Christian. OF half and half Chris
tians we do not wan! any more. The
church OF Jesus Christ will be better
without them. They are the chic:
obstacle to the church's advancement.
! am speaking Of another kind OF
Christian. All the appliances for your
becoming an earnest Christian are a.
your hand, and there IS straight
path for you lnto the broad daylight
of Gods forgiveness. You may this
moment be the bon0men Of The world,
and the next moment you may be
princes of the Lord Gcd Almighty.
You rememo Der what excitement there
was in this country, years age, when
tbs Prince of Wales cam9 nere-aow
the people rushed out by hundreds Of
thousands to See him. Why2 Because
they expected inst some DAY he wouIo
sit upon the throne of Eogland- But
what was all that honor compared
with the honor to which God calls
you-to be sons and daughters OF the
Lord Almighty-yea. to be queens and
kings unto God. They snail reign
with him forever and forever"
But you need to be aggressive Chris.
tiaus, and not like those persors who
spend their lives in hug2ing their
Christian graces and wondering why
they do not make progress, How
much robustness of health would s
man have if he hid himself IN dark
closet2 a great deal Of the piety OF
today is too exclusive. Il hides itself.
It needs more fresh air, more outdoor
exercise. There are many Christians
who are giving their entire life to selt
examination. Tney are feeling tteir
pulses to see what is the condition Of
their spiritual health. How long
would a man have robust physical
health if he kept all the day feeling
his pulse instead Of going out into set
i've, earnest every day WORK?
Twas once amid the wonderful, be
witching cactus growths OF North
Carolina. I never was more o9wlld
cred with the beauty OF flowers, and
yet when would take up one Of these
cactusss and pull the leaves apart the
beauty was all gone. You couId hard
" tell that it had ever been flower.
And there are great many Chrlstiae
people in this day just pulling apart
their Christian experiences to see
what there is IN them, and there is
nothing lett in them.
This style of self examination is
damage instead OF an advantage to
their Christian character. I remem-
ber when was boy ! used to have
q small piece in the garden that call
ed my own, and I planted corn there,
and every few days I would pull it up
to see how fast it was growing. Now
there are great many Christian peo
pie in this day whose self examination
merely amounts to the pulling up ths:
which they only yesterday Or the day
before planted. Oh, my friends, If
you want to have s:alWart Christian
character plantit right out Of doors IN
the great field OF Christian usefulness,
and though storms may come upon 1t,
and though the hot sun Of trial may
Try to consume it, it will thrive unit!
it becomes a great tree, IN which the
fowls OF heaven may have their habl-
tation. ] have no patience with these
6owerpot Christians. They keep them
selves under shelter, and all their
Christian experience IN a small, ex-
elusive ci1cls, WneO lhey oOSAs 10
plant it n the great garden of the
Lord, so that the whole atmosphere
could be aromatic with their Christian
usefulness. What we want in the
church of God is more strength Of
piety. The century plant IS wonder
fully suggestive and wonderfully
beautiful, but never look al it with,
out thinking of lis parsimony. Il let's
whole generations 60 by before it puts
forth one blossom. So I have really
more admiration when see the Sewy
tears in the blue eyes OF the giolets,
for they come every spring. My
Christian friends, time is going by 20
rapidly that we cannot afford to De
idle.
a recent statician says that human
life now has al average Of Only 50
yearS. From these 90 wears YOU must