The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-01-13

is the spreading. OF the table that feeds the
chiidren's hunger. It II the lighting of the
furnace that keeps you warm. 1t is the
care and anxiety. 1t is the carrying Of you
out at last to decent sspulcher, and the
putting up Of the slab on which Is chiseled
the story OF your Christian hope. 1t is
lecture hall against money.
But while all this is SO, he who uses
money or thinks Of money as anything but
means to nm end, will fnd out his mis-
take whom the glfttering treasures slip out
this world without a shilling OF money or a
certificate OF stock. He might better have
been the Christian porter that opened his
gate or the begrimed workman who last
night heaved the coal into HIS cellar.
Bonds and mortgages and leases have their
use, but they make poor yardstick with
which to measure life. "They that boast
themselves in their wealth and trust in the
can. by any means, redeem his brother or
give to God ransom for him that he
should not see corruption"
But remark. there are many-I wish
there were more--who estimate their life
by their m oral and spiritual development.
1t Is not Hinful egotism for u Christian
man to say: 81 am purer than I used to
be. am more consecrated to Christ than
l used to be. l have got over great
many OF the bad habits in which used to
indulge. am great deal better man
than used to be-" There is no sinful
sgotism In that. It is not base egotism for
soldier to say. i know more about mill
tary tactics than used to before took a
musket In my hand and learned to present
arms and wass pest to the drill officer"
1t is not base egotism for a sailor to say."I
know better how to olew down the mizzsn
topsail than used to before had ever
seen ship" And there is no sinful
egotism when q Christian man, fighting the
battles OF the Lord, or IL you will have 1t,
voyaging toward a haven of eternal rest,
says, "I know more about spiritual tactics
and voyaging toward heaven than used
to-"
Now, do not know what your advan-
tages or disadvantages are. I do not know
what your tact or talent Is. I do not know
what may be the fascination of your man
ners or the repulsivsness OF them. but
know this: There IL for you, my hearer, q
field to cultivate, q harvest to reap, a tear
to wipe away, soul to save. If you have
worldly means, consecrate them to Christ.
II you have eloquence, use 1t on the side
that Paul and wilberforce used theirs. II
| you have learning, put 1t all into the poor
box OF the worlds suffering. But II you
have none OF fthese-neither wealth nor elo-
quence nor learning-you at any rate have
| smile with which you can encourage the
| disheartened, frown with which you may
| blast Injustice, voice with which YOU may
call the wRnderer back to God. "Oh," you
| sny, that is a very sanctimonious view Of
|
view OF life, and it Is the only bright
view OF death. Contrast the death scene
Of man who has measured life by the
worldly standard with the death scene Of
Christian standard. Quin, the actor, in
his last moments said, II hope this tragic
scene will soon be over and hope to keep
my dignity to the last" Malesherbes "aid
as %S to ahs sSs
| puts me out OF conceit with heaven"
! Lord Chesterfield In his last moments,
when he ought to have been praying for
his soul, bothered himself about the
proprieties OF the sick room and said.
Give Dayboles chair" Godfrey kneller
, spent his last hours on earth in drawing a
diagram OF his own monument.
Compare the silly and horrible depar-
turc of such men with tho seraphic glow
on the face OF Edward Payson as he said In
his last moment: "The breezes OF heaven
fan me. ilont in II sea OF glorv." Or
| with Paul the apostle, who said in his last
hour: II am now reudy to he offered up,
aud the time OF my departure is ut hand
have fought the good fight, have kept
the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for
me crown Of righteousness which the
| Lord, the righteous Judge, will give mo-.
! Or compare it with the Christian deathbed
that you Witnessed in your own household
oh, my friends. this world is n false god
1t will consume you with the blaze in
! which 1t accepts your sacrifice. while the
| righteous Sntit De npltl III everlasting
mcmbrauce. and when the thrones have
fallen and tho monuments have crumblei
and the world has per.shed they shall ban
quet with the conquerors OF earth and the
hierarchS OF heaven.
This is good day in which to begin a
new style OF measurement. How old art
thou? You see the Christian way OF
measuring life and the worldly way OF
measuring it. l leave it to you to say
which Is the wisest and best way. The
wheel OF time has turned very swiftly
and it has hurled us on. The old year
has gone. The new year Ihus come. Fol
what you and I have been launched up
on 1t God only knows. Now let me ask
you all, have you made any preparation
for the future2 You have made pre- para
ton for time, my dear brother. Have
you made any preparation for eternity
Do YOU wonder that when that man or
the Hudson River in indignation tore uI
just one word landed on his coat sleeve
the rest OF the tract being pitched into the
river, thAt one word aroused his soul? II
was that one word. SO long, so broad, &c
high, so deep-"Eternity." A dying wom
an, in her last moments, said, Call II
"Time," she said, "call 1t back" Oh. II
cannot be called back. We might lose oul
fortunes and call them back; we might los,
our health, and perhaps recover 1t; w.
might lose our good name and get tha
back. but time gone is gone forever.
| Now, when one can sooner get to the cen.
ter OF things is he not to be congratulated
| Does not our common sense teach u!
that 1t Is better to be at the center than tc
be clear out on the rim Of the wheel, hold
ing nervously fast to the tire lest we bt
suddenly hurled into light and eterna
felicity? Through all kinds of optical in
struments trying to peer In through th'
| or icks and the keynOles OF heHyen-afrafC