The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-05-17

Thank God for an early Christian altar
at which you were taught to kneel!
Thank God for an early Christian
home.
l bring to mind another passage In
the history of your life. The day came
when you set up your own household.
The days passed along in quiet blessed
ness. You twain sat at the table morn
ing and night and talked over your
plans for the future. The most insig-
nifcent affair in your life became the
subject of mutual consultation and ad-
visement. You were so happy you felt
you never could be any happier. One
day dark cloud hovered over your
dwelling, and it got darker and darker,
but out of that cloud the shining mes
senger of God descended to incarnate
an immortal spirit. Two little feet
started on an eternal journey, and you
were to lead them, a gem to Hash IN
heavens co7onet, and you to polish 1t.
Eternal ages of light and darkness
watching the starting out OF newly
created creature. You rejoiced and
YOU trembled at the responsibility that
in YOUR possession an immortal treasure
was placed. You prayed and rejoiced
and wept and wondered. You were ear
nest in supplication that you might lead
it through life into the kingdom of God.
There was tremor in your earnestness.
There was double interest about that
home. There was an additional inter
est why you should stay there and be
faithful, and when in a few months
your house was filed with the music Of
the child's laughter you we're struck
through with the fact that you had a
stupendous mission.
Have you kept that vow? Have you
neglected any of these duties? Is
your home as much to you as it ased to
be? Have those anticipations been
gratifed? God help you in your SOL
emn reminiscence, and let his mercy
fall upon your soul, if your kindness
has been i'll requited. God have mercy
en- the parent on the wrinkles of whose
face is written the story Of a child's
sin. God have mercy on the mother
who, in addition to her other paags,
has the paDg of chiid's iniquity. Oh,
there are many, many sad sounds IN
this sad world, but the saddest sound
that is ever heard is the breaking OF a
| mothers heart
lind another point in your life his
tory. You found one day you were in
the wrong road; you could not sleep
at night; there was just one word that
seemed to sob through your banking
house or through your office or your
shop or your bedroom, and that word
was eternity You said: ~ am not
ready for it. Oh, God have mercy"
The Lord heard. Peace came to your
heart. In the breath of the hill and in
the waterfalls dash you heard the voice
Of Gods love; the clouds and the trees
hailed you with gladness; you came into
the Louise of God. You remember how
your hand trembled as yor took up the
cup of the communion. You remember
the old minister who consecrated it,
and you remember the church officials
who carried it through the aisle; you
remember the old people who at the
close of the service took your hand in
theirs in congratulating sympathy, as
much as to say, "Welcome home, you
lost prodigal, and, though those hands
be all Withered away, that communion
Sabbath is resurrected today. 1t is
resurected With all its prayers and songs
and tears and sermons and transfgura.
tion. Have you kept those vows:
Have you been haekslider? God hell
you. This day kneel at the foot Of
mercy and start again for heaven,
Start now as you started then. lrouse
your soul by that reminiscence.
But I must not spend any more ol
my time in going over the advantages
of your life. I just put them in one
great sheaf, and | call them up in your
memory with one loud harvest song
} such as the reapers sing. Praise the
Lord, ye blood bought immortals or
earth! Praise the Lord, ye crowned
spirits Of heaven.
But some of you have not always hac
a smooth life. Some of you are now II
the shadow. Others had their troubles
years ago. You are mere wreck o!
of what you once were. l must gather
up the sorrows Of your past life. But
how shall l Go it? You say that is i'm
possible, as you have had so many trou
bles and adversities. Then I will just
take two-the first trouble and the last
trouble. As when you are walking
along the street and there has been
music in the distance you unconsciously
find yourselves keeping step to the
music, so, when you started life, your
very life was musical time beat. The
air was full of JOY and hilarity. With
the bright clear oar you made the boat
skip. You went on, and life grew
bril- ghter, until after awhile suddenly a
voice from heaven said, Halt! and
quick as the sunshine you halted, you
grew pale, you confronted your first
sorrow. You had no idea that the
flush on your child's cheek was an un,
healthy flush. You said it cannot be
anything ssrious. Death ia slippered
feet walked round about the cradle.
You did not hear the tread. But after
awhile the truth flashed on you. You
walked the floor. Oh, if you could,
with your strong, stout hand, have
wrenched that child from the destroy
er! You went to your room and you
said: "God, save my child. God, save
my child" The world seemed going
out in darkness. You said, Il can't
bear it; can't bear it" You felt as il
you could not put the long lashes over
the bright eyes, never to see them again
sparkle. If you could have taken that
little one in your arms and with it leap.
ed the grave, how gladly you would
| howe Sona ~ Tf Won col1ld let youl