The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-05-24

sing. Praise the Lord, ye blood bought
immortals on earthl Praise the Lord, ye
crowned spirits OF heavenl
But some Of you have not always had
smooth lite. Some OF you are now In the
shadow. Others had their troubles years
ago; you are a mere wreck Of what you
once were. I must gather up the sorrows
OF your past life, but how shall do it2
You say that 1t Is impossible, as you have
had so many troubles 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 unconscious
ly find yourselves keeping step to the mu-
sic, so when you started life your very life
full OF Joy and hilaritY: with the bright,
clear oar you made the boat skip. You
went on. and life grew brighter. until, af-
ter awhile, suddenly voice from heaven
said, "Haltp' 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 any
thing serious. Death in slippered feet
walked around the cradle. You did not
hear the tread, but after awhile the truth
Oh, II you could, with your strong, stout
destroyer! You went to your room and
you said, "God, save my child! God, save
my childI'' The world seemed going out
In darkness. You said, II can't bear 1t, I
can't bear it." You felt as II you could not
put the long lashes over the bright eyes,
never to see them again sparkle. II you
could have taken that little one In your
arms, and with 1t leaped the grave. how
gladly you would have done It'll II you
could let your property go, your. houses
go, how gladly you would have let them
depart IN you could only have kept that
one TREASURED!
But one day there came up q chill blast
that swept through the bedroom, and In
stantly all the lights went out. and there
was darkness-thick, murky, impenetrable,
leave you there. Mercy spoke. As you
took up the bitter cup to put 1t to your
lips God said, "Let 1t pass" and forthwith,
as by the hand Of angels, another cup was
put into your hands. 1t was the cup Of
Gods consolation. And as you have some1
times lifted the head OF o wounded soldier
and poured wine into his lips, go God puts
His left arm under your head and with
His right hand He poHrs into your lips the
wine of His comfort and His consolation,
and you looked at the empty cradle and
looked at your broken heart, and you
looked at the Lords chastisement, and
you said. "Even so, Father, for so it
seemeth good in Thy sight"
All, 1t was your first trouble. How did
you get over 1t? God confronted you. You
have been better man ever since. You
have been o better woman ever since. In
the jar OF The closing gate. OF the sepulcher
you heard the changing OF the opening gat5
OF Heaven, and you felt an Irresistible
drawing heavenward. You have been
spiritually better ever since that night
when the little one for the last time put
It's arms around your neck and said;
GOOD night, papa! Good night, mamma!
Meet me In Heavenl'
Perhaps your last sorrow was financial
embarrassment. I congratulate some OF
you on your lucrative profession or occu-
patton, on ornate apparel, on modi.
hands on seems to turn to gold. But there
are others OF you who are like the ship on
which Paul sailed where two seas met. and
you are broken by the violence OF the
waves. By an unadvised Endorsement, or
by conjunction Of unforeseen events, or
by fire or storm, or senseless panic, you
have been flung headlong and where you
once dispensed great charities now you
have hard work to win your daily bread.
Have you forgotten to thank God for your
days OF prosperity, and that through your
trials some OF you have nade Investments
which will continue after the last bank o.
this world has exploded, and the silver and
gold are molten In the fires OF q burning
world? Have YOU, amid all your losses
and discouragem ents, forgot that there was
bread on your table this morning, and that
there shall be a shelter for your head from
the storm, and there Is air for your lungs,
and blood for your heart, and light for
your eye, and glad and glorious and
triumphant religion for your soul2
Perhaps your last trouble was bereave-
ment. That heart which In childhood was
your refuge, the parental heart and witch
has been source OF the quickest sympathy
ever since, has suddenly become silent for
ever. And now sometimes, whenever in
sudden annoyance and without deliberation
YOU saw, "I will 60 and tell mother" the
thought flashes on you, II have no
mother" Or the father, with voice less
tender, but with heart as loving, watchful
OF all your ways, exultant over your success
without saying much, although the old peo-
pie do talk 1t over by themselves, his trem-
bling hand on that staff whichyou now keep
as family relic, his memory embalmed IN
grateful hearts-is taken away forever. Or
there was your campanion In LIE, sharer OF
your joys and sorrows, taken, leaving the
heart an old ruin, whore the Ill winds blow
over q wide wilderness Of desolation, the
sands OF desert driving across the place
which once bloomed like the garden OF
God. And Abraham mourns for Sarah at
the cave of Machpelah. As you were NOV
ing along your path In life, suddenly. right
before you, was an open grave. People
looked down, and they saw 1t was only q
few feet deep and few feet Wide. but to
you 1t was q cavern down which went all
your hopes and all your expectations. But
cheer up In the name OF. the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Comforter.
There is one more point OF absorbing
"reminiscences, and that Is the Lost hour OF
life, when we have to look over all our
past existence. What moment that"will
be! I place Napoleon's dying reminis-
cence on st. Helena besides Mrs. Judson's
dying reminlscence In the harbor OF st.
Helena, the same island, 90 years after.
Napoleon's Gylng reminiscence was one OF
d'armee'-"Head OF the
army" Mrs. Judson's lying reminiscence,
as she came home from her missionary toll
and her life OF SELF sacrifice for God, dying
In the cabin OF the ship in the harbor OF
st. Helena, was, 81 always did love tue
Lord Jesus Christ" And then the his
torlan says she fell into sound sleep
for un hour and woke amid the songs
OF angels. 1 place the dying rsminis-
cence OF Augustus Casar agatnt the
dying "Reminiscences OF the apostle Paul.
The dying reminiscence OF Augustus
Cesar was, addressing his attendants,
"Have played my part we'll on the stage
OF life?" and they answered in the afarma-
tive, aud he said, "Why, then, don't you
applaud me?" The dying "reminiscences OF
Paul tue apostle was, 'I have fought q
good fight, I have finished my course. l
have kept the fnith; henceforth there is
laid up for me crown Of riShteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
give me In that day, and not to mo only.
Augustus Caesar died amid pomp and great