The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-02-01

b the doctors since the time 9of 4 st.n, Z.
81 Plus. Plus. bc obtt Ing and just make no
\ experiment. lfyoharenota acouainted
b with tho ordinary mode es OF pray az 81 4, :
In substance; 70 Lord Jesus, this Z =
strange thing for mo Ito do Z IL, I z.
J nothing about the, formulas Of reli.
gion These Christian peopl b 8 bee =
| talking SO long about what thou canst
do for me I am ready to do wha teyer
thou commandcst me. If there be any
| power III religion, rs these people say,
,Slet me have the advantage Of It." Will
| you not try that experiment.?
1 / do not now say there Is anything
in religion Dosnot take my counsel
ia slr I he counsel of any clergyman, for
= jan may dislike clergymen. Perhaps
i we may talk professionally. PERHAPS
We may be prcjudiced III the matter.
Z Perhaps our advice is not worth TAX
ing Then take tho counsel OF some
very; respectable laymon, as John Mil-
ton, the poet; as William Wilbcrforcc.
,iie emhncipator; as Isaac Eewton. tho
astronomer; as Robert Boyle, tho phil
osophcr; as Locke, the metaphysician;
as Morse, the, us Washing
| ton, the statesman. They never
preached or pretended to preach, vet
putting down one,his telescope and an
other his parliamcntarian's scroll and
another his electricians wire, camo
forth and commended the religion Of
Christ as the best thing for the euro
Of the worlds woes. If you will not
take the rccommendat tion of min nisters
F.! Of the Gospel, take The recommendation
of highly respectable laymen.
Oh, mon, skeptical and struck
through with unrestl 1 beg YOU to
come Off that great Sahara desert Of
| doubt into tho bright nnd luxuriant
land Of Gospel hope and peace. You
do not want your children TO como
up IN that skcpticism. IL you do not
believe in anything else, you believe
In loyc-a fathers love, a mother's
love; = wifes love, child's love. Thcu
let mo tell you that God loves .,ou
more than oil these together. Tho
great heart Of Christ aches 10 have
you come in, and He looks into your
eyes this moment, saying: "Other
sheep | have which are not OF this
fold.'
Again, remark that the Heavenly
Shepherd is going to find great
many Of the sheep among those who
hayo been full Of evil habit. They
were all cheated into ain. The spider
does not say to the fly: "Comc into
tho web where / kill insects" Oh,
no. The spider says: Dearest dy,
como and talk a morning walk With
mo on this suspension bridge Of gos-
samer glittcring with diamonds If
dew" DO not be hard on those gona
astray. 1t makes mo sad 10 SEQ Chris-
tian people give up u prodIgal as lost.
There are those who talk rs though
the grace Of God wero chain Of 40
or SO links and that when thoy had
run out there was nothing left to
touch q bad ease. If they were hunt
ing and got off the track Of the deer
they would look longer among the
brakes and bushes for tho lost game
than they would look for that lost
soul.
They talk about the catncombs Of
| Naples and the catacombs of Rome
and tho catacombs Of Egypt, tn
great burial plnccs under the city
whereris the dust Of many genera
| tions passed on, hut | tell YOU New
York has its catacombs and Washing
ton its catacombs and all our cities
their cn.acombs. They are under
ground liquor dives, full Of dcnd mems
bones and all uncleanliness. There ia
no need Of going into the art gallery
to see in sleillful sculpture that won
| derfnl representation of man and
his sons wound round with scrpcnts.
There arc families represented here
to-day that arc wrapped in tho mar
tyrdom Of fang and scale and venom,
q living Laoooon OF ghnstlnoss and
| horror.
There is only ono class OF persona
| about whom ] am disheartened, and
they arc the Gospel hardened. They
have been faithful in attendance at
ohurches for 20, 30 and 40 years, yet
mover have surrendered themselves to
God. AS Christ says: "Publicans and
harlots go into tho kingdom Of hesv-
en- before them" They hnvo resisted
all the importantly of divine mercy
and have gone through most power.
full earthquakes Of religious feeling,
and they are farther away from God
than ever. After awhile they win lie
down sick, and some day 1t will DO
told that they are dead No hopel
But turn 10 outsiders with an ex.
pectation that thrills through me,
body and soul. "Othcr sheop I have,
which arc not Of this fold" You arc
not Gospel hardened. You have not
heard many sermons during tho last
few years. You feel tho Holy Ghost
thiS moment IN your heart You do
not weep, but the tear is not far off.
You sigh, and you have noticed that
there Is always sigh IN tho wind be-.
fore the rain falls. There are those
here who would give anything If they
could flnd relief in tears. They sayt
"Oh, my wasted lifel Oh, tho bitter
pasti Oh, the graves over which I
have stumbled Whittier shall ny?
Alas, for tho futurcl Everything is
SO dark, so very darkl God help mel
God pity mel" Thank the Lord for
that last utterancc. You havs begun
to pray, and when man begins to
petition, God steps in and beats back
the hounds Of temptation to their
kennel and round about tho poor
wounded soul puts the covert of his
pardoning mercy Harlsl T hear
something fall What was that? It
is the bars OF tho fence around the
shcepfold. The Shepherd let's down
the bars, and the hunted sheep Of tho
mountain bound in some Of them
their fleece torn with brambles, somo
Of them their feet lamed with the
dogs, but bounding IN. Thank Godi
"Other sheep I have, which are not
of thie fold -