The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-11-01

|
OF that star they got home again.
Those who follow the advice OF this
world in time Of perplexity arc in a
fearful round, for it is one bcwildered
soul following another bcwi.dered
soul, aud only those who have IN such
time got their eye on the morning star
Of our Christian faith can find their
way out or be strong enough TO lead
others with an ull-persuusiye invita-
| tion.
But" says some one, "you Christian
| people keep telling us 10 come yet
you do not tell us how to come" That
| charge shall not be true on this occa-
sion. Come believing! Come repent
ingl Come praying! After all that God
has been doing for six thousand years,
sometimes through patriarchs and
sometimes through prophets and at
last through the elimination Of all the
tragedies on Golgotha, can anyone
think that God will not welcome your
coming? Will father at vast outlay
construct mansion for his son and
lay out parks white with statues ana
green with foliage and all a-sparkle
| with fountains and then not allow his
| son TO live in the house or walk ia the
| parks? Has God built this house Of
| Gospel mercy and will He then refuse
entrance to Ills children? Will a gov
ernment at great expense build life
saving stations all along the coast and
| boats that can hover unhurt like a
| petrel over the widest surge and then,
| when tho lifeboat has reached tho
| wreck OF ship In The of1ing, not allow
| the drowning to seize the life line or
take the boat for the shore in ssfety7
Shall God provide ut the cost Of His
only Sons assassination escape for a.
sinking world and then turn a doaf
ear TO The cry that comes up frem he
breakers?
But" you say, there ars SO many
things have to believe and SO many
things in the shape Of creed that I
have TO adopt that | anu kept back"
No, no! You need believe but two
things-namely, that Jcsu. Christ
came into the world to save sinners
and that you arc one Of them. "But,"
you say, 81 do believe both Of those
things Do you really believe them
with all your heart? "Yes" why,
then, you have passed from death into
life. Why, then, you arc son or
daughter Of the Lord Almighty Why,
then, you arc an heir or an heircss Of
an inheritance that will declare divi-
dends from now until long aftor The
stars arc dead. Mallelu,iah! Priace OF
God, why do you not come and take
your ooronct? Princess Of the Lord
Almighty, why do you not N cunt your
throne? Pass up into tho light. Your
boat is anchored, why do you not go
ashore? Just plant your feet down
hard, and you will feel under them the
Rock Of Ages. challenge the uni
| verse for ono instance in which a man
in tho right spirit appealed for the sal
vation of the Gospel and did not get it.
Man alive, are you going to let all the
years Of your life go away with YOU
without your having this great peace,
this glorious hope, this bright expect
ancy? Are you going to let the pearl
Of great price lie in the dust at Your
feet because you are too indolent or
too proud to stoop down and pick it
up? Will you wear the chain Of evil
habit when near by you is the hammer
that could with ono stroke snap the
ahaoklo? Will you stay in the prison OF
sin when here is Gospel key that
could unlock your incarceration :?
| No, no!
AS the one word "Come" has some
times brought many souls to Christ, I
will try the experiment of piling up
into q mountain and. then send down
III an avalanche Of power many Of
these Gospel "Comes" Come thou
and all thy house into the ark" "COme
unto me all We who labor and arc heavy
laden, and will give you rest." "Come,
for all things are now ready" Come
with us, and we will DO you good"
Come and see" "The Spirit and the
bride say Come. and let him tha hear
eth say Come and let him that is
athirst come" The stroke OF one bell
IN tower may be sweet, but q score
Of bells well tunod and rightly lifted
and skillfully swung in one great
chime fiji tho heavens with music al
most celestial. And no ono who has
heard tho mighty chimes in tho towers
Of Ans terdam or Client or Copenhagen
car forget them. Now, it seems TO me
that IN this Sabbath hour all Heaven
ls Ginning, and tho voices or departed
friends and kindred ring down The sky,
saying: "Comc!" The angels who
never fell, bending from sapphire
thrones, are chanting: "Come!" Yea,
oil tho towers Of Heaven, tower Of
martyrs, tower Of prophets, tower Of
apostles, tower Of evangelists, tower
Of the temple Of the Lord God and the
Lamb, are Ginning: "Comel Comet"
Pardon for al and peace for all and
Heaven for all who will come.
When Russia was Ia ono Of her great
wars the suffering Of tho soldiers had
been long and bitter, and they were
waiting for the end Of the strife. One
day a messenger In great excitement
ran among the tents Of the army,
shouting: Peace! peace!" The SEN
tinel on guard asked: "Who says
| peacc?" And the sick man turned on
his hospital mattress and asked: "Who
says peacc?" and all up and down the
| encampment Of the Russians went the
questions "Who says peace?' Then
the messenger responded: "The czar
says peace" That was enough. That
meant going home. That meant the
war was over. No more wounds and
no moro long marches. SO to-day, as
one Of the Lords messengers, / move
through those great cncampmcnts OF
seuls and ory: "Peacc between earth
and Heaysu! reaco between God and
man! Peace between your rcpen ling
soul and pardoning Lord!" II you