The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-11-29
rAtMAaR's SERMON
I'm Which He Intro duoes Hope 10 the
Invalid and Erring ones. 81

pAAN sOuVas
In this disoourso DR.. Ta!mage would
lift people outs.of despondonoy and
bring something Of future Joy into Garth
Z " depression. The text 10 Hebrews
vi, .19, (which hope"
There is an Atlantic ocean Of dopth
1 and fullnoss in tho verso from which
2 my text is taken, and I only wade into
the wavo at tho beach and tako two
( words. We all have favorito words OK
pressivo ofsdolight or Sbhorronoe, word
that easily find their way from brain
to lips, words that have Ia them morn.
Is ipgs and midnights, laughter and tosrss,
thunderbolts and dowdropB. In oil
the lexicons and vooabularios there are
few words that have for mo tho sttrao-
tioDs Of the last word of my text,
Which hope"
There have in the course Of our life
\ been many angels of God that have
looked ovor our shoulders, or mot US on
the road, or ohanted tho darkness away,
or liftod tho curtains Of tho great fu
turo, or pulled uB back from the preoi-
pioea, or rollod down upon us tho rap.
turous music Of the heavens, there is
ono Of these angels who has dono 10
much for us that we wish throughout
y all timo and all eternity to celebrate it
angel Of Hope. St. Paul makes
e It the conter Of a group Of throo, saying
Now abidoth faith hope, charity"
And, though ho says that charity is
tho greatest Of tho thrco, ho docs not
4 take ono plume from the wing, or ono
I ray Of luster from tho brow, or ono
( aurora from the check, or ono melody
from tho soioo Of the angel Of my text,
Which hope" '@ s.
That was q great night for our world
whom in Bothlohem oaravansary tho
Infant Royal Was born, and that will
be a great night in the darkness Of your
soul whom Christian hope is born.
There will bo chanting in the akieo end
& star pointing to the Nativity. will
not bother you with the husk Of do.
finition and tell you what hopo is.
Whom wo sit down hungry at table,
wo do not want an analytical DISCOURSE
aa to what broad is. Hand it on pass
it round; give us slico Of it. John
speaks Of hopo 80 ''puro hopo." Potor
calls it o 'lively hope" Paul etyles it
. good hopo," . .'suro hope" re
joioing hope.' All up and down tho
Bible it is spoken Of as an anchor, as q
hafbar. as o helmot, ae door.
Whom wo draw cheok on bank,
we must have reference to tho amount
of money we have deposited, but Hope
makoe draft on q bsnk in which for
her benefit all heavon has beon Deposit
cd. Hopcl May it light up cvcry
dungeon, stand by every sickbed, lend
helping hand to every orphansgc,
loosen every chain, osress oyory forlorn
soul and turn the unpioturod room Of
tho almshouse into tho vestibule Of
heavenl How suggestive that IN, tho
logy declares that whom oil other del
ties fed tho earth tho goddess Hope re.
mainedl
1t was hopo thst revived John Kuox
whom on shipboard near the coast OF
Scotland he WAS fearfully i'll, and he
was requested to look shoreward and
asked if ho know the village near the
coast, and he answered, II know il
we'll, for ! sec the steeplo Of that place
whore God first opened my mouth ir
public to his glory, and | am fully per
suaded how woak that over now ap
pear [ shall not depart this lifo till my
tongue shall glorify his holy name il
the Same place" His hopo was 70
wardod, and for twenty. FIVE moro year,
he preached. That is tho hopo whiol
sustained Mr.. Morroll Of Norwich whol
departing this life at twonty four year,
Of age he declared, II should like tt
understand tho secrets Of etornity be
fore tomorrow morning" That wa!
the kind Of hopo that the corporal hat
in the battle when, aftor savoral stand
ard bearers had fallen, ho soizsd thu
flag and turned to lieutenant colouo
and said, "If I fall, toll my doar wife
that I die with q good hopo in Christ
and that am glad to give my life fol
my country" That wes the good hope
that DR., Goodwin had in his last hour
whom he said "Ah, is this death? Row
have I dreaded as on enemy this smil
Ing friendl'
Many have full assurance that all ie
right with the soul. They arc as suro
Of heavon as if they bad passed tho
pearly panels Of tho gate, as though
they were already seated in tho tenn pie
Of God unrolling tho libretto of tho
heavenly ohorister. I congratulate all
such. wish ! had it, too-full assur.
ance--but with mo it is hope Which
hope" Sinful, it expects forgiveness;
troubled, it oxpoots rolief; bcrcft, it
expects reunion; clear down, it ex
poets wings to lift; shipwreoked, it ex-
pocts lifeboat; bankrupt, it expects
etornal riches; prodigal, it expects
the wido open door Of the fathers farm
house. 1t does not wear itsof out by
looking backward; it always looks for
ward. What is the use Of giving so
much time to the rehearsal Of tho past2
Your mistches are not corrected by a
review. Your losses oannot, by brood
Ing over them, be turned into gains.
1t ia the future that has tho most for
us, and hope cheers US on. We hevo
all committed blundors, but docs tho
calling Of tho roll tf thom mako thom
any tho less blunders? Look ahoad in
all matters Of usefulness. However
much you may have accomplished for
.sGod and tho worlds bettormont, your
& grostebt usefulness is to oomo. NO."
says some one, "my health is gone"
mo, +" says eome one, ''my monoy is
gono." NO" gays some ono, the
most Of my years arc gone and there
fore my usefulness" Why, you talk
like an in6dol. Do you suppose
that all your capacity to do