The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-11-08
been able 60 got our world out OF tho

breakers. But tho signals Ut Dis
trcss have been hoisted and tho lifo
lines arc out, and our worlds re-
lease is certain The good influences
Of the consecrated people in our
world Will be centupled by tho helm
from the heavenly world, and tho Di-
vine power will overcome the do
moniao. 0 man, o woman, cxpand
your idea and know the magnitude
of contest in which three worlds nro
specially interested. From ali tho
seven worlds which my text calls tho
Pleiades there oome no such powerful
Influences as from tho two worlds
that l am now mentioning. My only
hope for this world Is IN the reen-
forcement that is to como from an
other world. But that is promised,
and SO feel rs sure Of the ratifica-
tion Of all evil as though looking out
Of my window to-day saw the parks
and tho gardens towering into anoth-
er paradise and the apocalyptic angel
hying through tho midst Of Heaven
with tho news that the kingd oms Of
this world have become tho kingdoms
Of our Lord,
My text called Job aud oalls as to
consider "the sweet Influences" We
put too much emphasis upon the noid-
tiles Of life, upon tho irritations Of
life, upon tho dsappointments Of
lite. Ammianus Marceilinus said that
Chaldca was in olden times overrun
their power because tho great swamps
produced many gnats that would get
into the eyes Of tho lions, and the
| !. q
would olaw their own eyes out and
thon starve. And La our tilno many q
lion has been overcome by gnat.
The littlo atinging annoyances OF life
keep us from approaching tho sweet
influences. And how many Of these
last there are! Sweet Influences OF
homo, hewovcr plain 1t may bel That
Is the sharbor into which wc sail.
That is tho goal for which we run.
That is the place where we rest.
There abide all confidence and affco-
tions. There we lay our plans. There
we extend our sympathics. There
wo talk over our successes. There
we unload our gricfs. It's four walls
shut out prying and inquisitive
world. Thank God for tho home in
which we wcro born, the home in
which we now live, the home in which
wo expect to die!
Not sufficiently do we recognize the
sweet influences Of the wifo. We men
are Of roughcr mold, and our voice is
loud, and our manners need TO be
tanned, and gentlcness is not rs much
Of characteristic as 1t ought to be,
md we often say things we ought to
take baok. 1t Is to change this that the
good wife comes In. The interests OF
tho twain arc Identical. That which
from outsiders would be considered
criticism and TO be resented becomes
kindly suggestion, sweet influences
that mako us better men than we 9TH
erWise would have been or could have
been.
The sweet influences Of the heavenly
world, which many wise men thought
for long while was Alcyone, the cen
ter Of tho consultations OF the Plei-
AIDES, world Of our future resfd ence,
as we hope; world OF chorus and IL
Illumination, world Of reunion, world
where we shall lie, eyerlastingly CONS
plate, world where our :old FACULTIES
will. be intensif and quickeaed and
new faculties implanted, world OF high
whose graoo wo got there 1T all, md
apostles ard poots-H abakkuk and. st.
John, of Patm os, and Edward Young,
his might Thong II So \ rnod s;tnfo
eternal; day; and ,Horatips BonRrS-of
modern hysan ology; y;anaHannah$$M More,
and Mrs. Hemans and Mira: 81 SiSourhsy
who struck their harps till nations ps-
tened; and David, the victor soveE. Cos
Hath with what seemed insuffToieift
weapons: and Joshua, Of the pro;
lenged day III Gibeon; and Havelook,
the evangelist hero, and those tthou-
sands Of mon Of the sword who fought
on tho right side. What company to
move in. What guests to entertainl
What personages to yisitl What
choirs to chant! What banquets with
lifted chalices filed with "the now
wine Of tho kingdom!" What Victories
to celebrated $fS
Tho stories Of thnt world and It's
holy hilarities como In upon our soul
sometimes in song, sometimes In SER
mon, sometimes III hours OF solitary
reflection, and they arc, 10 use tho
words Of my text, sweet Influences.
But there Is one star that affects us
more with Its sweet influence than the
conter star, tho Aloyone of tho plsi-
ades, and that Is what one Bible au-
thor calls the Star OF Jacob and anoth-
CIR Bible author calls the Morning
Star.
Sweet influences Of the Holy Ghost,
with all His transforming and com.
fortingand emancipa ting power! When
that power is fully felt, there will bo
no more sins to pardon and no more
wrongs to correct and no more sor-
rows to comfort and no more bondage
to break. But as the old-time ship
captains watched the rising Of the
Ploiades for safe navigation and set
sail in Mediterranean waters, but
woro suro to get back into port before
tho constellation Orion came into
sight. tho season Of cyclone and hurYi-
cane, SO there is a timo to sail for Heav-
en-, and that is while the sweet in
fuences are upon us and before the
storms overtake The delay. Open all
your soul to the light and warmth and
comfort and inspira ton Of that Cos
pei which has already pcopled Heaven
with millions OF he REASONED and Is
helping millions to that glorious destl-
nation. DO not postpone tho things
Of God and eternity till the storms Of
life swoop and the agtations OF o