The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1909-12-15
A SERMON ON LOVE.
NY text for this morning is as follows:

Ay te4t1Or tnl9 morning IL aS 1OllCWs:
Like an outline, like q dove,
Like thousand things is love.
My hearers-Loye, as truly says my
text, may be likened to thousand
things-things consistent, things con-
trarient. things anomalous, things par
adoxical, and things plausible; but I
shall mention only few, besides the
vulture and doye, to which this ten
der (yet terribly tough) passion may
be likened. Love, then, is like the
devil; because it torments Us, and hath
a warm place for it's home. It is like
the consumption; because it wastes
away the flesh, alternately pales and
reddens the cheek, and sets doctors at
defiance. 1t is like heaven; because
it wraps the soul in blanket of bliss,
and makes fellow feel az tho forev-
er ought to be heightened and eterni-
ty widened, to give it scope for the
expansion Of it's Joys. 1t is like salt,
because it gives a relish to the cold
porrige of poverty. 1t is like pepper;
because it is warming to the inwards,
and sometimes brings tears to the eyes.
1t is like sugar; because it is sweet,
and dealt out by spoonful at the teata-
bic. It is like wine; because it makes
US happy, and talk nonsense enough
to physic, a cast iron phoenix. 1t is
like "a ship; because it rides upon both
calm and troubled seas, and takes one
to the wished-for-port. 1t is like
jack.o-lantern; because it leads one
into bog, and the more a body strug-
giles to get out, the deeper he is in the
mire. 1t is like the bite of mad
dog, or the kiss Of a pretty woman;
because the both make man run
mad.
My friends-love, among other
things, is like rose tree; because it
hath both thorns and blossoms. The
blossoms are fragrant and beautiful,
and the thorns are sharp aud pierc-
ing. 1t blooms for short season, and
then is lovely no more. Soon the
green leaf Of friendship turn yellow
and fall; and there stands the insight
ly tree of love, as barren of beauty ss
flying fish is of feathers! It is like
smallpox; because those who have
once been afflicted with it are not liza
BILE to have it again, except in mild
er form. It is like the measles; be-
cause it is severer with adults than
with children. It is like the rain; be-
cause it falls upon the just and un-
just" Like death; because it is no re-
specter Of persons. Like a shadow,
because it sticks close to it's object.
Like tick upon sheep; because 1t
cannot be shaken off. Like q wife;
because there is no getting rid of it.
Like goose; because it is silly. Like
rabbit; because there ia nothing like
it. Like a monkey; because it makes
mischief. In short, love is like
ghost; because it ls like everything
and like nothing-often talked about,
but never seen, touched or under
stood. My hearers-Love, by some
writer Of old, has been mentioned as
strange compeer of war; for while
war Is Staying thousands with it's
swords, love is committing murder
upon as many with it's cruel darts.
The former sheds blood enough in the
course of a century to deluge small
township, and the latter causes tears
to flow, in the same space of time,
sufficient to keep saw mill in opera
tion for q month of Sundays. The
tears shed by repentance, compared
with the quantity split by. love, are
about as gentle fall of dew to rain
tempest in August.
But my friends there is a species OF
love that acts as oil upon the troubled
waters-that lulls raging passion to
rest-that snooths down the porcu-
pine quilts of envy, jealousy and re-
venge-that causes the CORY battle
field to bloom with the unfading fow-
ers Of universal friendship-that glows
like beautiful rainbow upon the
departing elements of strife-that
comes like white winged angel from
Heaven, proclaiming peace and good
will t. men, and kissing its hand to
the women, God bless them! This is
the kind Of love that want to see
more extensively propagated. 'J,t
the whole world be Illuminated witii
its glorious etfulgence, and sorrow
will have to look some where else to
deposit her gloom. Love one anoth.
er, my friends; love everybody
white, black, brown, yellow and all
and the garden OF humanity, now so
l. l. l., thn vii