The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-06-08
iI.-LIFE A REALITY

CeOce, VIII ibS Eedi SitA t'SSo w.
tent, and It's logical conclusions and
sequences. all as real and as actual IN
its existence. as God himself IS real
and e1isteth. Think all you may wish
to think that life is not reai-that II
is only dream-and you cannot
change the fact OF your existence.
And, Furthermore. every projection
Of life is real: all the feelings, all the
pleasures and sorrows;-all the sin
and disease, are realities which must
be reckoned with. Indeed nothing
could so exactly coincide with the
eternal fitness OF things as human
eXperience-the feelings. pleasantanc
otherwise-the NAN In his knowing
and feeling existing.
,. Indeed. human life in all OF It's
phases IS exactly what God mad IN
view when he made this world. Why
imagine if you can. this old world Tor
a moment without human life-wlth-
out man, its master tenent. and all
that ne has achieved, and it would
be a failure. the tremendous failure
OF the 6evinity who made 1t. IL takes
the life OF man to complete GOD S pur
pose in the creation.
3. But the soul ushe.ed into life
with almost the panss Of death knows
nothing OF the hard path that 1t IS TO
tread. 1t is unconscious OF the fact
that the dawninS OF life's morning Is
but prophetic OF the closing day with
its setting sun and dawninS shadows.
which day may be one OF gloom or
sunshine, OF cursing or blessing. ac-
cordins to the will Of the Father and
the choice and violitioDs Of the indi
vidual. And, indeed. the great ma
jority Of men and women, III long
life OF even three score and ten years.
never learn the full meaning OF life
nothing OF its possibilities. It's oppor-
tunit!es or its great responsibilities.
They never get q vision OF the full
meaning of life: and so like turtles
they shut themselves up IN their own
little sphere and exist and die unto
themselves and the world is rot bless
ed or made any better by their hav'
ing lived in it. But happy the man
like Milton or Hugo, or Jeremy lay
lor, or Luther or Knox. o. Wesley or
Whitfield, who feels something OF the
great responsibilities Of life and gives
himself l!viag sacrifice upon the al.
tars OF love TO bless Humanity and
this old world. Happy the man. and
happy the age 10 which he lives. True.
we cannot all be men like these just
mentioned. but through wise choice
OF the better things OF life and the
right exercise G; our minds We can at
least De happy ourselves and in Jesus
the Eternal Rock Of Ages find sweet
refuse from the storms that would
otherwise wreck and ruin struS-
Cling soul tossed upon the surSing
Hillows OF the sea OF life; and indeed
no good man ever died in vain.
Iu.-METApHoRS-LI ILLUSTRAT-
sd.
/. But now unto what shall we llS-
en- Ii {. The Bible speaks Of 1t under
n multitude OF metaphors, or figures
OF speech. which are at once striking
and ful! OF instruction, and they al
lord US a wide and interesting field OF
study. And now in the light OF some
O! these striking presentations found
in the Bible, and also in the writings
OF good men, let us see how life may
be illustrated. And, first, we would
suggest that
(a) LIFE Is 4 DIAL.
!. Life is u dial upon which time
casts its passing shadows, with its
rro,ninc, noon and night; its rising
and it's setting suns, its lights and Its
shadows; its sprins-time; its summer;
its autumn and Its winter; its begin
min. and its end. Life is Il dial; and
we know that time is fleeting, and.
therefore. that The hands on the clock
in the steeple OF Time will neither
stop nor turn backward Time and
tide wait for no man" \ man may
stop and sit down and waste the gold
IN opportunities Of life. bu: time
moves on. The hands OF the old clock
OF Time are always turning towards
eternity. aud thus bringing the man
moment by momenc. and hour by
hour, nearer 20 the Judgment and TO
an accounting with his God.
>. How true 10 life that old. old
story, in which a man il the autumn
and winter OF life is represented as
going back to the old plantation, to
1.-The old house at home, now the
habitation Of strangers. and after
looking about the premises, he gets
permission to so up ioto the sarret.
and there he finds among the rubbish,
his little truudle bed about which his
mother taught him his evening pray
ers. Now l lay me down to sleep.
and in which she used to tuck him
suu.ly awny at night, and giving him
the goodnight kiss, leave him TO
slumber and to sleep. And now as
these memories Of a long ago are pass
ing like shadows through his mind.
and rs he hears again her lulabys. and
feels ago the imprint OF holy lips, and
hears her good advice, which he has
not followed, and as he thinks OF the
golden opportunities which he has
thrown to the winds, lie prays:
Turn backward. o. Time. ;ur: backward IN
your ai:h:.
.,aI make nc caid again JUS: .oE tonight
Blu, every tick of the old clock. and
every stroke CT the hammer upon the
gong, seem to mock him while he
pravs. Time will not turn backward
in its flight. and therefore he cannot
20 back and gather up the lost oppor.
tunit!es.
>. And 80 opportunities are like
childhood days: when once they have
passed, we cannot recall them. They
are gone forever. Therefore. when a
man spends his time in foolishEess.
as for instance. in playing l5,bal!
pool. or in gambling his life away, he
is punching golden opportunities in,
to lnesily pockets that will never give
them up. am sorry for the man who
must lament the foliies Of = misspen,
youth and the days o: lost opportun
itv
!. And now hear Ine, young man
and let these words sink down deel
into YOUR heart: Fortunes are made
ana determined early il life. There
fore the Bible says. "Eelnelnber now
thy Creator in the days OF thy youth
while the evil days come not. nor the
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