XXXV. The Dead Line.

During the great Rebellion, the rebels had, at Andersonville, a prison, or stockade, where our fathers, brothers, and sons were unmercifully murdered. Within this stockade was drawn a line, marking the utmost limits of their freedom, and this was called “The Dead-line.” It said to the prisoners, “Thus far thou shalt go, and no farther.” The penalty of death was inflicted upon all that approached this line. Many received the deadly bullet for daring to tread forbidden ground.

The Dead-line fairly represents this world, and the utmost limits of our freedom. When God created man, he placed him in Paradise, and put around him the “dead-line,” saying “In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” Adam transgressed the command of God, and received the death-penalty. Adam died.

The Dead-line is still visible, and laid down in the great Statute Book, as the “broad way that leads to death.” We see almost every day, men and women approaching the Dead-line, and death ensues. “Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God.” Was it not strange, that our boys in blue, in seeing their comrades shot down daily for approaching this line, would go in the same direction, and receive their fate?

It is precisely so with many that profess the grace of God to-day. Women that were once saved in God, conforming to the divine command, “I will that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with broidered hair or gold, or pearls or costly array, but which becometh women professing godliness, with good works.” But now, alas! how changed. The gold has become dim. Hearts that were all aglow with the love of God; tongues employed in giving glory to him, telling of his wondrous power to save; physical powers all devoted to the redemption of a lost world; goods and chattels, all consecrated to the grand end of life eternal; time and talents; yea, all my store, more shouldst thou have if I had more, was the language of their hearts; but now, alas! they have evidently been too near the “Dead-line.” The odor of death is realized all through their ranks. It might well be sung—

“Hark! from the tomb a doleful sound.”

Avoid the route that brings spiritual death! “If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee,” or anything as dear as the eye, for it is better to enter into life halt than to be cast into hell with all our members.