The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-10-15
Sunaaq Rrn1iulI.
THY SON LIVETH."

many Il parents heart has been wrung
with anguish by hearing Of the dangerous
illness Of beloved son. lie is at a dis
tance from the paternal roof, and circum.
stances forbid the yearning father from
hastenipg to him. Day after day fol.
lows-oh, hoW heavily! and perhaps no
tidings come to relieve the distressing
anxiety. At length letter is received.
How trembIingly it is opened but how
his heart leaps with joy if it contains the
remedy fer his tears-the annunciatiyn-
"Thy son liveth !"
There is another sense in which these
words may convey lidings of far high i'm
port, and minister to far higher joy. 1t
frequently happens that the son goes forth
to engage il the labors, and meet the
temptations, and suffer the sorrows Of life,
with no interest in Christ, no hope of an
rnfadipg inheritance above. Sometimes
god finds him among strangers, and
brings conviction home to his soul. The
&2nse Of danger and of guilt, the earnest
inquiry for the meaps of d9iverance, the
etruggles, the tears, the prayers which
precede his entrance to new life, are all
experienced among strangers. The news
2Qmes to the anxious father, "Thy son
liveth." He is no longer dead in tres2as-
ses and sins; he is no longer at variance
with God ); he has no longer before him
the prospect of an undone eternity.
Christian father have you son away
from y9uE Immediate influence, and is he
a stranger to God Has he gone forth
into the world without the blessing of
God? Is he the enemy of Godl Is he
condemned already and is all his prosper.
ity owing to the fo,bearance OF that God
whose clemency he is abusing every day?
dow great must be your desire to hear
not merely o. his success in business, but
that he lveth unto righteousness and eter.
nal life! How constant and, fervert must
pc your prayers for his conversion
S it rot soe Are not our chief anx.
icties respecting. his spiritual health and
spiritual prosperty9 Do you rot believe
Lhat souls are converted in answer TO prav.
er9 Ind does not every consideration Of
affection, as well as Of duty, urge you to
pray, 1fyou dc, not pray for your own
son, can you expect Others to pray for
him?
Sometimes the parent is conscious tl,at
his own prayers are lacking in ferveney
and earnestness. lie feels that such
prayers will not prevail; but he comforts
himself that other and better men are
praying. for lis son-tlat tho church is
praying for him. 1t may be so. 1t NAV
be that some man Of God cares more for
the soul of the young man than his father
does. II is doubtless true that the church
that is, the prayingmenbers Of the church,
are offering their suppications for tie sal.
vation men. But may not the parents
hinder those prayers? We read Of pray.
ers being hindered. What is more likely
70 hinder the prayers offered for tue con.
version Of a sou than tho neglect Of the
weightest responsibilities by the Christian
parent?
Baxter says, that if pareats were faith.
full to their children, there would be few
qnconverted adults to preach 20. Iftbere
were church in every house--if every
parent were deyou,, consistent and
growing Christian--how GiFerent would
be the prospects OF the rising generation !,
The chilling reserve on the subject OF re-
ligion would be banished. Parental ey.
ample would not nullify the effect Of pa.
rental admonition. The ministry Of the
sane uary would b. aided by the ministry
a. none. Families would be what they
were designed to be, nurseries for heaven.