The Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1870-1875, 1870-12-03


den with shame. and whose pill
lows are wet many q night with
hopeless, bitter tears. May not
these tears be noted in the Book OF
Remembrance kept before Gods
Thr0ne2 Ofsuch weak pe7liteats it is
said, "Inasmueh as ye have done it
unto the least OF these, ye have done
il unto he.
I This is no Religious Quixotism'
i as some represent, and as a venerable
/ divine Of the Church has proved in
plea for this Mission. It is not any
/ pious fanaticism. Il is plainly
/ Christian duty, and has elsewhere
been undertaken with success.
The Episcopal Church has been for
some time engaged in this work, al
most alone. Two Missions, at least,
are in New York City.
At first, the usual predictions were
heard from the birds of omen Some
said, 1t Is vain trying to recover fall
en- women why not fallen nIen?)
They are hopeless class
Others even whispered (ler US hope
the plying angels heard them not), If
you help them will you not be en-
eoursging the social evil. By holding
out facilities of restoration, and hopes
of easy oblivion? We have . lac
which says such should be stoned.
Had you not better let them suffer
as 3 warming? So argued the legal
and pure. minded Scribes, Initiating
4 their ancestors.
| Some among the Phari5ees uttered
take hold of this Vicei There is a
/ 4 e ata 4 Of 80 j. s,1
forbids it. IF you do it, you will lose
will be brought straightWay before
public opini0n-the Governor. "
But the Church did make the eff
fort, and what has been the result?
The Third Annual Report of THE
Midnight Mission. for the year end
/ ing January, 1870, shows that more
than two hundred of these ruins have
been gathered into safe harbors-res-
eued By the net of Christian charity
from the slums aud streets. OF this
number. twenty eight were restored to
their friends-pTodigsls returned to a
fathers house; twenty seven placed in
respectable situations; sixty four re-
ceived temporary shelter; forty-four
sent to hospitals and other institu-
tons. A few only returned to a life
of sin.
Christial people, all / now say to
you, this work has been undertaken
here with encouraging promise of sue
cess.
I have known Scribes and Phari-
sees scoff, because there is not found
a place in the wide sympathies of
modern Christianity for these waits.
"Y0us religion" say they, is too
much Of fine churches and upholstery
and elegant dress and showing off,
but it does not come down into the
high and hedges"
Take this incident in the Temple,
and be not surprised If, when you do
try to reach out hand and say 20 those
sinners, go and sin no more, these
same captlous censors will cry out,
stop, you are smoothing away the
ugliness of . monstrous sin. Our
Moses says such should be stoned, but
what are yOH saying?"
No matter; the Master is our guide.
/ Human souls may be saved from GO
ing into the pit.
We must try and reclaim the sin
ner. even the worst, or we are not
Christ,s disciples. You cannot drive
the seven devils out of SHINING Mays
| By hurting stones and anathemas. You
must take these out casts and lift
them agl0; show them the better way
illustrate to them the beauty of holt
ness; encourage them in honorable in
dustry; find for them homes and a
shelter away from their sinful scenes ;
be to them guide and a friend, even
while You must say, I'VE e, woe to
them that sin against their own
bodies which are temples of the in
dwelling Spirla."
An Eastern traveller tells US that
when poor and pious Mahommedan
undertakes that long desert journey to
Mecca, the fond object of his earliest
day-dreams, he takes no treasures,
! but he carries his grave linen with
: him. Stricken by fatigue, or priva-
! ton, or disease, when his companions
cannot tarry for his recovery or death,
: he performs the ablution with sand,
and digging a trench in the ground
: wraps himself in his grave clothes,
7 and covering his body with sand, lies
, alone In the desert to die, trusting
that the wind will complete his
burial"
The world is full of such pilgrims
} who have fallen or lost their way to-
} wards the fair future of their earlier
and purer lives. whom society leaves
alone to die and be covered and for
gotten in the gathering dust and sands
of sin. Their grave clothes are their
impurities and lust, and he is doubly
dead who is buried in the desert"
Over our own graves, we love the
sweet consultations of nature, and our
human sympathies ask for some green
thing to tell through the changiD g
year that we are not forgotten.
But these Way-faring ones, falling
In unknown graves, pass away under
the chill austerities of their fellows,
unhonored and unWept. In orr
troubles and little sins" and petty
s0rroWs, and misfortunes, we crave a
look or word of compassion. But
these have no pity or cheer though
their hungry souls are periehing for
what costs us nothing.
Yet their pilgrimage was not always
in the desert.
Some of these had oace happy
homes as your own little ones, your
daughter or sister enjoy. But the
Tempter came with fair promise and
show of good, and they fell and
were cast forth-banished from that
early Eden to wander under the pitt
less storms Of life, before your com
Portable and luxurious homes, echo
ing, perhaps, with festive sounds and
happiness, and containing, God
knoweth) a SON, or brother, or even
father, who has made them vile, or
keeps them so.
so il was pitfful!
In a great city full,
| Friends she had nome"
Here, then, lies part of our work.
This you may do before they are
quite sunken into the sands of this
moral desert into which they have
strayed. You may help bring them
TO an inn, or leave your pence that
others, if not yourself, may care for
them. They must have q homes
Christian heme-a shelter from the
world, and Kind words, and lessons of
usefulness and protection. while they
struggle for the shore.
We are no partakers of their sins
for helping them to go and sin no
more. Do not quench the smoking
| fax. or break the bruised reed.
| Charity hopeth all things. and is
I mi II