New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-17

to be released from your sins. If you love
sin, if you love wickedness, and you Use the
Lords Prayer to parry judgment with, then
l torewarn you. Let it alone. Touch i,
not But the mere circumstance Of being a
sinner does not ,l;squality one from praying
to God. Is not the sacrifice OF the wicked
AN abomination to God Yes. If a man
tries to 9a!nlsil his wickedness by sacrifice,
and he thinks sacrifice is an atOncment for
that wickcdncss, and that after sacrifice
he may go on with plenary indulgence
again. then it is an illumination to God.
But to interpret it SO that a man may not
pray until he Is converted, is to shut out
the universe. If God made provision for
wicked men. who are they that may not
find succor and help by praying to Him .
| May not my son, who, little by little has
been weakened. aud has gone down,
step by step, aud has fallen into
the nets oi gamblers and drinkers,
and has come to poverty, and through
years and years of degradation has separ-
ated himself from. me, until sickness over
| takes hin.-when, then, III his wretchedness,
| he has ftyered dreams Of his home and of
me. may he not call ont, 80. my father"
May ne not invoke his mother until he has
been restored to health and his right mind,
| and until he comes back to his fathers
| house us good as he went away! May he
| II,
help and pity of his father and mother,
When does your heart most need the heal
ing OF another heart, but when it is wicked
est and worst In that intirmity which sin
| brings: IN that prostratiOn of moral power
which tends TO wrong dong-tLer is where
| Il man most needs Gods mercy. Is that the
time that Il mans mouth shall not say. 80
God. nv Father. help me-" Is PRAYER the
privilege OF Christians, and not the privi-
leGe OF men who are not Christians, Is it
the privilege OF tLo>c who have been
brought into the light Of faith. and not the
privilege OF those who have made proof of
| faith and are atar off from it
Wherever there is IL man who feels the
sting OF sin. and would have release. he
has ".Sht to say, 20. Father. help uie ~
W hcrever there Is IL man who is conscious
that he has done wrong again and again,
and that IN his own strength he can never
stand, and that he needs help. he has
right TO ask for it. IL am lost in sin: l
have no strength to rescue myself: thou
art God save me that is an argument
which knocks louder at the bosom of God
than any battle-ax at the gate of any castle
on earth.
II any man feels that he is so weak that
he cannot sustain himself, there is strength
for him if he will ask it; and he has /. right
to ask it. though his name is on no church
book. And though men condemn you, God
1orSlves you. IT your father and mother
forget you. the Lord will take YOU .p Ii
your friends and neighbors cast YOU OF.
God VIII not forsaAe you, SO long as you
have life: so long as you know enough to |
ne Det!er than You are, no matter what |
your antecedentS have been, you have a |
right 10 20 to God, and say, Our Father" |
bis PRAYER. with its hope and cheer, and !
VITA Its associations, must, at times, come |
bitterly to many and many wanlerer. Ie |
that have been across the deep. We that in
foreign lands have left behind YOU not only |
the form OF Your parents, but almost every
memory OF them. We that have torsaken the
path OF belief, and have grown worldly. and
become hoary in wolldliness and have for
gotten the God OF yOnr father and mother
are thele not times when. as you behold lit
tie children kneeliny before their mother
with innocent face and upturned eyes. and
learning to repeat. with broken language
anu sweet simplicity, this prayer-are there
not such times WHEN chord Of memory is
struck in your hearts! How different were
You when You knelt at Your mothers knee
anu repeated that prayer. Do You not re-
member II And in the old brown house.
over winch the clms used to swim. their
branches, >toIm-tosscd, do you not ,emenl-
Der how You repeated unwttinglv these
strange sentences, looking askance here
amt there Ill an unconscious. half
ro.ucrv De You not remember the
evening song DO You remember the
parting kiss you retired to rest, And in
the night. when some fever seized YOU. do
You not remember the hasty presence of
Your watching mother. She is dead She
died N the faith of the Saviour She has
gone home. l. may be that She has been
Your guardian angel You have gone far
from her precepts. You have tor>aken the
guide of Your youth. You have become
hard hearted and worldly minded Oh.
sadly wand, in, M Il W. |
III your childhood sometimes come back to
You with overpowerlng freshness, AT times
YOU used 10 rtcite with unw0nted tervor
his matchless prayer of the Saviour give,.
for all mankind and for you. 1t once was
fainliIar to you. and does it not draw YOU
Dath with powerful memories and associa-
Tons to the blessed and innocent davs of
your youth When You think of what YOU
were. and what von meant to be- an,. what
YOU are does 1t never give pang to your
leart. and do you not wish that You could
now be OF the same faith and the same hope
nat your parents Were! Do You not wish
hat you were joined with them in simpll-
NY. IN purity. and III teryent piety. to
rod
and are not some prayerless souls here
o-nsht who will be tempted to come back! ,,
Are there not some OF You who. though YOU
rave not taken the name of God upon Your ,,
~, for years. except for protane purposes, 8
Viii go down on your knees before von :
leep. and repeat once more. solemnlv ten !;
lerly. yearningy. the Lords PRAYER, And :
hen. when the morrow comes. beg you to
ray Lead me not into temptation. De ,
liver me this day from evil And gently. !
Ven by SO small IA thing as this. YOU may !,
Ne led step BY step, until the whole way Of ,
rayer shall become familiar to your feet q
md then. when life departs. no longer affair >
IT, not knowing what to pray for as you :
uUhf. shall stand and 4, I'll
ace to face. and find that his tatherhood is !
weeter. and larger and more real and rich :
han it has entered into the heart of man to >.
onceve =
4 Beautiful lsirl.S Il nn.ncn 1,