The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-01-20
Snistellaneons SelertiOns.
THE WAY OF ESCAPE.

My heart ached for the wretcbed
man. His debauch was over; the
normal sensibilities af a fine moral
nature quiekened, after brief torpor,
into most acute perceptions. Such
q haggard face. Such hopeless eyes
see the picture now, an haunting
spectre.
"Let the memory of this hour, so
burdened by pain and rehentance,
be as a wall of defense around you
in all future" said.
He looked at me dearly. Slowly
shaking his head, he replied:
"Such memories are no defense.
My soul is full of them. When
temptation assails, they fall away,
and l am at the mercy of mine en-
Jenny, who rushes in, like hungry
wolf, to kill and to destroy"
"ls there no help for you, them"
I asked.
He shut his eyes and was very still.
If an artist could have seen his face
then, and faithfully caught its ex-
preston, those who looked upon the
image must have felt such pity in
their hearts as makes the eyes grow
dim with tears.
Il fear not" he answered, little
while in a hopeless kind of a way.
at cannot be-" Ispoke confident.
ly and assuringly. mo man is given
over to such utter ruin. There must
be, and there is, a way ofescape from
every evil"
Except the evil of bad and de-
graded habit-that vile second ma
ture," he answered, "the steady cur
rent of which is forever bearing him
inward, downward, toward a
storm wrecked ocean. He may seize
the oars in alarm, as I have done
scores of time, and pull against the
current, making headway for lit
tie while. But human strength
avails not here. The arms grow weary
the spirit fags-it is easier to drift
than to row, and down the current
bears him again. 1t is the history
of thousands and tens of thousands,
and l am no exception"
"It cannot be-" answered. "There
is help for every man, no matter how
weak, nor how beset by enemies; else
Gods word must fail"
at does fail, Think he answer
ed, in gloomy, despairing kind of
way.
90 !! No p Quickly and emphati-
cally did 1 reject his conclusion.
"Have itas you will. IshaIl not
argue the point with you" He spoke
almost listlessly.
"Then, l say, there is help for ev-
cry man, no matter where he is or
what he is. We cannot fall so low
that the everlasting arms are not
still beneath US, ready to bear US up
to mountain nights Of safety"
"Oh, that those arms would bear
me upward !'' Almost groaned my
poor friend. II have no strength in
myself. 1 cannot climb. Unless
lifted by another, must perish"
$50 bad as thatY' l said.
"Just so bad," he answered, slow
ly and bitterly. This second ma
ture have made for myself, is my
ruler. Reason, conscience, the love
of my wife and children, my good,
pride, manliness-an hui
man powers and virtues are its slave
and such bondage"
There was not ray of hope in his
dreary eyes.
"You must try again." 1 said,
cheerily, "No man need to be a slave
"Easily said" Was his impatient
answer; "while yet all men are slaves
to some habit which they cannot
break"
"Say rather, from which they viii
not break"
"You mock me with idle Words"
mo; l speak only the words of
truth and soberness. There is hu-
man strength, and there is divine
strengte. The everlasting arm are
always beneath and ready 70 bear
US up, if we will but lean upon and
trust them. Human strength is but
as broken reed; divine strength Is
sure as God himself. 1t never fails"
There came into his heavy eyes
a feeble play of light The stern
dejetcion that sat upon his lips faded
of.
"In our own strength nothing" l
said In Gods strength all"
l saw his hands moving in an un- !
certain way. Then they rested one
against the other. Suddenly they
were clasped together in kind of !
spasm, while his eyes flew upward in J
a wild, half despairing appeal to God, '
his lips groaning out the words /
"Save me or am lost %
Even now, when memory gives 6
back the shrill That swept along my I
nerves as his cry penetrated my ears. {
Never from any human soul went '
up, unheard a prayer like that. He
who once and forever took up
On himself our nature, and who was /
in all points tempted as we are, yet 6
sin, and who is touched al f
ways with the feeling of our infirmi- s
BY, stands close beside US, knock /
ing at the door of our heart, that he {
may come in and save us. All hell
is powerless before Him. Impure 9
desires flee from his presence like
night birds when the sun rises; and 6
5he cords Of evil habits are broken.
IS the withes that bound the arms =
Of Sampson, at his lightest touch. c
/ waited for little while without t