Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-10-19

make one prayer-and that is, God teach
me- 1t often happens that man is Op-
posing the truth. and he doesn't get any
blessing. God won't teach u any error.
In St. Luke 1.-THE 25th verse of the 10th
chapter) it Is written Son. remember"
Memory. it il said. is immortal Lord
Bacon says that nothing that passes
through a mans mind can ever be for
gotten. 1t is said of Julius Cesar that he
knew the name of every man in his army.
once knew man who could remember every
thing he had ever written or read. These are,
of course, remarkable instances of power of
memory, But the general opinion OF the
shOrtness of memory is erroneous. BY and
by We will find that our memories are good
enough, and We will wish that they are not
so. God makes each of US keep his own
record, and | am of the opinion that the
Recording Angel is simply our own mem
DRY. Twice in my lie have ! been
very near death. Ono was when |
narrowly escaped drowning in the
Connecticut river. then went down
for the second time. Everything in all my
life came into my memory in flash-all the
doiEgs of lifetime. | have forgotten 1t
now, but sometime God will say, "SOn,
remember" don't sec how man can
Joke on such subjects as hell and eternity
read, the other day. story that made my
blood run cOld-Oi the rider, who, passing
a church member. said, Deacon, how far
is it to hell; and the person addressed,
passing along, found. a few minutes later.
the rider dead at the side of the road,
having been thrown and broken his neck.
don't see how man can joke on such
subjects. don't see how drunkards, and
blasphemers, and unbelievers are going to
Heaven Nh lat ~ rpnanf batnra N !
late Ne take our memory with US
into the other world, and | imagine that
that is the worm that never dies.
From what does the conyict's misery arise
but from the memory of wife and home and
relatives and friends? Are there not many
and many an inmate of an insane asylum
whose madness comes from some sin-cOv-
cred up. perhaps which he cannot forget?
The confession of A. W. Hicks a short ex
tract from which Mr.. Moody read shows
that while his conscience slumbered Tor
years, in his solitary cell it stung and tor
tured him, and did so forever. How many
men are driven to madness by memOry-and
how many let their consciences slumber
In Chicago, a mother came to me and asked
me if there was any hope for her. She told
me her sorrOwful story. A neighbor had
died, leaving baby, which her husband
wished to adopt She objected; and. on
her husbands taking it home. she starved
the helpless, orphaned infant, and finally
smothered it. After the lapse of years
memory returned. penitenee and unavailing
sorrow came, and the recollection of the
| crime will haunt the woman forever. |
have an idea that this will happen in the
other world. God will say, "SOn, remem
| her, and memory returns and VIC cannot
help it. There Is Heaven and a judy
ment Oh. that God will open our eyes
and show us what an awful thing sin is.
| In a lunatlc asylum there is Tor was a
| few years ago) mailman who walks about
the premises perpetually murmuring, ''If
only had-if | only had" He was
in charge of a railroad drawbridge, and one
night, on the solicitation OF a friend, he
opened the bridge to allow the passage OF u
boat Hardly had he done 50 when he
heard the thander OF an approaching train
and in q few seconds 1t and its precious load
was plunged into the awful chasm. The
strain was too great for the mans mind and
| he became insane-forever repeating his
sorrowful burden, .'If | only had-if
only had" Many here tonight may be
saying the same thing, some time-''lf
only had" That must be the cry of many
in the other world. Do you think Cain has
| forgotten the murder of his brOther-the ap-
| peals for mercy, the anguish, the blood
Has Judas forgotten the betrayal of his
| Lord, the loving words, the infinite com
passion of Jesus, eighteen hundred years
| ago? May God help US to remember that
now Is the time to repent OF our sins. Ii
there il any time beyond the grave God
has not revealed it. Ought We not to
come now? | took this subject, this even
ing. because of some levity | heard last
night. In nay youth | was what is called a
wild boy, but | never Knocked at sacred
things. 1t is solemn thing to come to q
place where the Spirit of God is working.
1t is an awful thing to ridicule these sa-
cred subjects. We are not certain of life.
We can not tell how far behind US Death
is. He is close to every one of us.
If he takes Us what is to become Of our
souls? There is no messenger beyond
the grave. There is no sainted mother
there to love you, to shed tears over you,
to pray for you. Husbands, you will have
no loving, faithful, Christian wives there.
Jesus OF Nazareth passes by HOiU, and if you
don't receive him what is to become Of you?
When | was in London there came there
a young French nobleman, bearing letter
of introduction from the Emperor Napoleon
to the famous physician, Forbes Winslow.
He had mental difficulty and was fearful
of further trouble. In answer to the
Doctors inquiries he told him he had no
particular calamities to besr-no friends
and relatives lost and no financial reverses.
His father and grandfather. he afterwards
sand, had been infdels. but he had been
thinking, profoundly. OF eternity. and
where We shall spend it. DR.. Winslow
happened to be Christian ma. He read
to the nobleman the text in lsaiah-''He
| Id To-
bruised for our iniquities." He talked and
prayed with him, and finally he received
Christ and his mind became at peace.
Where will you spend eternity? Will you
die in sin Do you think the Jews forget
Christ, His loving kindness and compass
sion believe they remember Him and His
words of sorrowful afectiOn-"Oh, Jerusa-
lem. Jerusalem, thou that killest the
prophets and stOnest them which are sent
unto thee, how often would have gather
ed thy children together, even as hen
gathereth her chickens under her wings.
and ye would not ~ believe they
remember Him and His words. 1
do not believe there is man or
woman in this house but believes they
ought to receive Christ. Many are held
back by the scofing of their friends. Such
- friends are their worst enemies. Rise
in your strength and take salvation. In
Chicago. once, there was a man who took
an interest in the meetings, but lacked the
moral courage to confess Christ He was
afraid OF his " friends" | labOred with
him and prayed with him, but finally he
gave up his attendance at the meetings.
And let me say here, that if my mind was
made up to reject Christ, would never at
tend a religious meeting. 1t is a fearful res
| possibility. Some six months after he was
stricken with what appeared to be mortal
illness. Again | labOred and prayed
with him. lie began to recover. He
said he did not want TO be Chris.
tan Just then. He would remove
from Chicago, and then he would be
come Christian. 81 will take the risk
OF my soul, he said 81 am good for TWEEN
| ty years yet" One week from that day
received message from his wife. | went to
the house. Her husband had been taken
down with his former illness, and a council
of physicians had declared his case desper
ate one. lie didn't want to see me, but
entered the room. Said he, My damna-
ton Is sealed, and in Il short time ! will be
| 1t hell | talked and prayed with him
| but a. prayed it seemed as though the
heavens closed over me like brass. The
harvest is past, said the dying man, as he
looked at me with the seal of death
upon his face; 1.-THE harvest is
past, the summer Is ended. and
| am not saved" This he murmured over
and over throughout the day. and as the
sun went down over the western praIrles
his faithful wife. bending over the bed TO
hear his last farewell. heard him whisper.
| iainting. struggling, dying The harvest
Is past. the summer is ended and am not
saved and he was dead. And oh, what
death Oh, let Us take hold on Christ
and make him our refuge and defence for
ever
Mr. Moody then addressed tervent and
heartfelt prayer to the Throne OF Grace,
that all hi bearer, might in deed and in
truth lay hold on Christ The meeting then
closed with the singing OF the hymns,
'PrOdigal child come home and Rock Of
Ages A largely attended inquiry meet
Ing was then held in the yestry.