Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-02-26
2Relieiolrs department.
MIR. MOODY IN BOSTON.

Mr.. Moody preached his first gospel
sermon in Boston from the text (Gen.
III, 81 adam, where art thou ?"
The following suggestive passage was
addressed to careless Christians and
baeksliders:
! remember reading in a paper-it
went through the religious press gener-
ally-of a father taking his little child
out in the fields. Being tired. he lay
down while the child played. The child
was playing among the flowers and grass
and brought him some to look at, tell
ing him of their beauty. Soon he fell
asleep, and as he slept the child wan
dered of. When he awoke the thought
occurred to him. "Where is my child p
He looked all around the fields, over
the mountains, and shouted as loud as
he could, but got no answer but the
echo Of his own voice. He ran from
hill to hill shouting, and finally he came
to precipice. Looking down, he saw
the child lying mangled at the bottom.
He descended. took the child up, kissed
it hut found that it was dead. Straight
way he accused himself Of being its
murdered. The story has an applica-
ton. Christians are slumbering and
while we are sleeping our dear ones arc
going to destruction. thought, when
| read that story, what q true picture il
was of the Church to-day. Hundred:
of protesting Christians are sleeping
while their sons and daughters are going
down to ruin. What is a thousand
times worse, they are banished from the
promised land, from heaven, from q glo.
riOus eternal life for an eternity Of 0gos
Where are your sons and daughters
Where are those children that God CAV,
to you? May God wake up the profess
ed Christians where art thou" il
the sight of God? You may be stand
ing we'll in the Church, but in you
heart loyal to God? Are you RICH
yjth GG9 sia2R !. Do you you love God? Ar
God ? And is God answering your pray
ers and blessing the children that h
gave you? The next class that | wan
to speak to is those that once professet
to be Christians of the Lord Jesu
Christ, and who have left Him, thos
that are in q backslidden state. lie
me ask the backsliders to-day, "Wher
art thou ?" Are you happy? If 20
are you will be the first backsliders
have ever found that were happy.
never knew a man or woman that ha
experienced a personal love for Chri,
that has left Him and found peace
the wn-ll a - ---- wv" Hl""e
them when they turned their back o
Him that has never been filled. Thel
is no altar in your home now Ther
was time, perhaps when mothers cal
cd their children around them and pray
ed with them and for them, and I'll
children perhaps are wondering VIII
mother don't pray as she used to. VIII
is it that you have left Him? 1t ma
be you will say you met with oppositio
that your husband persecutes you f
protesting to love Him. 1t may be thi
your children have grown up, got in
bad company and make light of 20,
prayers and ridicule them. Is this al
reason why the altar should 60 down
why you should turn your back upc
the blessed Jesus? Ought not oppos
ton to make us more Christi like
What has Christ done that you shoul
leave Him. Bear in mind that il
Christ you have betrayed, wanderc
from; He who has loved you and low
yon osiil. And He wants you to con
back to-day. 1 wish that l could 81
something that would bring back eve
backslider, every single one that h
wandered from God and see them foe
ing to God to-day. 1 am glad that
can bear beautiful and Zeal all 20,
hoahds for you if you will only retul
to Him. Just listen to the words
Hosea 81 will forgive you freely"