The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-02-27

through your first sorrow will decide
whether you can endure the other sor'
rows of life. IL Is the first blow that
sends men to drinking TO drown their
troubles, or that knocks the fire out OF
them until the rest of their days they go
cowed down. Who is that welgher In
that large commercial establishment
He once owned the factory. When the
first sorrow came he fell, having no
grace to eustain him, and he never rose
up-uever will rise.
THE ANGEL OF DEATH.
Perhaps your first trouble may be be.
reayement. God sometimes comes and
takes lamb out of the fold. Have you
ever noticed how often God takes the
first bornP / have seven brothers and
sisters, all of whom lost their first born.
We want the grace Of God to comfort us
when bereavement comes to the house
that once was full of laughter, and sun.
ny locks, and greetings at the door, and
kisses by little hands flung from the
window as you went down the stairs,and
every thing is changed, and the doves
cry in the nest because the hawk swoops,
and the pulses flutter, and the cheek
fades, and the eyes close, and the heart
stops. To put away garments that never
will be worn again, and toys that never
agian will strew the carpet, and to go
with sense of suffocation in the throat
through deserted halls that once rang
with childish merriment. Oh, God
who can stand that? Only those who
have Thy help. Young man, when your
first trouble comes, be it of business or
bereavement, you will want Christ,
Now you are hale and strong You
look as If you could leap and jump and
wrestle and row, as though you could
battle your way through, but after
while you will be sick You will be told
that you must stay in, and your door will
be shut against the world. There will
be two watchers at the pillow, and the
night will be hot and nervous and rest
less. The morning will come and you
will be worse, and the lattice will be
turned. They will silence the footsteps
on the stairs with a "h.u-s.h W You
will be very sick, and there will bu doubt
expressed as to whether you will ever
get we'll; and in your dreams you will
hear the daeh of waters, and you will
make up your mind it is the breaking
of the waves Of Jordan against your pill
low, and you will hear sound at the
gate, and you will think that is the paw
ing of the hoof of the pale horse. Oh,
then you will want the great Physician
to come in and help you, and stand by
you and say, "Young man, l am with
you; whether you live or die all is we'll"
THE LAST OF EARTH.
There comes a great pass through
which we all must go, my hearers, and
this is the last hour of life. suppose
we all want TO die at home. We want
our friends and kindred in the room
when our soul is launched We want to
take their hand. We want to take their
hand and look them in the eye, and give
them the final message, Some of them
we want to sing and some TO pray and
some to recite the Divine promises,
Without Christ death is wild leap in
the dark. Did you ever hear what dy-
ing nobleman wrote to his friendP He
said: II am throwing my last stake for
eternity, and tremble and shudder for
the important issue. Oh, my young
friend, with what horror do recall the
many hours of vanity we have wasted
together. But | have a splendid passage
to the grave. l die in state and languish
under gilt canopy. am expiring on
soft and doAny pillows. My depend.
ents sigh, my sisters weep, my father
bends beneath his load of years and
grief, my lovely wife, pale and silent,
conceals her inward anguish, my friend,
who was as my own soul, suppresses his
sighs, and leaves me to hide his grief
but oh, who will bail me from the arrest
of death2 VINO will descend into the
dark prison Of the grave for me2 Adieu,
till We meet in the world of spiritsH"
What q sad way to live, and what
sad way to get ont of the world. On,
young man, take Jesus Christ. He was
a young man He died young man.
He knows all young mans temptations
and trials. Are you fair and honorable
and pure and trueP Notwithstanding all
you that want Christ. A young man has
no safety in these cities without Divine
defense. You know not what is before
you Take the Lord Jesus Christ this
day as your pardon, your life, your heav-
On.
But there is some young man here
who says, II have already got too far
lstray. You are too late when you
preach to me. I have gone into the
paths of sin. l have gone 80 far off IN |
he paths of sin there is no need in you
preaching to me-" My brother, yon are |
You may get back. Hear
his Though your sins be as scarlet,
hey shall be as snow" But some one |
says, Il don't care any thing about that
have started in the paths of sin and l
I'm going to keep on" On, my brother,
you are floating on down in the rapids of
IN awful and eternal plunge. Put back
t may require some energy and resoIu
ion, and laying hold of the strong arm
,f Lord Almighty, but put back! Angels
If God from the balconies of light look
Iown upon the struggle. You have not
moment to spare with this awful tide
.gainst you. Lay hold of the oar with
10Th hands and pull pull till the blood
tart if need be. Now is your last chance
or heaven. 1t is ruin here, it is saliva
ion there. 1t is death here, it is life
ere.