The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-04-15

the marriage ring was set Nothing has
vet been able to break it. Sickness
came, and the finger shrank, but the
ring stayed on The twain stood a. lone
above child's grave, and the dark
mouth of the grave swallowed up a thou.
sand hopes but the ring dropped not
into the open grave Days of poverty
came, and the hand did many hard
days work; but the ruhbing Of the work
against the ring only made it shine the
brighter. Shall that ring ever be losl?
Win the iron clang OF the sepuIcher gate
crush it forever? l pray God that you
who have been married on earth may be
together in heaven, Oh! by the quiet
bliss Of your earthly home; bv the babes
cradle; by all the vows of that day zen
you started life together, | beg you to
see to it that both got into the ark.
But this does not include all your fam
lily. Bring the children, too God bless
the dear children What would our
homes be without them? We may
have done much for them they have
done more for u. What salve for
wounded heart there is in the soft palm
of child's hand Did harps or flutes
ever have much music as there is in
chid's good night" From our course
through life, ike the angels ofGod we are
often driven back; but VINO comes intothe
nursery without feeling that angels are
lowering around? They who die in in
fancy go into glory, but yoG are expect
ing your children to grow up in this
world. Is it not question, then, that
rings through all the corridors, and
windings, and heights and depths OF
your soul, what 10 to become of your sons
and daughters for time and eternity? ?
'0h," you say, II mean to dress them
well, if have myself to go shabby"
Very good. II shall give them an edu.
cation and l shall leave them fortune"
Very well; but is that all? Don't you
mean to take them into the ark? DDn't
you know that the storm is coming. and
that out of Christ there is no safety2 No
pardon? No hope2 No heavenP How to
get them in? Go in yourself! If Noah
had staid out, do you not suppose that
his s0ps-Shem, Ham and Japhet-
would have staid out? Your sons and
will be out to do just as yor
do, Reject Christ yourself, and the
probability is that your children will re-
eCt him.
An account was taken of the religious
condition of families in a certain district,
For the families of young narents two.
thirds of the children were Christians
For the families where the parents were
lDgodly only one twelfth of the children
were Christians. Responsible as you
are for their temporal existence, you are
also responsible for their eternity
Which way will you take them2 Our
into the deluge, or into the arkP Have
you ever made ONE earnest prayer for
their immortal souls ? What will you
say in the judgment wRen God asks
where is George, or Henry, or Frank, or
Mary, or Anna? "Where are those pre-
cious souls whose interest l committed
into your hands"
A dying son said to his father, "Fa.
Eher, you gave me an education and
good manners, and everything that the
world could do for me; but, father, you
never told me how to die, and now my
soul is going out in the darkness"
Oh! ye who have taught your chill
1ren how to live, have you also taught
them how to die2 Life here is not so
important as the great hereafter. 1t is
not so much the few furlongs on thisside
the grave as it is the unending leagues
beyond. Oh, eternity eternity thy
ocks are white with the ages Thy
voice announcing stupendous destiny
Thy arms reaching across all the past
and all the future! Thy heart beating
with raptures that never die and agonies
hat never cease Oh, eternity eter
nifty
&c home and erect a family altar. You
nay break down in your prayer; but
never mind, God will take what you
mean, whether you express it inteligi.
bly, or not Bring all your house into the
ark Is there one son whom you have
given upP Is he 80 dissipated that you
have stopped Counseling and praying?
Give him up? How dare you give him
app Did God ever give thee up2
Whilst thou hast single articulation of
speech left, cease not to pray for the re.
urn of that prodigal. He may even
now be standing on the beach at Hong
Kong or Madras, meditating return to
lis fathers house. Give him up2
Never give him upl Has God promised
% hear thy prayers only to mock thee
It ia not too late. In St. Paul's, London,
here is a whispering gallery. A voice
Uttered most feebly at one side of the
gallery is heard distinctly at the oppo'
lite side, great distance of. So every
word of earnest prayer goes all around
he earth, and makes heaven a whisper
ng gallery. Go into the ark-not to sit
lown, but to stand in the door-and call
Until all the family come in. Aged
Noah, where is Jacob2 David, where
s Absalom2 ? Hannah, where is Samuel2
Bring them in, through Christ, the door,
Would not it be pleasant to spend eter.
lity with our families GLADDEN. them.
Christmas or Thanksgiving festivals will
)e the reunion If we get all our family
nto the ark.
Which of them can we spare out Of
leaven2 On one Of the lake steamers
here was q iatner ana TWO daughters
ourneying. They seemed extremely
DOOR. a benevolent gentlemen stepped
lp to the poor man to proffer some torn
,frelief, and said, You seem to be very
DOOR, sir" Poor, sir" replied the man;
If there's a poorer man than me troub.
in the world, God pity both of u.s." II
will take one of your children and adopt
t, if you say 30. 1 think it would be a
,reat relief to you" "a what ?" said |
he poor man. "A reliefp would it
,e a relief to have the hands chopped
IF from the body, or the heart torn from
he breast. A relief, indeed God be
rood to us What do you mean. sir2"
However many children we may have
We have none to give up. Which Of our
amilies can we afford to spare out of
leeven2 Will it be the youngest ? Will
t be the oldest2 Will it be the husbandp
Will it be the wife2 No no We must
nave them all in. Let us take the chill.
lren's hands, and start now. Leave not
me behind Come, father Come,