St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-09-04
Again 7 remark, that the Heavenly

1OSG. 1ueFe are UnSSo WHO Galk as InOuSn
the grace of God we're chain of forty or
fifty links, and after they run out there
was nothing to touch very bad case. II
they were hunting and got off the track Of
the deer, t4ey would look longer among
the banks and bushes for the lost game
than they have been looking for that lost
soul. People tell US that if man has de-
lirIum tremens twice that he can not be
reclaimed; that after a woman has fallen
from her integrity she can not be re-
stored. The Bible has distinctly intimated
that the Lord Almighty is ready to par
don four hundred and ninety times; that
is, seventy times seven. There are men
before the throne of God who have wal
lowed in every kind of sin, but, saved by
the grace of Jesus, and washed in his
blood, they stand there radiant now. There
are those who plunged in the very lowest
hell of abomination, who for the tenth
time have been lifted up, and finally, by
the grace of God, they stand in Heaven
gloriously rescued by the grace promised
to the chief of sinners. Iwant to tell you
that God loves to take hold of a very bad
case. When the church casts you off, and
when the club-room casts you off, and
when society casts you Off, and when BUSH
ness associates cast you off, and when
father casts you off, and when mother
casts you off, and when every body casts
you off, your first cry for help will send the
eternal God clean down into the ditch of
your suffering and shame. The Good
Templars can not save you, although they
are a grand institution. The Sons Of
Temperance can not save you, al
though they are mighty for good. Signing
the temperance pledge can not save you,
although believe in it. Nothing but the
grace of the eternal God can save you, and
that will if you will throw yourself on it.
A man said to me:
"Unless God helps me can not be de-
li*ered. I have tried every thing, sir;
but now I have got into the habit of
prayer, and when come to drinking sa-
loon pray that God will take me safely
past, and I pray until l am past. He does
help me-"
For every man given to strong drink
there are scores of traps set, and no one
but the everywhere present God can see
that man through. Oh! they talk about
the catacombs of Naples, and the cata-
combs of Rome, and the catacombs of
Egypt-the burial places under the city
where the dust of great multitude lie;
but, tell you. New York has its cata-
combs, Nashville has it's catacombs, and
New Orleans its catacombs, and Boston its
and Philadelphia its cata-
combs, and every town and city neighbor-
hood its catacombs. They are the UNDER
ground restaurants, full of dead mems
bones and all uncleanness. Young man,
Y GU know it. Gcd help you. There is no
need OF going into the art gallery to see In
skillful sculpture that wonderful repre-
sentation of mum and his sons wound
represented in this audience that are
in the martyrdom Of fang and
scale and venom-a living LAGOON Of
,hastliness and horror. What are you to
10? Do you not put your trust in bromide
If potassium, or in Jamaica ginger, or
lnything else that apothecaries can mix.
Put your trust only in the Eternal God,
md he will see you through.
While l have hope for all prodigals,
% hopeful. mean those who have been
hurch -goers all their life, who have
maintained outward morality, but who,
twenty, thirty, forty
ears of Christian advantages, have never
'ielded their heart to Christ. They are
,ospel hardened. A sermon has no more
fleet upon them than the shining of the
noon on the city pavement. As Christ
avs: "The publicans and harlots will go
nto the kingdom of God before them"
hey have resisted all the opportunities
f divine mercy, and have gone, during
hese thirty years, through most powerful
of religious feeling, and they
re further from God then ever. After
while they will lie down sick, and some |
ay it will be told they are dead. No
ope! But l turn to outsiders with a |
ope that thrills through my body and
oul.
Other sheep have, which are not OF this
old.
You are not gospel hardened. You have
lot heard many sermons during the last
ew years. AS you came into religious
Meeting to-day every thing was novel,
nd all the services are suggestive Of your
arly days. How sweet the opening
ymn sounded in your ears, and how
lessed it is in this place.! Every thing
uggestive of Heaven. You do not weep,
ut the shower is not far off. You sigh,
nd you have noticed that there is always
sigh in the wind before the rain falls.
here are those here who would give any
hing if they could find relief in tears.
hey say:
"Oh, my wasted life! Oh, tho bitter
astl Oh, the graves over which I have
tumbled? Whittier shall fly? Alas for
ne future! Every thing is dark-so dark,
D dark? God help me! God pity mep
Thank the Lord for that Last llttera nca