National Republican., 1886-12-06

horror, as much as to say: "Isn't It shock
ing?' How these dainty, tastdious
Christians In all our churches are going to get
into heaven don't know, unless they have
an especial train Of cars, cushioned and up
holstered, each one car co himself They can:
not go with the great herd OF publicans and
slnnersI o ye who Curl your lip OF scorn at
the fallen, / tell you plainly, If you had been
surrounded by tho same influences, instead of
sitting to-day amid the cultured, aud the re-
fined and the Christian, you would have been
a cIouching wretch in stable or ditch, covered
with filth and abomination. 1t is not because
you are naturally any better, but because the
mercy OF God has protected you, Who are
you, that brought up in Christian circles, and
watched by Christian parentago. you should
be so hard on the fallen?
think men also are often hindered from re-
turn by the fact that churches arc too anxious
about their membership, and too anxious
about their denomination, and they rush ont
when they see man about to give up his sin
and return to God, and ask him how he Is
going to be baptized, whether by sprinkling or
Immersion, and what kind Of church he Is
going to Join. oh, my friends, II Is poor time
to talk about Presbyterian catechisms and Epis.
copal litufgies ana Methodist lovefeasts and
baptistries TO man that Is coming out OF the
darkness of sin into the glorious light OF the
gospel Why, It reminds me of man drown
Ing in the sea, and life boat puts out for him,
and the man In the boat says to the man out
going to live in my streei2' First get him
ashore and then talk about the non. essentials
of religion. Who cares what church he Joins
oh, you ought to have, my brother, nn illu.
mined face and hearty grip for every, one
that tries to turn from bis evil way. Take
hold of the same book with him though his
dissipations shake the book, remembering that
he that converteth sinner from the error OF
his ways shall save soul from death and hide
q multitude OF sins.
Now, have shown you these obstacles be-
cause want you to understand know all the
difficulties in the way; but am now to tell you
how Hannibal may scale the Alps, and how the
eh nlr laQ " m n N IA hn
of virtue forsaken may be regained.
First Of all my brother, throw yourself on
God. Go to Him frankly and earnestly and
tell Him these habits you have, and ask Him
II there Is any help In all the resources OF ON
nipotlnt love TO giveit toyou Do not go with
long s%aos people cal made mad up
amens y Go to God aud cry for help help
help and If you cannot cry for help Just look
and live. remember In the late war was at
| the battle, and said to a man : Where are
| you hurtP' He made no answer, but held up
| his arm, swollen and splintered: l saw where
has wounded soul. all he has to do Is 70 hold
| 1t up before a sympathetic Lord and get II
| healed. IL does not take any long prayer,
Jnst hold up the wound. oh II is mo small
| thing when Il man Is nervous, and weak, and
| exhausted, coming from his evil ways, to feel
| that God puts two omnpotent arms around
| by you. The mountains may depart and the
| hills be moved, but will never fail you" And
| then, as the soul thinks the news Is too good to
| be true, and cannot believe II. aud looks up IN
| Gods face, God liits His right had and takes an
oath, an affidavit, saying "As live, snith tho
| Lord God. have no pleasure In the death OF
| him that dieth."
Blessed DC God for such a gospel as thlsl
| "Cut the slices thin" said the wife TO the hus.
| hand, "or there will not be enough 10 20 all
around for the children; cut the slices thin.'
| Blessed be God there Is u full loaf for every
| one that wants IT.; bread enough and to spare.
No thin slices at the Lords table, ! remember
when the Master Street Hospital, in Phiadel.
came saying. There will bs 800 wounded
men tonight be ready to take care of them"
and from my church there went some twenty
| or thirty men and women to look after these
| poor wounded fellows. As they came, some
from one part of the land some from another,
| no one asked whether this man was from Ore.
| gon, or from Massachusetts, or from Minne-
sofa, or from New York There was wounded
soldier, and the only question was how TO take
off the rags, most gently, aud put on the band
soul comes to God, He does not ask whore you
came from or what your ancestry was. Heal.
ing for all your wounds. Pardon for ell your
| guilt. Comfort for all your troubles
Then also / counsel you, II You want to got
back, TO quit all your bad associations. One
unholy intimacy Will fiji your soul with moral
distemper. In all the ages of the church there
has not been an instance where man kept
one evil associate and was reformed. Among
the fourteen hundred million of the race not
| one instance. Go home to-day, open your
desk, take out letter paper, stamp, and en-
yelope, and then write letter something like
| this
heaven, Until ] am persuaded you Will join
| me In this farewell"
Then sign your name, and send the letter
with the first post Give up your bad COmpan-
ions, or give up heaven. II is not ten bad
companions that destroy man, nor five bad
companions, nor three bad companions, but
| one. What chance is there iur that young
man saw along the street. four or five young
men with him, hating In front Of grogshop,