The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-09

representation of Bacchis, the god OF reVelry.~
Houis- riding. on o panther at full leap. oh,
how suggestivel every one who IS
speeding, on bad ways understand he is not
ridicg a docile and well broken steed, but he
is riding monster, wild and bloodthirsSy,
going at death leap. How many there are
who resolve Oil a better hfe and say: "Wben
shall i awaken but, seized on by their old
habits, cry:faI will tay it once more; I viii
seek it yet aguin!" Years ago there were
some Princeton students who were skating,
and the dee, was; very thin, and some one
warned the company back from the all. hole,
and finally warned them entirely TO leave the,
place. But oneNy young man with bravado,
after ell the rest had stopped, cried out: zone
round rnore!n--He. swept around, and went
down.; and was breught out a~corpse. My
friends, there are +thotss,lids aiid tens ofthou-
sands. of men loiinS theu. souls inthatway!
II is the one ,ren,d moro. Am d r!rNI
y have also IL, say. that if q man wants to
return from evi1 practices society repulses
him 4 Desiring 90 Fora, he says: Now, ,il
viii shake off my old associates, and l will
find Christian companionship." And he APP
pears at the church door some Sabbath day,
as to say: "Why, yoa-lerei You nre the last
man ever expected to see Mt church! Come,
take thissent right down by the doorl" IN
stead OF saying: "Good morning.; l am glad
you arc here. Come; will give you first
rate seat, right up by the5pulpit." :" Well.
the ~prodigaf, not yet discouraged, en-
ters .a-praser meeting, and some Chris
tianEman, with more zeal than common
ssnse, says.ysaGlad to see you. The dying
thief was saved, and suppose there is mercy
for your; The young man, disguised, chilled,
throws himself back on his dignity, resolved
he never viii enter the house of God again.
Perhaps not u quite fully disguised about
reformation, he sides up by some highly re-
spectacle man he used to know, going down
the street, and Immediately the respectable
man has aan errand down some other street!
Well, the prodigal, wishing to return, takes
some member of a Christian association Dy
the hand, or tries to. The Christian young
man looks at him, looks at the faded apparel
and tho marks of dissipation, and instead of
giving him O warm grip of the hand offers
him the tip end Of the long fingers of the left
hand, which is equal to striking man in the
face. = *
Oh, how few Christian people understand
how much force and gospel there is In good,
honest handshaking Sometimes, when you
have felt the need Of encouragement, and
some Christian man hns taken you heartily
by the hand, have you not felt that thrilling
through every fibre Of your body, mind and
soul, an encouragement that was just what
YOU needed? You do not know anything at
all about this unless you know when man
tries to return from evil courses OF conduct
he runs against repulsicns innumerable. We
say of some man, he lives block or two
from the church or half mile from the
church, There are people in our crowded
cities who live 1000 miles from church. Vast
deserts Of Indifference between them and the
house of God. The fact is, we must keep our
respectability, though thousands and tens OF
thousands perish Christ sat with publicans
and sinners. But IL there came to the house
OF God O man with marks of dissipation upon
him, people almost threw up their hands
in horror, rs much as to say: Isn't
it shockingi" How these dainty, fastidious
Christians in all our churches are going to
Get into, heaven don't know, unless they
have an especial train Of cars, cushioned and
upholstered, each one o car to himself! They
cannot 60 with the great herd Of publicans
and sinners. o ye, who curl your lip with
scorn at the fallen, I tell you plainly, If you
had been surrounded by the same influences,
instead of sitting to-day amid the cultured,
and the refined, and the Christian, you would
have been q crouching wretch in stable or
ditch, covered with filth and abominntion!
It is not because you are naturally any bet
ter, but because the mercy OF God has pro-
tected you. Who are you that. brought up
in Christian circles, and watched by Chris
tian parentage, you should be so hard on the
fallen!
think men also are often hindered from
return by the fact that churches are too
anxious about their membership, and too
anxious about their denomination, and they
rush out 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 Oh
church he is going to join o, my friends! it
is q poor time to talk about Presbyterian
catechislns, and Episcopal iturgies, and
Methodist lovefeasts and Baptistries, to
man that is coming out Of the darkness of sin
into tho glorious light of the gospel. Why,
it reminds Inc Of q man drowning in the sea,
and life boat puts out for him, and the man
in the boat rays to the man out Of the boat:
"Now, if get you ashore, are you going to
live in my street," First get him ashore,
and then talk about the non-essentials of re-
ligion Who cares what church he joins, If
he only joins Christ md starts for heaven!
.. you ought to have, my brother! an
illumined face, and a hearty grip for
every one that tries to turn from
his evil way. Take hold Of the same
book with him, though his dissipations shake
the book, remembering that he that con-
verteth sinner from the error of his way
shall save soul from death, and hide multi
tude of sins.
Now, I have shown you these obstacles be-
cause l want you to understand ! know all
the difficulties in the way; but l an now to
tell YOU how Hannibal may scale the Alps,
and how the shackles may be unriveted, and
how the paths Of virtue forsaken may be
regaincd.
First Of ull, my brother, throw yourself on
God. Go to him frankly and earnestly, end
Il IIt...