The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-12-22

loaf for every one tnat wants it--0read
enough and to spare. No thin slices at the
Lords table. remember when tho
Master Street hospital in Philadelphia was
opened during the war q telegram came
saying: "There will be three hun
dred 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
from one part of the land, some from an
other, no one asked whether this man was
from Oregon, or Massachusetts,, or Mime
sofa, or from New York. There was
wounded soldier and the only question was
how to take of the rags most gently, and
put on the bandage, and administer the cor
dial. And when q soul comes to God, He
does not ask where you came from or what
your ancestry was. Healing for all your
wounds. Pardon for all your guilt Com.
fort for all your troubles.
Then, also, counsel you, il you want to
get back, to quit all your bad associations.
One unholy intimacy will fill 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 1,400,0OO,OoO OF
the race not one instance. Go home to-day,
open your desk, take out letter paper,
stamp and envelope, and then write let
ter something like this:
my old companions; ! start this day for
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 COM
panons or give up Heaven It 10 not ten
bad companions that destroy a man, nor
five bad companions, nor three bal COM
panions, but one. What chance is there for
that young man saw along the street, four
or five young men with him, halting in front
OF grog-shop, urging him TO 90 in, he re-
sisting, violently resisting, until after
awhile they forced him to go ins 1t was a
summer night, and the door was left open,
and saw the process. They held him fast,
and they put the cup TO his lips and they
forced down the strong drink. What
chance is there for such a young mani
counsel you, also, seek Christian advice
Every Christian man is bound to help you
If you find no other human ear willing to
listen to your story of struggle, come to
me, and will, by every sympathy Of my
heart, and every prayer, and every toll OF
my hand, stand beside you in the struggle
tor reformation; and, as l hope to have
| my own sins forgiven, and hope to be &C
quilted at the Judgment seat Of Christ, !
will not betray you. First OF all, seek
GOd-then seek Christian counsel. Gather
up all the energies Of body mind and soul,
| and, appealing to God for success, declare
this day everlasting war against all drink.
ing habits, all gaming practices, all houses
OF sin. Half -and.half work will amount to
back now, and you are lost-push on, and
! you are saved A Spartan General fell at
the very moment of victory, but he dipped
| his finger in his own blood and wrote on a
rock near which he was dying: "Sparta
has conquered" Though your struggle to
get rid Of sin may seem almost death
struggle, you can dip your finger in your
own blood and write on the Rock Of Ages
"Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. "
oh, what glorious news it would be for
some Of these young men to send home t.
their parents in the country these holidays
which are coming. They 60 to the post
! Office every day or two to see il there are
any letters from you. How anxious they
are to hearl You might send them for u
holiday present this season book from ont
Of our best publishing houses, or complete
wardrobe from the importers palace; II
would not please them half as much as the
news you might send home tomorrow thai
you had given your heart to God. know
how 1t is IN the country. The night comes
on. The cattle stand under the rack
through which burst the trusses Of hay
The horses, just having frisked NJ
from the meadow, stand knee deer
IN the bright straw that invites them u
lie down and rest The perch Of the hove
is full Of fowl, their feet warm under theil
feathers. In the farmhouse at night nt
candle is lighted, for the flames clap theil
hands about the great black log, and shak;
the shadow of the group up and down the
wall. Father and mother sit there for hall
an hour, saying nothing. I wonder wha
they are thinking of. After awhile father
breaks the silence and says: SWELL
wonder where our boy is in town to
nightr and mother answers: "1n no bai
place. I warrant you; we always coult
trust him when ne was home, and since HI
has been away there have been so many
prayers offered for him, we can trust hin
still" Then at eight o'clock--for they re
tire early in the country they kneel down
and commend you to that God who watche.
in country and in town, on the and land OF
the sea. ...
Some one said 10 a Grecian General
"What was the proudest moment in YOU
life" He thought q moment, and said
Nhn ;,N -,
when sent home word to my parents thai
l had gained the victory" And the proud
est and most brilliant moment in your life
will be the moment when you can sent
word to your parents that you have con
quered your evil habits, by the grace OF
God, and become eternal victor. Oh, dc
spise notparentai anxietyl
The time will come when you will have
neither father or mother, and you win &c
around the place where they used to watch
you, and find them gone from the house
and gone from the field, and gone from the
neighborhood. Cry as loud for forgiveness
as you may over the mound in the church
yard, they will not answer. Dead! Dead
And then you will take out the white loci
of hair that was cut from your mothers
brow just before they buried her, and yor
will take the cane with which your fathe,
used to walk, and you will think and think
and wish that you had done Just as they
wanted you to, and would give the worl(
If you had never thrust pang through
their dear old hearts.
God pity the young nan who has brough,
disgrace on his fathers name! God pity
the young man who HIS broken his moth
er's hearts Better il he had never beer
born-bet,er If in the rirst hour of his life