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

in; Philadelphia was opened during the'wara o
telegram came saying: sThere Will be three
hundred wounded men tonight, be ready to
take care of them;" and from my church there
went in 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 Oregon, or Massachu-
setts, or from Minnesota, 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, aud admin
ister the cordial. And when u 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.
Comfort for all your troubles. - -. s'"'-.~ :
.Then-also counsel you, If you want to get
back, to quit all your bad associations" One
uuholY intimacy will fdl yoursoul with moral
distelIlper. =, In al. the ages of the church
there has not been an instance where man
kent one evil associate and was reformed
Among the ], 400, ,O0O, ,Qo0; of the race not one
instance. Go home to-day, open your desk,
take out letter paper, stamp and envelope,
and then write letter something like this:
,sMy old companions: start this day for
heaven Until am persuaded you will join
me in this, farewell"
Then sign your, name, and send tho letter
with the first post. Give up your had cor-
panions, or give up heaven. 1t is mot ten
bad companions tina. destroy man, nor i've
bad companions, nor three bed companions,
but one. What chance, ,,isat there for, thnt
Young man saw along the street, four or
five young men with him, halting In front OF
a grog shop, urging him togo In, he resist
ing, violently resisting, until ,atter q while
they forced hun to 60 in! 1t was summer
night, and the door was left open, and l 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 Tor
such young manf
counsel you also, seek Christian advice.
Every Christian man is bound to help you.
If YOU find no other human ar.wllng 70
listen to your story Of struggle, come to me,
and will, by every sy. 'pathy of my heart,
and every prayer, al, cry toll Of my hand,
stand beside you in tlle ...ruggle for reforlna-
ton; and US l hope to have my own SINS 1or-
given and hope to be acquitted at the 3udg-
ment seat Of Christ, will not betrny you.
First of all, seek God; then seek Christian
counsel. Gather up all the energies Of body,
mind and soul, und, appealing to God Tor
success, declare this day everlasting war
against all drinking habits, all gaming prac-
tices, all houses of sin. Half-and-haf work
will amount to nothing; it must be Waterloo.
Shrink back now, and you are lost. Push on,
end YOU are saved. A Spartan general fell
at the very moment of victory, but he dipped
his finger in his own Flood and wrote on
rock near which he was dying: Sparta has
conouered.n Though our struggle to get
rid of sin. may seem al basalmost O. deatn
struggle, YOU can dip your finger in your own
blood and write on the Rock Of Ages: VIC
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ. "
Oh. what glorious news it would be for
some Of these young men to send home TO
their pu1rnts in the rtry these holidays
which are coming to the postoifice
every day or two to ~ whether there are
any letters from you. How anxious they are
to hear! You might send them for holiday
present this season book from one OF our
best publishing houses, or a complete ward
robe from the importers palace, it would not
please them half as much as the news you
might send home tomorrow that you had
piven your heart to e.. :. I know how it Is
in the country. Tie light comes OIL The
cattle stand under the rack through which
burst the trusses OF hay. The horses just
having frisked up from the meadow at the
nightfall, stand knee deep IN the bright straw
that invites them to lie down and rest. The
perch Of the hovel is full Of fowl, their
feet warm under the feathers. In the old
farmhouse at night no candle Is lighted,
for the flames clap their hands about the
great black log, and shake tho shadow OF the
group I'D and down the wall. Father and
mother sit there for half an hour, saying
nothing. wonder what they are thinking
of. After awhile the father breaks the
silence and says: aWell, wonder where our
boy is in town tonight" and the mother an
swers: @In no bad place, warrant you; we
always could trust him when he was home,
and since he has been away there have been
SO many prayers offered for him, we can
trust him still" Then at o'clook-for they
retire early in the country-they lneel down
and commend you to that God who watches
in country and in town, on the land and on
the sea.
Some one said to q Grecian general: "What
was the proudest moment in your lfe9' He
thought moment, and said: "The proudcst
moment in my life was when sent home
word to my parents that had gained the
victory" And the proudest and most bril-
liant moment in your life will be the moment
when You can send word your parents that
you have conquered your evil habits, by the
grace OF God, and become eternal victor.
Oh, despise not parental anxiety!
The time will come when you will have
neither father or mother, and you will 70
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
rs you may over the mound in the church
yard, they will not answer. Dead! dead!
And then you will take out the white lock of
hair that was cut from your mothers brow
Just before they buried her, and you will
take the cane with which your father used
to walk, and you will think and think and
wish that you had done just us they wanted
YOU to, and would give the world if you had
never thrust pang through their dear old