The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-11

prodigal wishing to fs6lrn takes SONS Menu
Der Of a Christian ass0ciation by the Esnd.
or tries to. The Christian young man loo$s
at him, looks at the faded apparel and the
marks Of dissipation, instead Of giving him a
warm grip Of the hand, offers him the tip
ends Of the long fingers Of the left hand,
which is equal to striking man in the facet
Oh! how few Christian people understand
how much force and gospel there is in
good, honest hand shaking. Sometimes.
wnen you nave 1elr tne neeo or encourage
ment, and sonia Christian man has taken
you heartily by the hand, have you not felt
thrilling through every fiber Of your body,
mind and soul encouragement that was
just what you neededs 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 repu!sions lnnu-
merable. 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
respectabilty, though thousands and tens OF
and sinners. But if there came to the house
of God a man with marks Of dissipation upon
him people almost threw up their hands in
| horror as much as to say: '1sn't It shock
ing?n How these dainty, fastidious Chris
tians in all our churches are going to get into
heaven I don't know, unless they have
special train of cars, cushioned and uphol-
stered each one car to himself They can
not 60 with the great horde OF publicans and
sinners. Oh! We who curl your lip OF scofn
at the fallen, tell you plainly, If you had
been surrounded by the same influences, in
stead of sitting to-day amid the cultured:
and the refined, and the Christian, you Wouh
| have been crouching wretch in stable or
ditch, covered with filth and abemination.
| 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 Christian
paren5age, you should be 80 hard on the
| fallen?
I think men also are often hindered from
return by the fact that churches are too anS-
ious about their membership and too anxious
about their denomination, and they rush out
when they SEQ man about to give up his sin
and return to God, and ask him how he IS
! going to be baptized whether by sTinkling
! or immersion, and what kind OF church he
is going to join. Oh! my friends, it IS poor
time to talk about Presby terrain catechlsms
and Episcopal Iiturgies, and Methodist love
feasts, and baptistries to q man that ls COM
ing out Of the darkness Of sin into the glorl-
Gus light of the gospel. Why, it reminds me
of man drowning in the sea, and LIE boat
puts out for him, and the man IN the boat
SAYS to the man out Of the boat: Now, If
get you ashore, are you going to live on my
streetP' First get him ashore, and then talk
about tho non-essentials of religion. Who
cares what church he joins, il he only joins
Christ and starts for heaven? Oh! you ought
to have, my brother, an illumined face and
hearty grip for every one that tries to turn
from his evil way. Take hold Of the same
book with him though his designations shake
the book, remembering that ''he that con-
verteth sinner from the error OF his ways
shall save soul from death and hlos null
titude 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 shackles may be unriveted, and
how the paths of virtue forsaken may be re-
gained. First Of all, my brother, throw
earnestly ,and tell Him these habits you have,
and ask Him, if there is any help in all the
resources of omnipoteut love, to give it to
Won. Do not 20 with long rigmarole people
call PRAYER made up of "ohs and ''ahs, " and
forever and ever, amens" Go to God and cry
for help! help! help! and if you cannot cry
for help just look and live. l remember IN
the late war, I was at Antietam, and l went
into the hospitals after the battle and said to
man: "Where are you hurt!" He made no
answer but held up his arm, swollen and
splintered. / saw where ne was hurt Inc
simple fact is, when man has wounded
soul, all he has to do is to hold it up before
sym pathetic Lord and get it healed. 1t does
not take any long prayer. just hold up 1ne
wound. Oh, it is no small thing when man
is nervous and weak and exhausted, coming
from his evil ways,t to feel that God puts two
omnipotent arms around him, and says:
''Young man will stand by you. The mount
aims may depart, and the hills be removed, but
I will never fail you" And then as the soul
thinks the news is too good to be true, and
cannot believe it, and looks up in Gods race,
God lifts his right hand and takes an 10 oata, IN
an affidavit, saying: "As l live, satin tne
Lord God, have no pleasure in the death OIL
him that dieth.n Blessed be God for such a
gospel as this. "Cut the slices thin,n said the
wife to the husband, "or there will not be
enough to 90 all around for the children; cut
the slices thin" Blessed be God there Is
full loaf for every one that wants it! Bread
Lords table. remember when the Master
Street Hospital, in Philadelphia, was opened
during the war, q telegram came, saying:
s'There will be 800 wounded men tonight; be
ready to take care of them;' and from my
church there went in some twenty or thirty
, mon and women to look after these poor
wounded fellows. As they came, some from
one asked whether this man was from Ore-
roa. or from Massachusetts,, or from Minnie
sofa, or from New York. There was
wounded soldier, and the only question was
how to take off the rags the most gently, and
put on the bandage, and administer tne
cordial. And when soul comes TO God, he
doss not ask where you came from OF "naG
wounds. Pardon for all your guilt. Com
fort for all your troubles
Then, also, counsel you, if you want 10
get back, to quit all your bad associations
One unholy intimacy will fill your soul with
moral distemp.r. In all the ages Of the
church there has not been an instance where
a man kept one evil associate and was re-
formed Go home today, open your desk,
take out letter paper, stamp and envelope
"My Old Companions-I start this day FOR
heaven. Until 1 am persuaded you will join
| me in this, farewell" .
Then sign your name and send the letter
| by the first post. Give up your bad com,
panions or give up heaven. 1t IS NOT ten pao
companions that destroy man, nor hVe pad
companions nor three bad companons, nor
| two bad companions, but one: What chance
| is there for that young man l saw along the
| street, four or five young men with MIN,
| halting in front OF a grogshop, urging him 70
| 20 in, he resisting, violently resisting, unolI
after while they force him to go in! 1t was
a summer night and the door was lefS 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 young man!
counsel you, also, seek Christian advice.
Every Christian man is bound to help you.
| II YOU find no other human ear willing to
listen to your story Of struggle come to me,
and viii by every sympathy OF my heart
and every prayer, and every toll Of my hand,
stand beside you in the struggle Tor rerorma- ma