Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-06-08

round or in1quity, they disgraced themselves,
they disgraced their household, they des9aired
OF return because their reputation was gone,
their property was gone, everything was gone:
but in some hour like this they heard the voice
or God, and threw themselves on the divine
compassion, and rose up more than con-
querors. And tell you there is the same
chance for you. That is one reason why ]
like to preach this Gospel, so free GOSPEL,
so tremendous Gospel 1t takes man all
wrong, and makes him all right.
In former settlement where preached, a
member OF my congregation quit the house OF
God, quit respectable circles, went into all
styles OF sin, and was slain of his iniquity. The
day for his burial came, and his body was
brought to the house of God. Some of his COM
rades who had destroyed him were overheard
along the street, on the way to the burial
saying: Come let us 60 and hear Talmage
damn this old sinnerl" Obi | had nothing
but tears for the dead and had nothing
but invitations for the living. You see ]
could not do otherwise. "Christ Jesus
came to seek and save that which was lost -
Christ in his dying prayer said: "Father
forgive them, and that was prayer for you
and for me. Oh start on the road to heaven
to-day. You are not happy. The thirst of your
soul will never be slaked by the fountains of
sin. You turn everywhere but to God for
help. Right where you are, call on Him He
knows you, He knows all about YOU He
knows all the odds against which you have
been contending in life. Do not go to Him
with long rigmarole of a prayer, but lust
look up and ray: "Helpl Helpm
But you say: my hand trembes so from
my designations can't even take hold of
hymn book to sing" Do not worry about
that, my brother; | will give out a
hymn at the close so familiar you
can sing it without a book. But you
say: 81 have such terrible habits on me
/ rat rid Of hAf,1 l..
Almighty grace can break up that habit, and
will break 1t up. But you say "The wrong
did was to one dead and in heaven now and
can't correct that wrong" You can correct
it. By the grace of God, go into the presence
of that one, and the apologies you ought to
have made on earth make in heaven.
"Ohm says some man, 'if / should
try to do right. if l should turn away
from my evil doing unto the Lord, !
would be jostled, | would be driven
back; nobody would have any sympathy
for me-" You are mistaken. Here, in
the presence of the church on earth and
in heaven, give you to-day the right hand
to-day to preach this, and he sent you here
to hear this: LET the wicked forsake his
way, and the unrighteous man his thought,
and let him return unto the Lord, who
will have mercy, and unto our God,
who will .abundantly pardon" Though
yOu may nave DeeH inc WOrSJ sinner,
you may become the best saint, and in
the great day of Judgement it will
be found that "where sin abounded,
grace does much more abound, and while
the spoils of an everlasting kingdom arc
being awarded for your pursuit, it will be
found that the lame took the prey. Blessed
be God that we are, this Sabbath, one week
nearer the obliteration of all the inequalities
of this life and all its disquietudes
Years ago, on a boat on the North
river, the pilot gave very sharp ring tc
the bell for the boat to slow up. The
engineer attended to the machinery, and
then he came up with some alarm on
deck to see what was the matter He
saw it was moonlight night, and there
were no obstacles in the way He went
to the pilot and said: "Why did you
ring the bell in that way? Why do
you want to stops there's nothing
the matter" and the pilot said to
him There is mist gathering
on the river; don't yon see that! and there IS
night gathering darker and darker and |
can't see the way" Then the engineer, look.
ing around and seeing it was bright moon.
light, looked into the face of the pilot and
saw that he was dying, and then that he was
dead.
God grant that when our last moment
comes we may be found at our post doing
our whole duty; and when the mists of the
river of death gather on our eyelids, may the
good Pilot take the wheel from our hands
and guide us into the calm harbor of eternal
rest!
Drop the anchor, fur the sail
am safe within the vale.