Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-06-02

earth worse than you tell me you are.
They went the whole round OF iniquity,
they disgraccd themselves, they disgraced
their household. they despaired Of return
because their reputation was gone. their
property was gone. everything was gone:
butiin some hour like this heard the voice
Of God, and threw themselves on the
divine compassion, and they rose up more
than conqucrors. Aud I 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.
II takes man all wrong, and makes him
all right.
In former settlement where I
- he'd. member Of my congregation
lu,l 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 over.
heard along the street, on the way to the
burial. saying: "tCome. let us go and
hear Talmagc damn this old sinner!"
Oh! l had nothing but tears for the
dead, and had nothing hut invitations
for the living. You see could
not do any otherwise. "Christ Jesus
came 10 seek and save that which
was lost" Christ in his dying prayer
said: ''Father, forgive thcEi," and that
was prayer for you and for me. Oh!
start on the road TO heaven today. You
are not happy. Tho 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. lie 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 q long rigmarole Of q
prayer. but just look up and say: "IIelp!
lIelpw
But you say: MY hand trcmbles so
from my designations / can't even take
hold Of a hymn book to sing" Do not
worry about that, my brother; I will
give out hymn at the close so familiar
you can sing it without book. But you
say: IL have such terrible habits on me
| can't get rid Of them" My answer Is:
Almighty grace can break up that habit.
and will break it up. But you say: ''The
wrong did was to one dead and in
heaven how, 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.
"Oh.' says some man, .if should
try to do right, II I should turn away
from my evil doing unto the Lord,
would he jostled, l 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. l give you tc'lay the right
hand of Christian fellowship. God sent
mo here to-day to preach this. and he
sent you here TO hear this: "Let the
wicked forsakc his way, and the
unriGh.cous man his thought, and
let linn return unto the Lord, who
will have mercy, and unto our
God, who will abundantly pardon. 3"
Though you may have been the worst
sinner, you may become the best saint.
and in the great day of judgment IL will
hc found that "whcre sin aboundcd,
grace does much more abound" and
while the spoils Of an everlasting king
dom are being awarded for your pursuit,
II will bc found that the lame took the
prey. blessed bc 0ol that we are. this
sabbath, ono week nearer the oblitera-
ton Of all the inequalities Of this life and
all its disquictudcs.
Years ago, on boat on the North
river, the pilot gave very saarp ring to
the hell for the boat 10 slow up The
engineer attended 10 the machinery, and
then hc came up with some alarm on
deck - SEE what was the matter. He
saw il was a moonlight night and there
were no obstacles in tho way. He went
J." the pilot and said: why did you
ring tie hell in that wayl Why do
you want 90 stop: there's nothing
the matter" And the pilot said to
him: There Is mist gathering
nn the river; don't you see that! and
'h"rc is night gathering darker and
darker, and cant see the way" Then
TIA" engineer, looking around and seeing
Il was y bright moonlight, looked into the
;'srr az III" pilot and saw that he was
living. AND ,lwn that he was dead.
Grl grant that when our last moment
y"m~ We may hc found ut our pos;
;uin; our whole duuiy; and when the
milsi, Of the river of death gather on our
c!lcli'ls, may the good Pilot take the wheel
from onr hands and guide us into the
calm harlor 81 eternal rest!
Drop the anchor. furi the sail;
am safe within the vale.