Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-26


and saw the process Tbes brld him fast
and they put the cup to his lips, aud they
forced down the strong drink What chaiI,ss
Is there for such Young mlni
] counsel yDu. also surk Christian advice
Every Chrlstian man i bound to help YOU
IL you lind no other human ear willing TO
listen to your story Uf struggle come to me,
and will by every sympathy OF my heart,
anu every prayer, and every toll of my hand
stand beside you in the struggle for reforma-
ton; and as hope to have my own sns for
given, and hope TO be acquitted at the iudg-
ment sent 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 10 God for
su"cess. declare this day everlasting war
against all drinking habits, ali gaming prac-
tices, all houses of sin Hall and half work
will amount to nothing; it must be a Water
loo. Shrink back now and you are lost Push
on and YOU are saved. A Spartan general
fell at the very moment of victory, but lie
dipped his finger in his own blood, aud wrote
on Il rock near which he was dying: Sparta
has conquered Though your struggle to
get rid OF sin may seem to be almost n death
struggle, You can dip your finger in your
own blood, and write on the Rock OF Ages:
Victory though our Lord Jesus Christ" Oh.
what glorious news il would be for some ut
these young men to send home to their
parents in the country. They go to the post
Office every day or two 10 SEE if there are any
letters from you. How anxious they are TO
hearl Nothing would please them half so
much as the news YOU might send home to-
morrow that you had given your heart to
God. | know how it is in the country. The
night comes on. The cattle stand under tht.
rack through which bursts the truSses. of
hay. The horses just having fri,ked M
through the meadow at the night fail. stand
knee deep i'll the bright straw that invites
them to lie down and rest. The perch of tn,
hovel is full of fowl, their feet warm under
the feathers. In the old farm house at night
no candle is lighted, for the flames clap their
hands about the great backlog, and shak,
the shadow Of the group up and down the
wall. Father and mother sit there for half
an hour, saying nothing wonder what
they are thinking Of After a while the
father breaks the silence and says: well. |
wonder where our boy is in town tonight
and the mother answers: In no bad place. |
warrant you; we always could trust him
naSLi ic vas Hp3ISp 1lfl sAlCt ne mas I'Rl
away there have been 50 many PRAYERS
offered for him We can trust him still. -
Then at oclock-for they retire early in
the country-at S O'Clock they kneel down
and commend You TO that God who watches
i'll country and in town, on the land and ON
the sea
Some one said to a Grecian general;
What was the proudest moment of ypur
hfeF He thought moment AMI said; s.rhe
proudeSt moment of my life was when sent
word home 10 my parents that had gained
the victory" And the proudeSt and most
brilliant moment in your life will be the mo
ment when you can send word 10 Your par-
ents in the country that You have conquered
your evil habits, by the grace of God. ami
become eternal victor. Oh! despise not
parental anxiety. This time will come when
you will have neither father nor mother. and
YOU will go round the place where they us4d
to watch and find them gone from the house.
and gone from the field, and gone from the
neishborhood. Cry US 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 lock of
hair that was cut from ycar 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 as they wanted You to, and
would give the world if you had never thrust
a pang through their dear old hearts. God
pity the young man who has brought dis
grace on his fathers name. God pity the
young man who has broken his mothers
heart. Better If he had never been born
better if, in the first hour OF his life, instead
Of being laid against the warm bosom OF ma.
ternal tenderness, be had been coffined and
sepulchred. There is no balm powerful
enough to heal the heart of one who has
brought parents to a sorrowful grave and who
wanders about through the dismal cemetery,
rending the hair and wringing the hands,
and crying: Mother! mother.1 Oh, that
today, by all the memories of the past, and
by ali the hopes Of the future, you would
yield your heart to God. May your fathers
God and your mothers God be your God for
ever.