The Russellville Democrat., 1889-08-01


 going at death- leap.
 How many there are who resolve on a better life and say: ''When shall l awake?" But seized on by their old hab. it's cry. 'g will try it once more; I will seek ityet again!p Years ago there were some Princeton students who were skat- ing, and the ice was very thin, and some one warned the company back from the air hole, and finally warned them en- tirely to leave the place But one young man with brayado, after all the rest had stopped, cried out: "One round more ri He swept around and went down, and was brought ont corpse. My friends, there are thousands and tens of thou- sands of men losing their souls in that way. Itis the one round more.
 have also to say that if @ man wants to return from evil practices society re- pulses him. Desiring to reform, he says: "Now I will shake off my old as : sociates, and will find Christian com panionship" And he appears at the church door some Sabbath day, and the usher greets him with look, as much as to say: "Why, you here? You are the last man l ever expected to see at church Come, take this seat right down by the
 
 ing; I am glad you are here. Come; I will give you frst-rate seat, right up by the pulpit" We'll, the prodigai, not yet discouraged, enters the prayer meeting, and some Christian man, with more zeal than common sense, says:
 "Glad to see you. The dying thief was saved, and suppose there is mercy for youp' The young man, disgusted, chilled, h I,5r solved he never will enter the house of God again. Perhaps not quite fully dis couraged about reformation, he sides up by some highly-respectable man he used to know going down the street and imme- diately the respectable man has an er- rand down some other street. Well, the prodigal, wishing to return, takes some member of Christian association by the hand or tries to. This Christian young man looks at him, looks at the faded ap- parel and marks of dissipation, and in stead of giving him a warm grip of the hand offers him the tip end of he1ong fingers of the left hand which is equal to striking a man in the face. aa
 Oh, how few Christian, people under stand how much force and Gospel there is in good, honest hand- shaking! Some
 
 couragement and some Christian man has taken you heartily by A the hand, have you not felt that thrilling through every fiber of your body, mind and soul, an enc6urage- ment that was just what you neededS Youdo not know any thing at all about this unless you know when man tries to re- turn home from evil courses of conduct, l, able. We say of some man, he lives a block or two from the church, or half mile from the church. The re are people in our crowded cities who live a thousand miles from the church. Vast deserts of indifference between them and the house of God. The fact is, we must keep our responsibility, though thousands and tens of thousands perish. Christ sat with publicans and sinners, But if there comes to the house of God man with marks of dissipatian upon him, people throw up their hands in horror, as much as tosay: Isn't it shookingl" How these dainty, fastidious Christians iu all our churches are going to get into Heaven l don't know, unless they have an train of cars, cushioned and up- holstered, each one car to himself?
 
 publicans and sinners. Oh, ye who curl your lip of scorn at the fallen, I tell you plainly, if you had been surrounded by the same influences, ins tead of sitting to- day amid the cultured and the refined and Christian, you would have boen Q crouch ing wretch in stable or ditch, covered with filth and abominationl It is not be- cause you are naturally any better, but because the merGy of God has protected you. Who are you that brought up in Christian circles, and watched by Chris tian parentage, you should be so hard on the fallen?
 I think men also are often hindered from return by the fact that churches are too anxious about their membership and too anxious about their denomination, and they rush out when they see man about to give up his sin and return to God and ask him how he is going to be baptized, whether by sprinkIing or by and what kind of a church he is going to join. Oh, my friends! It is poor time to talk about Presbyterian catechism and Episcopal liturgies, and Methodist love feasts, and baptisteries to man that is com ing out of the darkness of sin into the glorious light of the Cos. pei. Why, 1t reminds us of a man drown, ing in the sea, and q li'e- boat puts out for him, and the man in the boat Says to the man out of the boat: "Now if 1 get you ashore are. you going to live in my street2p First get him ashore and then talk about the fon-essentials of religion. Who cares what church he joins if he only joins Christ and starts for Heaven? Oh, you ought to have, my brother, an illuminated face and a hearty grip for every one that tries to turn from his evil way. Take hold of the same book with him, though his dissipations shake the book, renieMbering that he that convert eth a sinner from the error Of his ways shall save a soul from death and hide a multitude of sins.
 Now, have shown these obstacles be- cause want you to understand I know all the difficultiesin the way; but amnow to tell you how Hannibal may scale the Alps and how the shackles may be unriyeted and how tlie paths of virtue forsaken may be regained. First of all, my brother, throw yourself on God. Go 10 Him frankly and earnestly and tell Him these habits you have and ask Him, if there is any help in all the resources of Omnipo- tent love, to give it to you. Do not go with long rigmarolo people call prayer, made up of "ohs" and ''ahs" and for ever and forever amens :" Co 70 God and cry for heIp! help! help and if yon can not cry for help, just look and live. re- member in the war I was at Autietam, and l went into the hospitals after the battle, and l said to a man: "Where are you hurt?" He made no answer, but held up his arm, swol- len and splintered. saw where he was hurt. The simple fact is, whena man has wounded soul, all he has to do is to hold il up before sympathetic Lord aud get it healed. 1t does not take any long prayer. Just hold up the wonnd. Oh, it is no small thing when man is nervous and weak and,ae xhausted, coming from his evil ways, to feel that God puts two Omnipotent arms around about him and says ''Young man, l will stand bylyou! 1,1,a mn yY, YYa Lslfy.