The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-08-08


upon him, people throw up their hands In
horror, as much as to say: isn't II shock
ingr How these dainty, fastidious Chris
tians In all our churches are going 10 get into
heaven don't know, unless they have an
especial train Of cars, cushioned and up
holstered, each one a car TO himselfl They
cannot go with the great herd Of publicans and
scorn at the fallen, toll you plainly, If you
had been surrounded by the same influences,
instead OF sitting to-day amid the cultured
and tho refined and the Christian, you would
have boon a crouching wretch in stable Sr
ditch, covered with filth and abominationI
II is not because you are naturally any bet
ter, but because the mercy of God has pro-
tocted you. Who are You, that brought up
In Christian circles, and watched by Chris
tian parentage you should be 80 hard on tho
Sallen.
think men also are often Numbered from
leturn by the fact that churches are too anx-
ious 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 no Is
going to be blptizod, whether by sprinkling
or by immersion, and what kind of church
he is goii.g to join. Oh, my friends 1t Is O
poor time to talk about Presbyterian cate
chisms and Episcopal liturgies, and Metho-
dist love-feasts and baptistories to a man
that is coming on. Of the darkness Of sin into
the glorious light Of the Gospel Why, it
reminds us Of man drowning in the sea- and
a lifeboat puts out for hial, and the man in
boat; Nov, If | get you ashore,
are you going to live in my streetT
First get him ashore, and then talk about the
non-oSsentials of religion. Who cares what
church no joins, if he only joins Christ and
starts for heaven9 Oh, you ought to have,
my brother. an llumined face, and
hearty grip for every one that tries to turn
from his evil wayi Take hold of the same
book with him, though his designations shake
tho book, remembering that he that con-
verteth sinner from the error Of his ways
shall save soul from death, and hide a
multitude of sins,
Now, l have shown you these OBJ
stacles because l want you to under
stand ! know all the difficulties in the
way; but am now to tell you how
Hannibal may scale the Alps and how
tho shackles may be unriveted and
how the paths of virtue forsaken may be re-
gained. First of all, my brother, throw
yourself on God Go to Him, frankly and
earnestly, and tell Him these habits you
have, and ask Him. if there is any helpin all
the resources Of omnipotent love. to give it
to you. Do not go with a long rigmarole
people call prayer, made up of ''ohs" and
'ahs" and forever and forever amensp Go
to God and cry for hclpl helpl help and if
you cannot cry for help just look and live.
remember in the war was at Antietam,
and I went into the hospitals after the
battle, and ! said to q man, "Where
are you hurty' He made no answer,
but held up his arm swollen and splintered.
saw where he was hurt The simple fact
Is, when man has wounded soul, all he
has to do is to hold it up before sympathetic
Lord and get it healed. 1t does not take
any long prayer. Just hold up the wound.
Oh, it is no small thing when man is nerv-
GUS and weak and exhausted, coming from
his evil ways, to feel that God puts two om-
nipotent arms around about him and says:
"Young man, l will stand by you'll The
mountains may depart and the hills be re-
moved, but viii never fail you" And then,
as the soul thinks the news il too good to be
true, and cannot believe 1t, and looks up in
Gods face, God lifts His right hand and takes
an oath, an affidavit saying; "As | live,
saith the Lord God, l have nc pleasure in the
| death of him that dieth."
Blessed be God for such Gospel as thisl
"Cut the slices thin" said the wife to the
husband, ''or there will not be enough to go
all around for the children; cut the slices
! thin" Blessed be God, thereis full leaf for
every one that wants it; bread enough and
to spare. No thin slices at the Lords table.
/ remember when the Master Street hos
pital, in Philadelphia, was opened during the
war, q telegram came saying: There will be
three hundred wounded men tonight; be
ready to take care of them;n and from my
church there went in some twenty OF
thirty men and women to look after
these poor wounded fellows. As they
came, some from one part of the
land, some from another, no ono asked
whether this man was from Oregon, or from
Massachusetts,, or from Minnesota, or from
| Vrrlr
and the only question was how to take of the
rags most gently, and put on the bandage
and administer the cordial. And when q
soul comes to God He does not ask where
you came from or what your ancestry was
Healing for all your wounds. Pardon for al
your guilt. Comfort for all your trUlbles.
Then, also, counsel you, If you want t
get back, to quit all your bad associations r
One unholy intimacy will fill your soul will
moral distempe In all the ages of tn
church there has not been an instance wher
man kept one evil associate and was re
formed. Among the fourteen hundred mill
ion of the race not one instance. Go HON
to-day, open your DESK take out letter paper
stamp and envelope, and then write lette
something like this:
"My old companions: I start this day 70
:. heaven Until am persuaded you will Joi
me in this, farewell
| iOsVSl
with the first post. Give up your bad com
panions, or give up heaven. 1t is not ten bat
companions that destroy man, nor five bat
companions, nor three bad companions
but one. What chance is there fol
that young man ! saw along the street
four Or five young mon with him, halting II
'front.' Of grog shop urging him to go In, b
resisting, violently, resisting, until after
while they forced him to go inS 1t was
summer night and the door was left open
and saw the process. They held him fast
and they put the cup to his lips, and the.
forced down the strong drink. What chaHc
is there for such young MANI
counsel you also seek Christian advice
Every Christian man is bound to help you
First of all, seek God; then seek Christian
counsel. Gather up all tho energies Of body
success, declare this day everlasting wa
against all drinking habits, all gamblin
practices, all houses of sin. Half-and-hal
work will amount to nothing; 1t must be
Waterloo. Shrink back now and you al
lost Push on and you arc saved. A Spa
tory, but he dipped his finger In his ow
blood and wrote on rock near which he wa
, dying, Sparta has conquered" Thong
your struggle to get rid Of shl may seem
be almost death struggle, yQu can dip you
finger In your own blood and Vffte on tn
: Rock Of Ages, 'Victa<s through our Lor
Jesus Christ"
Oh, what glorious news u would BIO ft
: some of these voting men to send homo
their parents. They go to the postotiit
: every day or two to see whether There al
any letters from you. How anxious they al
to hear.
Some one said to a Grecian genera
"What was the proudest moment in you
lifeT" He thought moment, and sais
1.-THE proudest moment of my life was when
sent word home to my parents that ma
gained the victory" And the proudest az
most brilliant moment in your life will be Il
moment when you can send word to your ps
! rents that you have conquered your evil habi
by the grace of God and become eternal victo
Oh, despise not parental anxiety The tin
will come when you will have neither fath'
nor mother, and you will go around the pia'
where they used to watch you and find the
gone from the house, and gone from the ffel
and gone from the neighborhood. q
as loud for forgiveness as you may over Il
,, mound in the churchyard, they will NJ
answer Dead Dead! And then you wi
take out the white lock Of hair that was Gu
from your mothers brow just before the
, buried her, and you will take the. cane wit
! which your father used to walk, and you vi
| xl,;pI and fhipH oyd xyiSh that VIC