The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-08-07


broken sliced, but he is riding q monster,
wild and bloodthirsty, going at a death leap
How many there are who resolve on a bet
ter life and say: "When shall awaken
But, seized on by their old habits, cry: II
will try it once more;.I will seek it yet
again." Years ago there were some Prince
ton students who were skating, and the ice
was very thin, and some one warned the
company back from the air hole, and finally
warned them entirely to leave the place.
But one young man with bravado, after all
the rest had stopped, cried out: Zone round
more" He swept around and went down,
and was brought out a corpse. My friends,
there are thousands and tens of thousands
of men losing their souls in hat way. It is
the one round more.
have also to say that il a man wants to
return from evil practices society repulses
him. Desiring to reform, he says: ''Now I
will shake off my old associates, and will
find Christian companionship" And he ap
pears at the church door some Sabbath day,
and the usher greets him with look, as
much as to say; "Why, you here9 You
are the last man ever expected to see at
church! Come, take this seat right down
by the door!" Instead Of saying: "Good
morning; lam glad you are here. Come,
/ will give you first rate seat right up
by the pulpit" Well, the prodigal,
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 you!" The
young man, Disguised, chilled, throws him
self back on his dignity, resolved he will
never enter the house of God again. Per-
haps not quite fully discouraged about ref
ormation he sides up by some highly re-
spectacle man he used to know going down
the street, and Immediately the respectable
man has an errand down some other street!
Well, the prodigal, wishing to return, takes
some member of aChristian association by
the hand, or tries to. The Christian young
man looks at him, looks at the faded ap-
parel and the marks Of dissipation, and in
stead of giving him warm grip of the
hand offers him the tip end of the long fin
gers of the left hand which is equal to
striking man in the face.
o, how few Christian people understand
how much force and gospel there is in a
good, honest handshaking! Sometimes
when you have felt the need of encourage.
ment, and some Christian man has taken
you heartily by the hand, have you not fell
that thrilling through every fiber of your
body, mind and soul, an encouragement that
was just what you neededa You do moi
know any thing at all about this unless you
know when man tries to return from evil
courses of conduct, he runs against repul
sions innumerable. We say of some man
he lives block or two from the church, OF
half a mile from the church. There are PEG
pie in our crowded cities who live thou
sand miles from the church. Vast deserts
of Indifference between them and the house
of God. The fact is, we must keep our re
spectability, though thousands and tens o.
thousands perish. Christ sat with publican.
and sinners. But if there comes to the house
of God man with marks of dissipation
about him, people throw up their hands il
horror, as much as to say, "lsn't it shock
ing9" How these dainty, fastidious Chris
tians in all our churches are going to ge
into Heaven don't know, unless they hav,
an especial train of cars, cushioned and up
holstered, each one car to himself The,
can not go with the great herd of publican
and sinners. o. We, who curl your lip o
scorn at the fallen, tell you plainly, if yol
had been surrounded by the same influences
instead of sitting to-day amid the cultured
and the refined and the Christian, you woul'
have been crouching wretch in stable o
ditch, covered with filth and abomination
1t is not because you are naturally any bet
ter, but because the mercy of God has pro
| ho hat hyo,, rht ~,
in Christian circles, and watched by Chris
tian parentage, you should be 50 hard on tn
fallenl
think men also are often hndered fror
return by the fact that churches are too anx
ious about their membership and too anxfou
about their denomination, and they rush GU
when they see man about to give up his si
and return to God, and ask him how he
going to be baptized, whether by sprinklin
or by immersion, and what kind of churc
he is going to join. o, my friends! 1t is
poor time to talk about Presbyterian cate
chisms, and Episcopal liturgies and MethC
dist love feasts, and baptisteries to ma
that is coming out Of the darkness of 81
into the glorious light of the Gospel Why
it reminds us of man drowning in the ses
and a lifeboat puts out for him, and tn
man in the boat says to the man out of tn
boat: "Now, if get you ashore, are 20
going to live in my street," First get hir
ashore, and then talk about the non-esser
tials Of religions. Who cares what churc
he joins, If he only joins Christ and start
for Heaven' o, you ought to have, IN
brother, an Illuminated face, and heart
grip for every one that tries to turn frol
his evil way. Take hold of the same boo
with him, though his designations shake tn
book, remembering that he that cor
verteth sinner from the error Of his way
shall save soul from death, aud hide
multitude of sins.
Now have shown you these obstacles b.
cause want you to understand know a
the difficulties in the way; but am now
tell you how Hannibal may scale the Alp
and how thu shackles may be unrivete
and how the paths of virtue forsaken ma
be regained First of all, my brothe
throw yourself on God. Go to Him, frank
and earnestly tell Him these habits yc
have, and ask Him, if there is any help
all the resources of omnipOtent love, to ri,
J. it you. Do not go with a long rigmaro
people call prayer, made up Of ''ohs" al
"ahs,n and forever and forever amcns
Go to God and cry for helpl help! he'll
and if you can not cry for help, ju
look and live. remember in the WI
was at Antietam, and l went into Il
hospitals after the battle, aud sa
to man, where are you hurti" He mat
no answer, but held up his arm swollen al
, splntered. saw where he was hurt. tt
simple fact is, when a man has wound,
, soul, all he has to do is to hold it up befo
sympathetic Lord and get it healed.
. does not take any long prayer. Just no
, up the wound. o, it is no small thing whe
man is nervous and weak and exhauste
coming from his evil ways to feel that G,