The Red Cloud chief., 1889-08-30

mon destroyed through the sudden swoop
OF temptations. Some great inducemens
70 wOrldlinesA or ~sensuality, or high
temper, or to some form OF dissipation.
comes upon them. II they had time to ex.
anime their Bible, IL they had time to con-
to deliberate. they could stand it; but the
c!ydOn on the Mediterranean. a whirl.
wind Of tho Caribbean. Ono awful surge
OF temptation and they perish.
And so we often hear the old story: III
hadn't seen my friend In . great many
years. We were very glad to meet. He
said l must drink and he took me by the
arm and pressed M along. and filed the
cup mp until the bubbles ran over the edge.
and in an evil moment all my good reso-
lutions were swept away. and to the out
raging Of ZOO and my own soul I fell. "
Or the story is: Il had hard work tn sup
port my family. l thought that by one
false entry. by n deception. by one en-
bezzlement. ] might spring out free from
all my trouble. and the temptation came
upon me SO iiercely ] could not deliberate.
! did wrong. n having done wrong once
! could not stop" u. it il tho first step
that costs; the second is easier; and the
third, and on to tho last. Once having
broke loose from the anchor it il not 20
easy to tie TO parted strands How often
Il 10 that men are ruined for the reason
that the temptation comes from sOme I'M
expected quarter. As vessels lie in Mar.
gate Roads. safe from southwest winds:
but the wind changing to northeast they
are driven helpless and 60 down. O. that
God would have mercy upon those whom
thsre comes the sudden swoop OF tempta-
ton, lest they perish. becoming cast.
Always! castaways!
By talking with sea captains I have
found out also that some vessels come to
this calamity through sheer recklessness.
There arc thee million men who follow
the sea for . living. II is a simple fact
thai the average OF human life O the sea
il less than twelve years. This comes
from the fact that men by familiarity with
danger sometimes become reckless-she
captain, the helmsman, the stOker, the
man ON the lookout. become reckless. and
in nine out OF ten shipwrecks 1t is found
out that some one was awfully to blame.
80 ] have to tell you that men are morally
shipwrecked through sheer recklessnesS.
There are thousands who do not care
whore they are in spiritual things. They
do not know which way they are sailing.
and he sea is black with piratical hulks
hat would grappls them with hooks of
steel and blindiold them and make them
''walk the plank" They do not know
what the next moment may bring forth.
Drifting in their theology. Drifting in
their habits. Drifting in regard to all
their future. No God. no Christ, no settled
acceptance of eternal felicity; but all the
time coming nearer and nearera dangerous
coast Some Of them are on fire with evil
habits and they shall burn on tho sea. the
beach,. Many Of them with great troubles.
financial troubles domestic troubles, social
troubles; but they never pray for comfort.
With m aggravation Of sin they pray for
no pardon.
They do not steer for the lightship that
dances in gladness at the mouth Of Heav.
ems harbor; reckless a. to where they
come out drifting further from God,
further from early religious influences.
further from happiness; and what is the
worst thing about it 10 they are taking
their families along with them. and the
way one goes the probability 10 that they
will all 60 Yet no anxiety. As c
scious Of danger ~ the passengers aboard
the Arctic one moment before the Vesta
crashed Into her. Wrapped up in the
business OF the store. not remembering
that Don they must quit all their earthly
possessions; absorbed in their social posi-.
ton. not knowing that very soon they will
" attended the last ievee and whirled
in the last schottische. they do not delib.
erately choose I be ruined. Neither did
the French frigate Medusa aim for the
Arguin banks, but there it went to piecea
l wish I could wake you up The perils
are 3 o augmented, you will die just as
certainly as you sit there unless you
bestir yourself. Are you willing to Be.
come . castaway: You throw out no oar;
you take no surroundings; you watch no
compass. You are not calculating your
bearings while the wind is abaft. and
yonder is . long line Of foam bounding
the horizon and you will be pushed on to-
ward it. and thousands have perished
there and you are driving IN tho same di.
rection. K.ady about! Down helm!
Hard down! Man the lifeboat! Pull, my
lads pull! "He that being often reproved
hafdeneth his neck shall be suddenly do.
stroyed and that without remedy" but
some Of you are saying within yourselves:
''What shall / do:" Dor Do? Why, my
brother. do what any ship docs when it is
in trouble. Lift . distress signal On the
sea there is . fash and q boom. You listen
and you look. A vessel il in trouble. The
distress gun 10 sounded or . rocket sent
or Q blanket 10 lifted or . bundle of
rag-any thing TO catch the y Of the
passing craft. So il you want to be
taken OF the wreck Of your sin you must
lift q distress signal. The publican lifted
the distress signal when 10 cried: God,
b merciful to M . sinner!" Peter lifted
the distress signal when be said: Lord,
save me. I perish!" The blind man lifted
the distress signal when he said: Lord.
that my eyes may b opened" The jailer
lifted the distress signal when he said: |
what must l do to b saved:" And help
will never come to your soul until you lift
some signal. You must make some dem.
give some sign. make som
Heaven piercing outer CRY for help. lift
ing the distress signal for tho Church's
prayer; lifting the distress signal for
Heavens pardon. Pray! Pray! The
voice OF the Lord now sounds in your
ears: "In Me Is thy help" Too proud to
raise such q signal too proud to b saved.
There was an old sailor humping about
in q small boat in . tempest. Tho larger |