The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-05-16

4 Ins mother, who used to sit at the door,
utt,e bent over, cap and spectacles on,
I uer face mellowing with the vicissitudes
OF many years, may have put down her
gray heal on the pillow in the valley, but
forget that home you never will. Have
you thanked God for ftl Have you re-
hearsed all those blessed "reminiscences?
Oh, thank God for Christian father;
thank God for a Christian mother; thank
God for an early Christian altar at which
you were taught to Kneel; thank God for
an early Christian home.
bring to mind another passage in the
history of your life. The day came when
you set up your own household. The
days passed along In quiet blessedness.
You twain sat at the table morning and
night and talked over your plans for the
future. The most insignificant affair in
your life became the subject OF mutual
consultation and advisement. You were
so happy you felt you never could be any
happier. One day dark cloud lowered
over your dwelling, and it got darker and
darker, but out Of that cloud the shining
messenger of God descended to incarnate
an immortal spirit. Two little feet start
ed on an eternal journey, and you were to
lead them-a gem to fash in Heavens
cororet, and you to polish it; eternal ages
of light and darkness watching the start
ing out of newly created creature You
rejoiced and you trembled at the respon-
sibility that in your possession an inn
mortal treasure was placed. You prayed
and rejoiced, and wept aud wondered;
you were earnest in supplication that you
might lead it through life into the King
dom of God.
There was a tremor IN your earnest
f-.fn hon
that home. There was an additional in-
terest why you should stay there and be
faithful, and when in a few months your
house was filled with the music Of the
child's laughter, you were struck through
with the fact that You had a stupendous
mission. Have you kept that vow: lave
you neglected any GO these duties? Is
your home as much to you AZ it used to
be? Have those anticipations been graft
fed? GOO help You o-day in your solemn
Renaissance, and let His mercy fall upon
your soul il your kindness has been ILL
requited. God have mercy on the parent
on the wrinkles of whose face is written
the story of a child'S sin. God have
mercy on the mother wh0, in addition to
her other pangs, has the pangs Of a child's
iniquity. Oh, there are many, many sad
sounds in this sad world, but the saddest
ing of a mothers heart. Are there am
here who remember that in that home
they were unfaithful? Are there those
who wandered off from that early home,
and left the mother to die with broken
heart? Oh, stir that Renaissance to-
day.
find another p ONT in your life history.
You found one day you were In the wrong
road; you couldn't sleep at night; there
was Just one word that seemed to sob
through your banking house or through
your office, or through your shop, or your
bed room, and that word was Eternity"
You said: 81 am not ready for it, o, God,
have mercy" The Lord heard. Peace
came to your heart. In the breath OF the
hill and the waterfalls dash you heard
the voice of Gods love; the clouds and
the trees hailed you with gladness. you
came into the house Of God.
You remember how your hand trembled
as you took up the cup OF the communion.
You remember til" old minister who con.
secrated it. and you remember the church
officials who carried it through the aisle;
you rememb II the OLD people who at the
close of the service took your hand in
theirs in congra ulatiuy sympathy, as
much as to say: "Welcome home, you
lost prodigal;" and though those hands
: are all withered away, that communion
Sabbath is resurrected this morning; it is
, resurrected with all its prayers, and
songs, and tears, and sermons, and trans
figurations. Have You kept those VOWS?
Have you been a backslider; God help
you. This day kneel at the foot of mercy
and start again for Heaven. Start to day
as you started then. | rouse your soul
by that Renaissance. But l must not
spend any more of my time in going over
the advanta res of your life. l just put
them all in one great sheaf, and l wrap
them up in your memory with one loud
harvest song, such as the reapers sing.
Praise the Lord, ye blood bought immor-
tails of earth! Praise the Lord, ye
crowned spirits of II aven!
But some of you have not always had
smooth life. Some of You are now in the
shadow. Others had their troubles years
ago; you are q mere wreck of what you
once were. / must gather up the sorrows
of your past life; but how shall do it?
You say that is impossible, as you have
had so many troubles and adversities.
Then will just take two, the first trouble
and the last trouble. AS when you are
walking along the street, and there has
been music in the distance, you uncOn-
sciously find yourselves keeping step to
the music, SO when you started life your
very life was q musical time beat. The
air was full of JOY and hilarity; with the
bright, clear oar you made the boat skip;
you went on, and life grew brighter until
after awhile suddenly voice from
Heaven said: "Haltw aud quick as the
sunshine you halted; you grew pale, you
confronted your first sorrow. You had no
idea that the flush on yoIr child's cheek
was al unhealthy flush. You said it can't
be any thing serious. Death, in slippered
feet, walked round about the cradle. You
did not hear the treal; but after awhile
the truth flashed on you. You walked
the floor. Oh, if You could, with your
strong, stout hand, have wrenched that
child from the destroyer. You went to
your room AMI you said: "God, save my
child! God, save my child" Thu world
seemed going out in darkness. You said
II can't bear it; l can't bear it," You
felt as if you could MT put the long lashes
over the bright eyes, never to see them
again sparkle. Oh, if you could have
taken that little one in your arms and
with it leaped the grave, how gladly you
would have done il! Oh, if you could let
your property go, your houses go, your
land and your storehouse go, how gladly
YOU would have allowed them to depart if
you could only have kept that one treas
ure!