Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1889-08-09

OF the long lWBefS OF inc lett hand, winch Is
equal to striking man in the face.
On, how few Christian people understand
how much force and Gospel there is in
good, honest handshakingl Sometimes when
you have felt the need of encouragement, and
some Christian man has taken you heartily
by the hand, have you not felt that thrilling
through every fibre Of your body, mind and
soul, an encouragement that was Just what
you needed? You do not know anything at
oil about this unless you know when a man
tries 70 return from evil courses OF conduct
he runs against repulsions innumerable. We
say of some man, he lives a block or two
from the church, or half a mile from the
church. There are people in our crowded cit
les who hvoa thousand miles from the church.
Vast deserts OF indifference between them am
the house of God. The fact is, we must keen
our respectabihty, though thousands and tens
of thousands perish. Christ sat with publ.
cans and sinners. But if there comes to the
house of God a man with marks Of dissipation
upon him, people throw up their hands in
horror, rs much as to say: isn't it shock.
ingY How these dainty, fastidious Chris
tians in all our churches are going to get into
heaven l don't know unless thoy have an
especial train Of cars cushioned and up,
holstercd, each ono car to hmselfl They
cannot go with the great herd ofpublicans ant
sinners. Oh, ye who curl your lip o.
scorn at the fallen, toll you plainly, if you
had been surrounded by the same influences
instead of sitting to-day amid tho cultured
and tho refined and the Christian, YOU would
have been crouching wretch in stable OF
ditch, covered with filth and abominationl
1t is not because you are naturally any bet
ter, but because the mercy Of God has pro-
tected you. Who are you, that brought I'D
in Christian circles, and watched by Chris
tan parentage, you should be so hard on the
fallen.
! think mon also are often hindered from
return by the fact that churches arc too anx-
ious about their membership and too anxious
about their denomination and they rush out
WHOM they see a man about to give up his
sin and return TO God, and ask him how he ia
going TO be baptized, whether by sprinkling
or by immersion, and what kind of church
lie is going to join. Oh, my friends 1t is
poor timo to talk about Presbyterian cate
chisms, and Episcopal litargias, and Metho-
dist love-foastS, and baptisteries to a man
that is coming out 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 him, and the man in
the boat says to the man out of the
boat: ''Now, il I get you ashore
aro you going to live in my stroet?'
First get him ashore, and then talk about the
noD-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 illumined face, and a
hearty grip for evory ono that tries to turn
from his evil wayl Take hold of tho same
book with him, though his designations shake
tho book, remembering that he that con-
vertcth sinner from the error Of his ways
shall savo a soul from death, and hide
multitude OF sins.
New, l have shown you these OBJ
stGcleS because | want you to under
stand l know all tho difficulties in the
way; but | am now to tell you how
Hannibal may scale the Alps and how
tho shackes may DO mrivotcd and
how tho paths Of vrJue forsakon 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, il there is any hclp in all
the resources Of omnipotent love- to give it
to you. Do noO go with a long riBmaroIe
people call prayer, made up Of ''ohs" aud
"ahs" and "foreycr and forever anonsw Go
to God and cry for helpl help! help! and if
you cannot cry for help. just look and live.
remember in the war l was at Antietam,
and l went into the hospitals after the
battle, and | said to man, "Where
are you hurtp He made no answer
but held up his arm swollen and splintered.
saw where he was hurt. The simple fact
10, WHICH, u IItlIl u WOuuttCu oJlll,
has TO do is to holditup before sympathetic
Lord and get it healed. 1t docs not take
any long prayer. just hold up the wound.
Oh, it is TO small thing when man is ncrv-
ouG and weak and exhausted coming from
his evil ways to feel that God puts two onl-
nipotent arms around about him and says;
''Young man, I viii stand by you'll This
mountains may depart and tho hills DO re-
moved, but | will never fail you" And then,
tho coItl thiT1lyc ibN ie- ton nrOpH IN hn
true, and cannot believe it, and looks up in
Gods face, God lifts Ills right hand aud takes
an oath, an affidavit, saying; "As l live,
saith the Lord God, have nc pleasure in the
death of him that dicth."
Blessed be God for such Gospel as thisl
"Cut the slices thin" said the wife to the
husband, cor there win not be enough to go
all around for the children; cut the slices
thin" Blessed be God, there is full loaf for
every one that wants it; bread enough and
to spare No thin slices at the Lords table.
I remember when the Master Street hos
pital, in Philadelphia, was opened during the
war, telegram came saying: There will be
three hundred wounded men to-night be
ready to tal1o care of them;" and from my
church there went in some twenty or
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
| New York. There Yves a wounded soldier,
and the only question was how 70 take or the
rags most gently, and put on the bandage,
and administer tho cordial. And when a
soul comes to God He does not ask where
yon came from on what your ancestry was.
| Healing for all your wounds. Pardon for all
| your guilt. Comfort for ell your troubles.
| + kr
get back, to quit all your bad associations
One unholy intimacy will fill your soul witt
moral distemper. In all the ages OF the
church there has not been an instance where
| a man kept one evil associate and was re
formed. Among the fourteen hundred mill
ion of the race not one instance. Go home
to-day, open your desk, take out lettcr paper
stamp and envelope, and then write lettel
something like this:
"My old companions: start this day fol
heaven. Until am persuaded you will JON
me in this. farewell"
Then sign your name, agld send the lette
with the first post. Give up your bad com
panions, OF give up heaven. 1t is not ter Lax
companions that destroy a man, nor fiv.2 i9t
companions nor three bad companions
but one. What chance is there FOL
that young man ] saw along the street
four or five young men with him, hating II
'front.' of o grog shop, urging him to go in h
resisting, violently resisting until after
while they forced him to go in9 1t was
summer night and tho 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 chanc
is there for such a young man?
counsel you also seek Christian advice
Every Christian man is bound to holp you
First Of all, seek God; then seek Christian
counsel Gather up all the energies of body
mind and soul, and appealing to God fo
success, declare this day everlasting wal
against all drinking habits, oil gamblin
practices, all houses of sin. Half-and-haI
work viii amount to nothing; it must DO
Waterloo. Shrink back now and you ar
lost Push on and you are saved. A SpaI
tan general fell at the very moment of vic
tory, but he dipped his finger in his ow