The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-07-24

ana from my church There went IN scrc
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 one asked whether
this man was from Oregon, or from Massa-
chusctts, or from Minnesota, or from New
York. There was wounded soldier, and
the only question was how to take on 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 come from or what your ancestry was.
/ Healing for all your wounds. Pardon for
all yourguilt Comfort for all your troubles.
Then, also, / counsel you, II you want to
get back, to quit all your bad associations.
One unholy intimacy will fill your soul
with moral distemper. In all the ages OF
the church there has not been an instance
where man kept one evil associate and
was reformed. Among the fourteen hun
dred million Of the race, not one instance.
Go home to-day, open your desk, take out
letter paper, stamps, and envelope, and
then write letter something like this:
my Old Companions: Istart this day for
Heaven. Until am persuaded you willioin
me in this, FAREWELL
Then sign your name, and send the letter
withthe first post. Give up your bad com
panions, or give up Heaven. 1t is not ten
bad companions that destroy man, nor FIVE
bad companions, nor three bad companions,
but one. What chance is there for that
young man saw along the street, four or
five young men with him, halting in front
of grog shop, urging him TO go in, he re-
sisting, violently resisting, until after awhile
they forced him TO go ini It was a summer
night, and the door was left open, and / saw
the process, They held him fast and they
put the cup 10 his lips, and they forced down
the strong drink. What chance 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 the energies Of body,
mind and soul, and, appealing to God for
success, declare this day everlasting war
against all drinking habits, all gambling
practices, all houses Of sin. Half-and-half
work will amount to nothing; II must be q
Waterloo. Shrink back now and you are
lost. Push on and you are saved. A Spar
tan general fell at the very moment Of vic
tory, but he dipped his finger in his own
blood and wrote on a rock near which he
was dying, Sparta has conquered.n Though
your struggle to get rid Of sin may seem 10
be almost death struggle, you can dip
your finger in your own blood and write on
the Rock Of Ages, "Victory through our
Lord Jesus Christi 4!asT- p fs t'gl.
o, what glorious news II would be for
some Of these young men TO send home 10
their parents. They go TO the postoffice
every day or two TO see whether there arc
any letters from you. How anxious they
are TO hear. i' 'U M
Some onesaid TO Grecian general: "What
was the proudest moment in your lifeP' He
thought moment, and said: "The proudest
moment in my life was when sent word
home TO myparents that had gained the VIC,
tory" And the proudest and most brilliant
moment in your life will be the momentwhen
you can send word 10 your parents that you
have conquered your evil habits by the grace
Of God and become eternal victor. O., de-
spise not parental anxiety The time VIII
come when you will have neither father nor
mother, and you will 20 around the place
where they used TO watch you and find them
gone from the house, and gone from the
field, and gone from the neighborhood. Cry
as loud for forgiveness as you may over
the mound in the churchyard, they will not
answer. Dead Dead And then you win
take out the white lock Of hair that was cut
from your mothers brow Just before they
buried her, and you will take the cane with
which your father used TO walk, and you.
will think and think and wish that you had
done just as they wanted you to, and would
give the world II you had never thrust
a pang through their dear old hearts.
God pity the poor young man who has
brought disgrace on his fathers name God
pity the young man who has broken his
mothers hearti Better II he had never
been born-better IL, in the first hour Of his
life, instead Of being laid against the warm
bosom OF maternal tenderness, he had been
cofined and sepulchered. There is no balm
powerful enough to heal the heart Of one
who has brought parents to sorrowful
grave, and who wanders about through the
dismal cemetery, rending the hair, and
wringing the hands, and crying, "Motherl
motherw o, that today by all the memo
ries Of the past and by all the hopes Of tha
future, you would yield your heart TO God.
May your fathers God and your mothers
nod ha vour nod forauart