The Forrest City times., 1890-02-15

and enthusiastically into sin, and all the doors
 arc open; but If we get out at all 1t will be
 by being let down over preclp'ces, wrggling
 and helpless, the strong grip above keeping
 us from being dashed to pieces on the rocks
 beneath. It is easy to get into sin, young
 man It is not so easy to get cut of it.
 A young man goes to the marble counter
 of hotel. He asks for brandy smash
 called SO, suppose, because it smashes the
 man that takes it. There is no into xica-
 ton in it As tho young man receives 1t
 he does not seem to bo at al excited. It does not give any glosslnoss u the eve He
 walks homo in beautiful apparel, and all
 his prospects arc brilliant. That drink is
 not going to destroy him, but 1t is the first
 step on a bad road Years have passed on,
 and 500 that yoan; man after he has gone tho whole length of dissipation.
 It is midnight, and he is in a hotel per
 haps the very one where he took the first drink A delrum is On him. He rises from the bed and comes to the
 window, and it is easily lifted; so he lifts it Then he pushes back tse blinds and puts his foot on tho window sill Then ho gives one spring, and the watchman finds
 his dshguroI body, uarccognizabe on the pavement 0, if he had only waited a little-if he had cone down on the scarlot ladder that Jesus holds from the wall for him, and for you, and for me; but no, he
 made one jump, and was gone.
 A minister et Christ was not long ago dismissed from h.s diocese for intoxica- ton, and in public meeting he gave this account of his sorrow. He said; "I had beautiful home once, but strong drink shat. tered it. l had beautiful childrsn; but
 this hend os rum too.S thcif dimpled hands in his and led them to the grave I had u wife 10 know her was to love her; but shc sits in wratehedaoss t) night while l wander over the earth. l Il d a mother, and the pride Of her life was but the thunderbot struck her. now have scarce ly ftiead in the world Taste of tho bitter cup have tasted, and then answer ma as to whether l have any hatred for the agency of my ruin. Hate it hate the whole damning traffic l would to God tonight that every distnlery was in flames, for then in the glowing sky would write in the smoke of the ruin: Woe to him that puttoth the bottle to his neighbours lips. y That minister of the Cos pei went in through the broad dear of temp taton; he came out of tho window. And when sec the temptations that are about us in all countries, anu when 1 know the proclivities to sin that arc in every mans heart sec that if any of us escape it will be a very narrow escape, 0, if we have, my friends, got off from our sin, let us tic the scarlot thread by which we have been saved across tho window Let us do il in praise Of him whose b,ool dycd 1t that color Let it be i'll announcement of the fact that we shall no more be fatally as- saultei. "lhere is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus n Then let all the forces of this world como up in cavalry charge and let spirits of darkness come on an inferaal storming party at- tempting to taao your soul, this rope twist ed from these words, "rhe blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sim will hurl them back defeated forever
 Still further We must taita this red cord of the text and stretch it across the window of our households. When the Israelitish army came up against Jericho, thov said ''Nh hat is that in the window,n Some ono said That is a scarlet linen 70, /" said some one else, "that must be tho house that was to bs spared. Don't touch itn That line was thick enough, and long enough, and conspicuous enough to save Rahah, her father, her mother, her brothers and hcr ssstors-the entire family. Have our house holds as good proleetioni You have bolts on tho front door and on tho back, hhA lASkNulHAS u ilu WthlDW, unl perhaps burglar alarms, and perhaps an especial watchman blowing his whistl, ut midnight before your dwelling: but all that cannot protect your household. Is there on our houses the sign of n Savionr's sacrifice and mercy. Is there n scarlet line in the windowi Have your children been consecrated 10 Christi Havo you been washed in the blood of the atonemcntl In what room do you have family prayerss Show me where you arc accustomed to lneel. Tho sky is black with the coming deluge. Is your family inside or outside Of tho arkt It is sad thing for a man to reieet Christ; but to lie down in the night of sia, across the path to heaven, so that his family come up and trip over him-that is terrific. It is sad thing for q mother to reject Christ; but 10 gather her family around her. and then take them by tho hand and lead them out into paths of worldliness, away from God and heaven, alas alasl There may Do geran- ium and cactus in that family window, and upholstery lowering over it. and child ish faces looking out Of it but therc Is no scarlet thread stretched across it Al though that house may seem to be on the best street in all the town or city, it is really on Inc edgo Of marsh across which sweep most poisonous ma- larias, and 1t has a sandy founda- ton, and it's splendor will come down, and great will be the fail Of it. X home without God. X praYerless father! An undevout mother Awful awful Will you keep on, my brothor> on tue wrong road, and take your loved ones with you, Time is so short that we cannot waste any Of 1t on apologies, or indlrections, or cir eumlocetions. You owe 10 your children, Q father, Q mother. moro than food, moro than clothing more than shelter-you owe them the example of a prayerful, cousecrat- cd. pronounced out -and-out Christian life You cannot afford to keep 1t away from them.
 Now, as l stand hero, you tio not see any hands outstretched towards me, and yet there are hands on my brow and hands on both my shoulders They arc hands of parental bencdiction It is quito a good many years ago now since wa folded those hands as they began the last sleep on the banks of the Raritan In the village come tery, but thoso hands arc stretched out towards mo today, and they are just us warm and they ara just as gentle as when sat on her knoe at five years of age. And l shall never shake on those hands. do not want to. They have helped mo so much a thousand times alraady and do not expect to have a trouble or u trial between ths and my grave whore those hands will not help me. It was not very splendid home as the world calls it; but we had family Bible there wcll worn by tender perusal, and there was family altar thero. whero WIG Snelt mornlng aud right; ani thero was holy Sabbath therc; and stretched In straight line or hung in loops or fes. looms, there Was scarlet iIue ia tho window. . the tender, precious, blessed memory Of a Christian homel Is that the impression you arc making upon your rhiidreni When you arc dead--and it will moi be long before you arc-- when you ara dead, wilt your ehiid say If there evar was geod Christian father, mina was one. If there ever was a good Christian mother, mine was one
 SUI further; wo want this scarlet limo Of tha text drawn across tho window of our prospects. l sea Rahab and her father. and her moticr, and her brothers anu sisters looking out over Jericho, the city of palm .roas, and across the river and over q, the army invading, and then up to the noun.