Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-05-05
THE GOSPEL NET.


Here is another one, who started in
life with an uncomfortable spirit. He
kept the nursery in an uproar. His
mother found him walking on the
edge of the house roof to see if he could
balance himself. There was no horse
that he dared not ride-no tree he
could not climb. His boyhood was a
long series of predicaments; his man
hood was reckless; his midlife very
wavward But now he is converted,
and YOU 90 over to the store and say,
cartwright joined the church yester-
day." Your friends say, 1T is not
possible You must be joking" You
say, No; | tell you the truth. He
Joined the church" Then they reply,
''There is hope for any of us if old
Arkwright has become a Christian y
In other words, we will admit that it
is more difficult for some men to ac-
cept the Gospel than for others.
| may be preaching to some who
have cut loose from churches and
Bibles and Sundays, and who have
come in here with no intention of be-
|
Just to see what is going on; and yet
YOU may find yourself escaping, be-
fore YOU leave this house, as with the
! skin of YOUR teeth" | do not expect
to waste this hour. | have seen boats
90 off from Cape May or Long Branch,
and drop their nets, and after awhile
come ashore pulling in the nets, with
tiSh
was not good day, or they had not
the right kind of a net. But we ex
pect no such excursion today. The
water is full of fish, the wind is in the
right direction, the Gospel net il
strong. Oh thou who didst help ST
mon and Andrew to fish, show US to
day how to cast the net on the RICH
side of the ship!
Some of you, in coming to God, vii
have to run against skeptical notions
1t is useless for people to say sharp an'
cutting things to those who reject tn
Christian religion. cannot say sucl
things. By what process Of tempta
ton or trial or betrayal you have com
to your present state, [ know not
There are two gates to your nature
the gate of the head, and the gate c
the heart. The gate of your head
locked with bolts and bars that an arch
angel could not break, but the gate
your heart swings easily on It's hinges
If assaulted your body with weapons
you would meet me with weapons, an
it would be sword stroke for sWor
stroke, and wound for wound, an
blood for blood; but if [ come an
knock at the door of your house, yo
open it, and give me the best seat 1
your parlor. If 1 should come at 20
. now with an argument, you Woul
answer me with an argument; II VII
sarcasm. you would answer me VIII
sarcasm; blow for blow, stroke Il
: stroke; but when come and knoe
at the door of your heart, you open
! and say, Come in, my brother, al
tell me all you know about Christ al
] heaven"
THREE QUESTIONS.
/ Listen to two or three question
n Are you as happy as you used 10
& when you believed in the truth OF /, u
\ Christian religion? Would you II
II 20 have your children travel on IN 9
8 road IN which you are now travellh
\ You had a relative who protested to
j Christian, and was thoroughly co
sistent, living and dying in the fal
e; of the Gospel. Would you not like
"a live the same quiet life, and die t
same peaceful death9 I have a lett
sent me by one who has rejected t
ID. Christian religion. 1t says: Il am
enough to know that the joys a