The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-08
CONVERSION DID 1T.

There is man who was for ten years
G hard drinker. The dreadful appetite
had sent down its roots around the pal
ate and the tongue, and ON down until
they were interlinked with the vitals of
the body, mind and soul; but he has
not taken any stimulants for ten years.
What did that3 Not temperance soci-
cites. Not prohibition laws. Not
moral suasion. Conversion did it.
why" said one upon whom the great
change had come, Sir, I feel just as
though I were somebody else" There
is sea captain who swore all the way
from New York to Havana, and from
Havana to San Francisco, and when
he was in port he was worse than when
he was on the sea. What power was
it that washed his tongue clean of pro-
families and made him u psalm singer
Conversion by the holy spirit. There
are thousands of people in this assem-
blage today who are no more what they
once were than a waterlily is night
shade, or u morning lark is a vulture,
or day is night.
Now, if I should demand that all
those people here present who have felt
the converting power of religion should
rise, so far from being ashamed they
would spring to their feet with more
alacrity than they ever sprang to the
dance, the tears mingling with their
exhilarations as they cried: I'VE are
witnesses And if they tried TO sing
the old Gospel hymn they would break
down with emotion by the time they
cot to the second line:
Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heaven depend:
MOI When bllls he this my shame:
That no more reyerc his name.
THE GOSPELS POWER TO COMFORT.
Again remark that we are wit
nesscs of the Gospels powerto comfort
There are Christian parents here who
are willing to testify to tho power of
this Gospel to comfort. Your son had
just graduated from school or college
and was going into business, and the
Lord took him Or your daughter had
Just graduated from the young ladies'
seminary, and you thought she was
going TO be useful woman and OF long
life; but the Lord took her, and you
were tempted to say, "All this culture
of twenty years for nothing Or the
little child came home from school
with the hot fever that stopped not for
the agonized prayer or for the slillful
physician, and the little child was
taken. Or the babe was lifted out of
your arms by some quick epidemic,
and you stood wondering why God
ever gave you that child at all, if so
soon he was to take it away. And yet
you are not rcpining, you are not fret
full, you are not fighting against God.
What has enabled you to stand all
the trial? "Oh," you say, Il took the
medicine that God gave my sick soul.
In my distress threw myself at the
feet of sympathizing God; and when
1 was too weak to pray or to look up
he breathed into me II peace that |
think must be the foretaste of that
heaven where there is neither tear,
nor farewell, nor Il grave" Come,
all yc who have been out to the grave
to weep there-come, Ill We colnforted
souls, get up off your knees. Is there
no power in this Gospel TO soothe the
heart? Is there 10 power in this re-
ligion TO quiet the worst paroxysm OF
GRIEF There comes up an answer from
comforted widowhood, and orphanase
and childlessness saying: "Ay, ay, we
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