The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-07-09


his fellow mountaineers, the last words
on his dying lips being Free grace! O,
1t was free grace.
There is man who was for ten years
heavy 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 that? No temperance socie-
ties. No prohibition laws. No moral
suasion. Conversion did it. why"
said one upon whom the great change
had come, ''sir, feel just as though I
was somebody elsey' There is a great
sea captain who swore all the way from
New York to Havana, and from Havana
to San Francisco, and when he was in
port and when he was on the sea. What
power was 1t that washed his tongue
clean OF profanities, and made him
psalm singer? Conversion by the Holy
Spirit. There are thousands Of people in
this assmblage to-day who are no more
what they once were than a water lily
is night-shade, or morning lark Is
. vulture, or day is night.
Now, il 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 ex-
hilaration as they cried, "We are wit
nessesr And II they tried to sing the
old gospel hymn, they would break
down with emotion by the time they got
| to the second line:
Ashamed OF Jesus, that dear friend
On whom my hopes OF Heaven dependf
MOI When blush, be this my shame:
That no more revere His name"
Again remark that we are witnesses
Of the gospels power to comfort. There
are Christian parents here who are will
ing to testify to the power Of this gos-
| pei to comfort. Your son had just grad
uated from school or college and was
going into business, and the Lord took
him. Or your daughter had just gradu-
ated from the young ladies' seminary,
and you thought she was going 70 be a
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 skilliul physician, and the
1 oh ufnQ IN
was lifted out Of your arms by some
quick epidemic, and you stood wonder
ing why God ever gave you that child at
all, II so soon He was to take 1t away.
And yet you are not repining, you are
not fretful, you are not fighting against
God. What has enabled you to stand all
the trial? 60" you say, 81 took tho
medicine that God gavem sick soul. In
my distress threw myself at the feet
OF sympathizing God, and when | was
too weak TO pray or to look up, He
breathed into me peace that / think
must be the foretaste OF that heaven
where there is neithera tear, nor fare
we'll, nor grave" Come, all ye who
have been out to the grave to weep
there-come, all ye comforted souls, get
up of your knees Is there no power In
this gospel to soothe tho heart? Is there
no power in this religion to quiet the
worst paroxysm OF grief? There comes
up an answer from comforted widow
hood, and orphanage, and childlessnoss,
saying: SAY, ay, we are witnesses"
When q man has trouble the world
comes in and says: "Now, get your mind
of this; 90 out and breathe the fresh
air; plunge deeper into buIness." What
poor advice Get your mind of III
When every thing is upturned with the
bereavement, and every thing reminds
you OF what you have lost. Get your
mind of It! They might as we'll advise
you to stop thinking. You can not stor
thinking, and you can not stop thinking
In that direction. Take a walk in the
fresh airl Why, along that very street,
or that very road, she once accompanied
you. Out Of that grass plat she plucked
flowers, or into that show window she
looked, fascinated, saying. "Come sec
the pictures" Go deeper in business
Why, she was associated with all your
business ambition, and since she has
gone you have no ambition left o
this is a clumsy world when II tries Il
comfort broken heart can build &
Corliss' engine, can paint Raphaeri
Madonna can play Beethoven'i
"Erorica symphony" as easily as thii
world oan comfort broken heart. Ant
yet you have been corbforted. How wal
IL done? Did Christ come 10 you ant
say, "get your mind of this; go out ant
breathe fresh air; plunge deeper int
business?" No. There was a minute
when he came TO you perhaps In the
watches Of the night, perhaps in you
place Of business, perhaps along the
street--and he breathed something intt
your soul that gave peace, rest, Infinite
quiet so that you could take out the
photograph OF the departed one anc
look into the eyes and the face Of the
dear one, and say, 'ft is all right; she
is better off; would not call her back
Lord, thank Thee that Thou hast com
forted my poor heart"
Again: Iremark that we are witnesses
OF the fact that religion has power tC
give composure in the last moment
never shall forget the first time con
fronted death. We went across the corr
fields In the country. was led by my
fathers hand, and we came to the farm
house whore the bereavement had come
and we saw the crowd Of wagons and
carriages; but there was one carriage
that especially attracted my boyish at
tention, and It had black plumes. / said