Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-07-17
never can forget how abe used to tao or,

never can forget how abe used 10 tao oars
OF you.
There have been many sea captains con-
| verted in our church, and the peculiarityue
them was that they were nearly all prayed
ashore by their mothers, though the mothevs
went into the dust soon after they wsnt 70
sea. Have you never heard an old man In
delirium OF some sickness call for his mothsrs
The fact is we get so used to calling for hss
the first ten years Of our life we never gpl
over 1t, and when she goes away from ~ II
makes deep sorrow. You sOmetimes por-
haps, in days Of trouble and darkness. when
the world would say, you ought to be abls
to take care of yoursalf'-you wake up FROM
| your dreams finding yourself saying, 'Oh,
mother! mother" Have these tears no d
vine Originl Why, take all the warm hearts
that ever beat in all lands, and In all ages,
and put them together and their united throb
would be weak compared with the throb OF
Gods eternal sympathy Yes, God also II
father of all that rain ot repentance.
Did YOU ever see rain of repentancei Do
you know what it is that makes man re-
pent' see people going around trying to
repent. They cannot repent. Do you know
no man can repent until God helps him to
repent How do know BY ths passage
Him hath God exalted to be prince and q
Saviour to give repentance oh. 1t is a tre-
Tut udouS hour when one wakes up and says:
II am bad man. ] have not sinned against
the laws OF the land, but | have wasted my
life; God asked me for my services and I
haven't given those services. Oh, my sins:
God forgive me-" When that teaf starts 1t
thrills all heaven. An angel cannot keep his
eyes off it and the church Of God dnsssalbles
around, and there IS commingling OF tears,
and God is lhe Father OF the rain, the Lord,
long suffering. nerciful and gracious.
In religious assemblage q man arose and
said: Il have been very wicked man; /
broke my mothers heart. I became an inf
del, but have seen my evil way, and have
surrendered my heart to God, but it Is q
grief that | never can get over that my
parents should never have heard OF my sal
walton; don't know whether they are living
or dead" While he was yet standing in the
audience a voice from the gallery said, "Oh.
my son, my son" He looked mp and he REQ
oguzed her. 1t was his old mother. She
had been praying for him q great many
years, and when at the foot Of the cross the
prodigal son and the praying mother en-
braced each other, there was a rain, tre-
mendous rain, of tears and God was the
Father Of those tears. On, that God would
break us down with sense Of our sin, and
then lift US up with an appreciation OF His
mercy. Tears over our wasted life. Tears
over a greived spirit. Tears over an In.
jured father Oh, that God would move
upon this audience with great wave of re-
hgious emotionl
| The king OF Carthage was dethroned.
His people rebelled against him. He was
driven into Punishment. His wife aud
children were outrageously abused. Years
went by, and the king of Carthage made
many friends. He gathered up a great
army. He marched again toward Car
thage. Reaching the gates Of Carthage
the best men Of the place came out bare
/ footed and bareheaded and with ropes
around their necks, crying for mercy.
They said. 1--WE abused you and we abused
your family, but we cry for mercy" Ths
| king OF Carthage looked down upon the
people from his chariot and said: II came
to bless, | didn't come to destroy. You
drove me out, but this day | pronounce
: pardon for all the people. Open the sates
and let the army come in" The slng
marched in and took the throne, and the
people all shouted, Long live the kingP
Ny friends, you have driven the Lord
/ Jesus Christ, the King of the church, away
from your heart; you have been maltreating
Him all these years; but He comes back to-
day. He stands in front of the gates OF
| your soul. II you will only pray for His
pardon He will meet you with His gracious
spirit and He will say; Thy sins and thine
iniuuities | will remember no more. Open
wide the gate | will take the throne. Ny
peace | give unto you" And then, all
| through this audience, from the young and
from the old, there will DO n rain OF tears,
and God will be the father of that raiEl