Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-01-19
TWO INVITATIONS.
REV. fELMAGE RINGS TIE CHANGES ON THg
WORD COME
BE Shows Bow It May Be Used for Xvii and
Good-I Is in the First and Last
Book Of the Bible-The
Moral Drawn.
snleiaL rslemam o ths Rsqister.

Academy OF Music, fully six thousand
persons were maSSed in the large build
ling. A marked solemnity pervaded the
assembly, and at its close many persons
/ in various parts OF the house, rose at
the invitation of the preacher to ask
for prayers for their salvation. DIR. Tai
mage chose the following texts for his
sermon: Come" Gen. G:1S. "COme. y
Revelation 22:17.
Imperial, tender and all persuasive is
this word Come" Six hundred and
seventy-eight times IS it found in the
Scriptures. 1t stands at the front gate
of the Bible as in my first text, inviting
antediluvians into Noah's ark, and 1t
stands at the other gate Of the Bible as
In my second text, inviting the post
dlluyians into the ark of Saylor's
mercy. Come is only word OF four
letters, but ii is the queen OF words, and
nearly the entire nation of English vo-
cabulary bows TO its Sceptre. 1t is an
ocean into which emptieS ten thousand
rivers Ofmeaning. Other words drive,
but this beckons. All moods OF
feeling hath that word "COme. "
Sometimes it weepS and sometimes
it laughs. Sometimes ii prayS, some
times il tempts, and sometimes 1t de-
Stroys. II sounds from the door OF the
church and from the SeraglioS OF SIN,
from the gates of heaven and the gates
Of hell. II is continent and accreScent
of all power. 1t is the heireSs OF most
of the past and the almoner OF most oil
the future. Come You may pro-
nounce it so that all the heavens will be
heard i'm its cadenceS, or pronounce II
so that all the woes OF time and etern-
ity shall reverberate in its one syllable.
IL is on the lips of saint and protiSate.
1t is the mightiest of all SolicitantS eth
er for good or bad.
THE INVITATION.
To-day | weigh anchor, and haul IN
the planks, and set sail on that great
word, although | am sure l will not be
able TO reach the further shore. VIII
let down the fathoming line into this sea
and try TO measure its depths, and,
though | tie together all the cables and
cordage l have on board, | will not be
able To touch bottom. All the power OF
the Christian religion Is in that word
Come" The dictatOrial and commen-
datOry of religion is of no avail. The
imperative mood is not the appropriate
mood when we would have people saw
ingly impressed. They may be coaXed,
but they cannot be driven. Our hearts
are like our homes; at friendly knock
the door will be opened, but an attempt
/ TO force open our door would land the
aSsailant in prison. Our theological semi
naries, which keep young men three
wears in their curriculum before launch
| ing irto the ministry, will do well II in
so short time they can teach the can
Ididates for the holy Office how to say
with right emphasis and intonatlon ana
power that one word-"Comc" That
man who has such efficiency in Chris
tian work, and that woman who mas
such power to persuade people to quit
the wrong and begin the right, went
through 4 series of losses, bereave-
ments. prosecutions and the trials OF
twenty or thirty years before they
could make it triumph Of grace every
time they uttered the word Come.
You must remember that in many
cases our Come" has 4 mightleI
Come" TO conquer before 1t has any
effect at all. Just give me the accurate
census. the statistics, of how many are
down in fraud, in drunkenness, in gamb'
ling. in purity, or in vice Of any sort
and will give you the accurate census
or statistics of how many have been
slain by the word Come" Come ano
click wine-glaSseS with me at this ivory
lbar~ "Come and see what we can VIII
az this gaming table" Come, enter
with me this doubtful speculation.
"Come with me and read those inhde
tracts on Christianity" "Come with
me To a place of bad amusement. Come
with me in a gay bout through under
ground New York II IN tins
Icity there are twenty thousand
who are down in moral char
Iacter. then twenty thousand icli uhdei
the power of the word Come. wa;
reading of wife whose husband nae
been overthrown by strong drink, and
She went to the saloon where he was
ruined and she said: "Give me back my
husband" And the bartender, pointing
10 a maudlin aud battered man drowS
inc in the corner OF the barroom, SAID
.sThere he is: Jim, wake up; mere
vour wife come for you" And the
woman said ''DO you call that my nus
band? What have you been doing VIII
himq Is that the manly brow? Is tina
the clear eye? Is that the noble near
that | married? What vile drug nave
YOU given him that has turne'
him into iend? Take your tlgel
claws off of him. Uncoil those serpen
folds of evil habit that are crushing
him. Give me back my husband, The
one with whom | stood at the altar tel
wears ago. Give him back to me"
Victim was he, aS millions OF Others
been. of the word Come
Now we want all the world over u
harness this word for good as other.
have barnesSed it for evil, aud 1t VIII
draw the five continents and the sea-
lbetween them. yea, it will draw th'
whole earth back to the God from "hou
lii has wandered. 1t is that wooihS an
persuasive word that will lead men u
rive up their sins. Was sceptlcISh
ever brought into love Oh tI'
trntb by an ebullition of hot word
AGAINST infidelity? Was ever the olaS
phemer stopped in his oathS by dehuh
riotion of blasphemy? Was ever
Idrnnkard weaned from his cups by th'
temperance lecturers mimicry oi stag
yerinr step and hiccough? No. 1t wa
Come with me to church to-day ah'
beer our singing" Come and let III
Introduce YOU to a Christian gentleman
whom YOU will be sure to ADMIRE
"Come with me into associations ina
are cheerful and good and insplrlhs'
Come with me into JOY such as yo'
never before experienced.
ROOM FOR ALL.
With that word which has done s.
Dncb for others l approach you to-day
Are Won all right with God? NO
Won say. II think not; | am sometlihe
alarmed when | think of him; ie9r
will not be ready to meet him In the las
dav. nv heart is not right with uoG'
Cone then and have it made righ'
Tbrougb SJ the Christ who died TO saw
Won, Come! What Is the use III % wsi'
ing? The longer you wait the lur'ne urine
of YOU are and the deeper you aI
down Strike out for heaven
Vop remember that few years az
steamer called the Princess Alic
with n crowd of excurSioniStS aooaru
sank in the Thames, and there was ga d
awful sacrifice of life. a ooatman II lITl y
the shore put out for the rescue anu anu n /
had a big boat, and he got 1t so lui'
i. would not hold another person ana
he laid hold Of the oars to pun Ior VI
> shore. leaving hundreds helPiesS an an
drowning, he cried out: "Oh, tha1 Il"
, bigger boat" Thank God am ~ ~
thus limited, aud that can prou,' =
J. -. a., al in this Gospel boat. Net "