The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-07-15

could not. II flung us Hat, and when
we arose we were as much changed as
Gourgis, the heathen, who went into
prayer-meeting with a dagger and
gun, to disturb meeting and destroy
it, but the next day was found crying;
20, my great sins! 0, my great Saw
iourl' and for eleven years preached
the gospel Of Christ to his fellow noun
taineers, the last words on his dying
lips being "Free grace" o, it was free
gracel
There is man who was for ten years
hard drinker. The dreadful appetite
had sent down It's roots around the pal
ate and the tongue, and on down until
they were interlinlSed with the vitals Of
body, mind and soul; but he has not
taken any stimulants for two years.
What did that? Not temperance soci-
eties. Not prohibition laws. Not moral
suasion. Conversion did it. why"
said one upon whom the great change
had come, 'sir, / feel just as though /
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
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 here to-day who are no more
what they once were than water lily
is a nightshade, or a morning lark is
vulture, or day is night
Now, II l 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: I'VE are wit
nesses" 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 dependY
MOI When blush, be this my shame:
That l no more revere His name
Again, | remark that Eve are wit
nesses" of the gospels power to com
fort. When man has trouble the
world comes in and says; "Now get
your mind off this; go out and breathe
the fresh air; plunge deeper into busi-
ness" What poor advice! Get your
mind off III when everything is up
turned with the bereavement, and
everything reminds you of what you
have lost Get your mind off it. They
might as well advise you to stop think
ing, and you can not stop thinking in
that direction. Take walk in the fresh
airl Why, along that very street. or
that very road, she once acco mpanied
you. Out Of that grass-plot she plucked
flowers, or into the show window she
looked fascinated, saying: "Come see the
pictures. Go deeper into businessl Why,
she was associated with all your busi-
ihess ambition, and since she has gone
you have no ambition left o, this is O
clumsy world when IL tries TO comfort
broken heartl l can build a Corliss
engine, I can paint Raph aefs Mad
donna" can play a Beethoven's
"Symphony" as easily as this world can
comfort broken heart. And yet you
have been comforted. How was IL done
Did Christ come to you and say, "Get
your mind off thisi go out and breathe
the fresh air; plunge deeper into bust
ness?' No. There was minute wher
He came TO you-perhaps in the watches
of the night, perhaps in your place o.
business, perhaps along the street-and
He breathed something into your soul
that gave peace, rest, infinite quiet, sc
that you could take out the pho tograpf
Of the departed one and look into the
eyes and the face of the dear one and
say: ut is all right; she is better off
would not call her back. Lord,
thank Thee that Thou hast comfortet
my poor heart"
There are Christian parents here who
are willing to testify TO the power oi
this gospel TO comfort. Your son hat
Just graduated from school or college
and was going into business, and the
Lord took him. Or your daughter hat
just graduated from the young ladies
seminary, and you thought she was go
ing 70 be a useful woman, and Of lonl
life; but the Lord took her, and yor
were tempted TO say: "All this culture
OF twenty years for nothingl" Or the
little child came home from school with
the hot fever that stopped not for the
agonized prayer or for the skilful physi
clan, and the little child was taken. Oh
the babe was lifted out Of your armi
by some quick epidemic, and yor
stood wondering why God ever CAV,
you that child at all, II so soon Hs
was TO take 1t away. And yet you ar,
not repining. you are not fretful, yor
are not fighting against God. What en-
abled you TO stand all the trial? 30,
you say, II took the medicine that Goo
gave my sick soul. In my distress
threw myself ut the feet Of sympa
thizing God; and when was too veal
TO pray, or to look up. lie breathed into
me peace that l think must be the
foretaste Of that heaven where there is
neither q tear nor farewell nor q
grave" Come, all ye who have been
out to the grave to weep there--come
all ye comforted souls, get up off your
knees. Is there no power in this gospel
TO soothe the heart? Is there no power
in this region to quiet the worst parox'
ysm OF grief? There come up an an.
swer from comforted, widowhood, and
orphanage, and childlessness, saying
SAY, ay, we are Witnessed"
| Again, | remark that we are witnesses
OF the fact that religion has power Ia
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