News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-06-25

solve to become a Christian next year
that amounts to nothing at all. If
resolve to become a Christian tomorrow,
that amounts to nothing at all. If
resolve at the service tonight to become
Christian, that amounts to nothing al
ALL If resolve after [ go home today
to yield my heart to God, that amounts
to nothing at all. The only kind Of
resolution that amounts to anything il
the resolution that is Immediately put
into execution.
There is a man who had the typhoid
fever. He said, ooh, if l could gel
over this terrible distress, if this fever
should depart, if could be restored to
health, l would all the rest of my life
serve GodW The fever departed. He
got we'll enough to walk around the
block He got well enough to go over
to New York and attend to business.
He is well today, as well as he ever
was Where is the broken vow2 There
is man who said long ago, 'If I could
live to the year 1891, by that time
will have my business matters arranged,
and l will have time to attend to reli
gion, and will be a good, thorough,
consecrated Christian"
The year 1891 has come. January,
February, March, April, May, June
almost half of the year gone. Where
is your broken vow2 "Oh," says some
man, ''Ill attend to that when l can
get my character fixed up; when can
get over my evil habits; l am now given
to strong drink" or says the man, 81
am given to uncleanness, or says the
man, ST am given to dishonesty. When
[ get over my present habits, then I'll
be a thorough Christian" My brother,
YOU will get worse and worse, until
Christ takes you in hand. Not the
righteous; sinners, Jesus came to call. j
Oh! but you say, Il agree with you
on all that, but | must put it OF a
little longer. Do you know there were
many who came just as near as you are
to the kingdom of God and never en-
tered it, | was at East Hampton and
went into the cemetery to look around,
and in that cemetery there are twelve
graves side by side-the graves of sail
ors. This crew, some years ago, in a
shin went into the breakers at Amag-
ansett, about three miles away. My
brother, then preaching at East Hamp-
ton, had been at the burial These
men of the crew came very near being
saved
The people from Amagansett saw the
vessel, and they shot rockets and they
sent ropes from the shore and these
poor follows got into the boat and they
pulled nightly for the shore, but just
before they got to the shore the rope
snapped ami the boat capsized and
they were lost, their bodies afterward
washed up on the beach. Obi what
solemn day it was-I have been told of
it by my brother-when these twelve
men lay at the foot of the pulpit and
he read over them the funeral service.
They came very near shore-within
shouting distance of the shore, yet did
not arrive on solid land. There are
some men who come almost to the
shore of Gods mercy, but not quite,
not quite. To be only almost saved is
not to be saved at ALL
ONE WHO WAS NOT SAVED.
l will tell you of two prodigals, the
one that got back and the one that did
not get back In Virginia, there is
very prosperous and beautiful home in
many respects. A young man wan
dered off from that home. He wan
dered very far into sin. They heard of
him often, but he was always on the
wrong track. He would not go home.
At the door of that beautiful home one
night there was a great cutlery. The
opened the door to see what was the
matter. 1t was midnight. The rest of
the family were asleep. There were
the wife and the children of this prodi-
gal young man. The fact was he had
come home and driven them out. He
said: ''Out of this house. Away with
these children. will dash their brains
out. Out into the stormr'
The mother gathered them up and
fed. The next morning, the brother,
the young man who had stayed at
home, went out to find this prodigal
brother and son, and he came where he
was, and saw the young man wander
ing up and down in front of the place
where he had been staying, and the
young man who had kept his integrity
said to the older brother: Here, what
does all this mean2 What is the matter
with you2 Why do you act in this
way2" The prodigal looked at him and
said: who am II Who do you take
me to be-" He said, "You are my
brother" mo, am not am brute.
Have you seen anything of my wife and
children? Are they dead2 l drove
them out last night in the storm. l am
a brute, John; do you think there is
any help for me9 Do you think will
ever get over this life of dissipationp He
said, Brother, there is just one thing
that will stop this" The prodigal ran
his finger across his throat and said:
THAT will stop it, and I'll stop it before
night. Oh, my brainl can stand it no
longer" That prodigal never got home.
But l will tell you of a prodigal that
did get home
THE CRIMINAL PARDONED.
In England two young men started
from their fathers house and went
down to Portsmouth. The father could
not pursue his children; for some rea-
son he could not leave home, and so he
wrote letter down to Mr.. Griffin, say
ing: ''Mr. Griffin, l wish you would go
and see my two sons. They have ar
rived in Portsmouth, and they are
going to take ship and going away
from home. l wish you would persuade
them back" Mr. Griffin went and he
tried to persuade them back. He per
suaded one to go. He went with very
easy persuasion because he was very
homesick already. The other young
man said: Il will not go. have had
enough of home. I'll never go home"
''Well," said Mr.. Griffin, ''then if you
won't go home I'll get you a respecta-
bic position on a respectable ship"
mo, you WON'T" said the prodigal
No, you won't. I am going as a com
mon sailor. That will plague my father
most, and what will do most to tanta-
lie and worry him will please me best. "
Years passed on and Mr. Griffin was
seated in his study one day when mes
sage came to him that there was a
young man in irons on ship at the
lock-a young man condemned to
1eath-who wished to see this clergy
man. Mr.. Griffin went down to the
lock and went on shipboard The
young man said to him, "you don't
know me, do you" NO" he said, 81