Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-07-23

laws NOJ moral 5udslOu. OOuFtfSlOu ulu
| It. ''Why," said one upon whom the great
change had come, ''sir, feel just as though
/ were somebody else" There is sea cap
tain who swore all the way from New
York to Havana. and from Havana to San
Francisco and when he was in pert he was
worse than when he was on sea. What
power was it that washed his tongue clean
of profanities and made him a psalm
singer' Conversion by the Holy Spirit.
There are thousands of people here today
who are no more what they once were than
a water lily is nightshade, or morning
lark is a vulture, or day is night.
Now, if l should demand that all those
people here present who have felt the con-
verting power of religion should rise, so
far from being ashamed they would spring
to their feet with far more alacrity than
they ever sprang TO the dance, the tears
mingling with their exhilaration as they
cried, "We are Witnesses And if 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 depend7
mol When blush, be this my shame.
That no more revere his name.
Again, remark that 1--WE are witnesses"
of the Gospels power to comfort. When a
man has trouble the world comes in and
says; "Now get your mind off this; 90 out
and breathe the fresh air; plunge deeper into
business" What poor advicel Get your
mind off i'll when everything is upturned
with the bereavement, and everything re-
minds you of what you have lost. Get
your mind of It'll They might as well adj
wise you TO stop thinking, and you cannot
stop thinking in that direction. Take a
walk in the fresh airl Why, along that
very street, or that very road, she once ac-
companied you. Out of that grass plot she
plucked flowers, or into that show window
she looked fascinated, saying, Come see
the pictures" Go deeper into businessl
Why, she was associated with all your
business ambition, and since she has gone
you have no ambition left. Oh, this is a
clumsy world when it tries to comfort a
broken heart
can build a Corliss engine, can paint
Raphael's Madonna" | can play a
Beethoven's symphony as easily as this
world can comfort broken heart. And
yet you have been comforted. How was IL
donei Did Christ come to you and say;
Get your mind of this Go out and
breathe the fresh air Plunge deeper into
businessW No There was a minute when
he came to you-perhaps in the watches of
the night perhaps In your place of bust
ness. perhaps along the street-and he
brsathed something into your soul that
gave peace, rest, infinite quiet. so that you
could take out the photograph of the de-
parted one and look into the eyes aud the |
face of the dear one and say; 1T is all |
right. She is better OIL. would not call
her back. Lord, thank thee that thou
has comforted my poor heart"
DIVINE HEALING FOR THE SICK SOUL
There are Christian parents here who are
willing to testify to the power Of this Cos
pei TO comfort Your son had just gradu-
ated from school or college and was going
into business, and the Lord took him Or
your daughter had just graduated from
the Young ladies' seminary. and you
thought she was going 10 be a useful wo-
man and of long life, but the Lord took
her, and you 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 skillful physi.
clan. and the little child was taken. Or
The babe was lifted out Of your arms by
some quick epidemic, and you stood won
iering why God ever gave you that child
1t all II so soon he was to take il away
And yet YOU are not repining, you are not
iretful- You are not fighting against God
What enabled you to stand all the triali
"Oh," you say, II took the medicine that
Sod gave my sick soul In my distress !
hrew myself at the feet Of a sympathizingl
God; and when I was too weak 10 pray or
o look up he breathed into me peace
hat / think must be the foretaste Of that
heaven where there is neither tear nor
arewell nor a grave" Come. all We who
AVE been out to the grave to weep there
ome, all We comforted souls, get up of
'our knees. Is there no power IN this ,
gospel 10 soothe the hearts Is there no ,
lower in this religion to quiet the worst
aroxysm Of griefS There comes up an an
wer from colnforted widowhood and or {
manage and childlessness, saying, "Ay, az.
We are witnesses"
Again, ! remark that we are witnesses
I the fact that religion has power to give
omposure in the last moment. | shall
ever forget the first time | confronted
cath. We went across the eornfields in
he country. ! was led BIZ my fathers
and, and we came to the farmhouse where
he bereavement had come and we saw the
rowd of wagons and carriages; but there
las one carriage that especially attracted I
ly boyish attention, and il had black 1
lumes. said: whats thatf what's I
hatf Why those black tassels at the tops o
nd after it was explained to me | was /
fled up to look upon the bright face of an L
ged Christian woman, who three days be
IRE had departed in triumph. The whole
,ene made an impression ! never forgot {
1T Is 10 HEARsAY EVIDENCE.
In our sermons and our lay exhortations b
e are very apt, when we want TO bring H. q
istrations Of dying triumph, to 20 back b
some distinguished personage-to John a
.nox or Harriet Newell. But | want 8
Oh for witnesses want to know If you :
ave ever seen anything to make you be- i
eve that the religion OF Christ can give 4
Dmposure in the final hour. Now. in the
ourts, attorney, jury and judge will never Il
limit mere heresay. They demand that
le witness must have seen with his own
res, or heard with his own ears. and 50
m critical in my examination of you now.
nd | want TO know whether YOU have seen