Milford chronicle., 1891-02-06

The voices of friends? lie cannot hear
them. It is the grace Of God, that is
brighter than sunshine and that is sweeter
than music, II a harpist takes harp and
finds that all the strings are broken but
one string he does not try to play upon 1t.
Yet here l will show you an aged man the
strings Of whose joy are all broken save
one, and yet he thrums it with such salts
faction. such melody that the angels Of
God stop the swift stroke Of their wings
and hover about the place until the music
ceases Oh, religions ways are ways OF
pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
And if you have not the satisfaction that
is to be found in Jesus Christ, must tell
you, with all the concentrated emphasis OF
my soul, Zone thing thou lackest."
remark, again, that you lack the ele-
ments Of usefulness. Where is your busi-
ness? You say it is No. As such street.
or No. 28O such street, or No. 800 such
street. My friend immortal, your business
is wherever there is a tear to be wiped
away or a soul to be saved. You may, be-
fore coming to Christ, do a great many
noble things You take a loaf Of bread to
that starving man in the alley, but he
wants immortal bread. You take pound
of candles to that dark shanty. They want
the light that springs from the throne Of
God, and you cannot take it because you
have it not in your own heart. You know
that the flight of an arrow depends very
much upon the strength Of the bow, and
have to tell you that the best bow that was
ever made was made out Of the cross Of
Christ; and when religion takes soul and
puts it on that, and pulls It back and lets
it fly, every time it brings down Saul or
Goliath
There are people here of high social posi-
ton, and large MEANS and cultured minds,
who. if they would come into the kingdom
of God, would set the city on fire with re
ligious awakening. Oh, hear you not the
more than million voices of those in these
two cities who are unconvertedf Voices Of
those who in these two cities are dying Ia
their sinsp They want light. They want
bread They want Christ. They want
heaven. Oh, that the Lord would make
you a flaming evangell As for myself,
have sworn before high heaven that viii
preach this gospel as well as l can, In
all its fullness, until every fiber OF my
body, and every faculty OF my mind,
and every passion Of my soul Is exhausted
But we all have work to do. / cannot do
your work, nor can you do my work. God
points us out the place where we are to
house who are thirty, forty, fifty and sixty
years of age, and yet have not begun the
great work for which they were created?
With every worldly equipment, "Onet thing
thou lackest."
FOLLY OF THE MERE wORLDLIEG.
Again, you lack the element Of personal
safety. Where are those people who asso-
ciated with you twenty years agoS Where
are those people that fifteen years ago used
to cross South ferry or Fulton ferry with
you to New York? Walk down the street
where YOU were in business fifteen years
ago and see how all the signs have
changed. Where are the people gomez
How many of them are landed in eternity
| cannot say, but many, many went 70
the village of my boyhood. The houses
were all changed. / passed one house In
which once resided a man who had lived
an earnest, useful life, and he is in glory
now In the next house a miser lived. He
devoured widows houses, and spent his
whole life in trying to make the world
worse and worse. And he is gone-the
good man and the miser both gone to the
same place All, did they go to the same
placeF It is an infinite absurdity to sup
pose them both in the same place. If the
miser had harp, what tune did he play
on it?
Oh, my friends, I commend you to this
religion as the only personal safety When
you die, where are you going to5 When
we leave all these scenes, upon what scenes
will we enter? When we were on ship
board, and we all felt that we must go to
the bottom, was ! right in saying to one
next me, II wonder five will reach heaven
if we do go down tO-night@ Was l wise
or unwise in asking that question: tell
you that man is a fool who never thinks OF
the great future.
If you pay money you take a receipt. II
you buy land you record the deed. Why3
Because everything is so uncertain, yor
want it down in black and white, you say.
For a house and lot twenty-five feet front
by one hundred feet deep, all security; but
for soul vast as eternity nothing, nothingl
If some man or woman standing in some
of these aisles should drop down, where
would you go tor Which is your destinyf
Suppose a man is prepared for the future
world, what difference does it make to him
whether he goes to his home today or goes
into glory? Only this difference-if be
dies he is better off. Where he had one joy
on earth he will have million in heaven.
When he has a small sphere here he will
would cost you sixty, or one hundred, or
one hundred and fifty dollars to have your
physical life insured, and yet free Of charge
offer you insurance on your immortal
life, payable not at your decease, but now
and tomorrow and every dav and always.
My hope in Christ is not so bright as
many Christians, know, but would not
give it up for the whole universe. in one
cash payment, if it were offered me- II
has been so much comfort TO me in time Of
trouble, it has been so much strength TO
me Whan have been assailed, it has been
so much rest to me when have been per
picked, and it is around my heart such an
incasement Of satisfaction and blessedness
that can stand hero before God and say:
"Take away my health, take away my life,
everything rather than rob me OF this
hope, this plain, simple hope which have
in Jesus Christ, my Lord. must have
this robe when the last chill strikes through
me- must have this light when all other
lights 90 out in the blast that comes up
from the cold Jordan / must have this
sword with which to fight my way through
all those foes on my way heaYenward." F"
When was in London l saw there the
wonderful armor of Henry VIII and Ed
ward III. And yet 1 have to tell you that
there Is nothing in chain mali or BRASS
plate or gauntlet OF halberd that makes
man so safe as the armor In which the
Lord God clothes his dear children. oh,
there is a safety in religionl You will ride
down all your foes. Look out for that
man who has the strength of the Lord GOD
VITA him. In olden times the horsemen
used to ride into battle with lifted lances, |
and the enemy fed the field. The Lord on |
the white horse Of victory and with lifted |
lances of divine strength rides into the |
battle, and down goes the spiritual foe,
while the victor shouts the triumph |
through the Lord Jesus Christ. As q
matter Of personal safety, my dear friends,
You must have this religion.
APPEAL TO THE YOUNG.
apply my subject to several classes Of
people before me. First, to that great null |
titude Of young people In this house. Some
Of these young men arein boarding houses.
Il