The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-02-05

me. 1t has Deen 80 lnucn cs,mIorr 20
me tn time of trouble, It has been 30
much strength to me when have been
assailed, II has been 30 much rest TO
me when have been perplexed, and Il
is around my heart such an eneasernent
Of satisfaction and blessedness that
can stand here before God and say:
Take away my health, take away my
life, take 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. I must have
this light when all other lights GO 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 heavenward.
When l was in London saw there
the wonderful armor of Henry VIII
and Edward III. And yet | have to
tell yousthat there is nothing in chain
mail or brass plate Or gauntlet or hal
berd that makes a man so safe as the
arrnor in which the Lord God clothes
his dear children. Oh, there is n safety
in religion You will ride down all your
foes Look out for that man who has
the strength of the Lord God with 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 matter of personal safety,
my dear friends. you must have this
religion
THE YOUNG HAVE THEIR TRIALS.
I apply my subject to several classes
of people before me. First, to that
great multitude of young people in this
house. Some of these young men are
in boarding houses. They have but
few social advantages. They think
that no one cares for their souls. Many
of them are on small salaries, and they
are cramped and bothered perpetually,
and sometimes their heart fails them.
Young man, tonight, at your bedroom
door on the third floor, you will hear a
knocking. 1t will be the hand of Jesus
Christ, the young mans friend. saying,
"Oh, young man, let me come in; I Will
help thee, / will comfort thee, I will
deliver thee
Take the Bible out Of the trunk if
it has been hidden away. If you have
not the courage to lay it on the shelf
or table, take that Bible that was
given to you by some loved one, take
it out of the trunk and lay it down on
the bottom of the chair, then kneel
down beside it, and read and pray,
and pray and read, until all your dis
turbance is gone, and you feel that
peace which neither earth nor hell can
rob you of. Thy fathers God, thy
mothers God, waits for thee, oh, young
man. Escape for thy life!" Escape
nowl ''One thing thou lackestp
But'I apply this subject to the aged
not many here-not many in any
asseusblage. People donot live to get
old. That is the general rule. Here
andthere an aged man IN the house. I
tell you the truth. You have lived
long enough In this world to know that
it cannot satisfy an Immortal nature.
must talk to you more reverentially
than do to these other people, while
at the same time I speak with great
plainness.
o father Of the weary step, o moth
or bent down under the ailments Of
hfe, has thy God ever forsaken thee2
Through all these years who has been
your best friend? Seventy years of
mercies! Seventy years of food and
clothing! Oh, how many bright morn
lngsl How many glorious evening
hours you have seen! O'father, moth
er, God has been very good to you.
Do you feel it2 Some of you have
children and4grandchildren; the former
cheered your young life, the latter
twine your gray locks in their tiny
fingers. Has all the goodness that God
has been making pass before you pro-
duced NO change in your feeling, and
must it be said f:you, Notwithstanding
all this, zone thing thou lackestl"
Oh, if you could only feel the hand
of Christ smoothing the cares out of
wrinkled faces! Oh, if you could only
feel the warm arm of Christ steadying
your tottering steps! I lift my voice
loud enough tobreak through the deaf
ness OF the ear while 1 cry out, Zone
thing thou lackest" 1t was an impor-
tunate appeal young man made in a
prayer meeting when he rose up and
said: do pray for my old father. He
Is 10 years of age, and he don't love
Christ That father passed a few
more steps on in life, and then he went
down. He never gave any intimation
that he had chosen Jesus. 1t Is O. very
hard thing for an, old man to become a
Christian. know it is. 1t is so hard
a thing that it cannot be done by any
human work; but God Almighty can
do it by his omniootent grace; he can
bring you at the eleventh hour-at half
past lat one minute of 12 he can
bring you to the peace and the joys of
the glorious gospel.
1 must make application of this sub
ject also to those who are prospered.
Have you, my friends, found that dol
lars and cents are no permanent con-
ISOLATION to the soulG You have large
worldly resources, but have you no
treasures in heavenl Is an embroid-
cred pillow all that you want to put
your dying head on2 You have heard
people all last week talk about earthly
values. Hear a plain man talk about
the heavenly. Do you not know it