The southern argus. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kan.) 1891-1???, 1891-07-16

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us fat and when we arose we were as
much changed as Gourgis, the heather,
who went into prayer meeting with
dagger and gun to disturb the meet
ing and destroy it, but the next day
was found crying: 80! my great sins!
0! my great Saviour" and for eleven
years he preached the Gospel of Christ
to his fellow mountaineers, the last
words on his dying lips being Free
gracer' 0! it was free grace!
There is a man who was for ten years
hard drinker. The dreadful appetite
had sent down its roots around the pal
ate and the tongue, and on down until
they were interlin<ed with the vitals
of body, mind and soul; but he has not
taken any stimulants for two years.
What did that? Not temperance socie-
ties. Not prohibition laws Not moral
suasion. Conversion did it. ''Why,"
said one upon whom the great change
had come, "sir, | feel just as though l
were somebody else" There are thou
sands Of people here to-day who are no
more what they once were than water
lily is a night-shade, or morning lark
is vulture or day is night
Now, if | 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: "We are wit
nesses!" 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 depend?
No! When blush, be this my shame:
That no more revere his name.
Again, / remark that 1--WE 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 bust
ness" What poor advice! Get your
mind off it! when everything is up
turned with the bereavement and every
thing reminds you of what you have
lost. Get your mind off it! They might
as well advise you to stop thinking,
and you can not stop thinking in that
direction. Take a walk in the fresh
air! Why, along that very street or
that very road she once accompanied
you. Out Of that grass plot she plucked
flowers or into that show window she
looked fascinated, saying "Comc see
the pictures"
Go deeper into business! Why, she
was associated with all your business
ambition, and since she has gone you
have no ambition left. o, this is a
clumsy world when it tries to comfort
a broken heart! / can build Corliss
engine, and can paint Raphael's MA
DONNA" | can play a Beethoven's
Symphony" as easily as this world can
comfort broken heart. And yet you
have been comforted. How was it
done? Did Christ come to you and say:
Get your mind off this, go out and
breathe the fresh air; plunge deeper
into busincss?" No; there was a minute
when He came to you-perhaps in the
watches Of the night, perhaps in your
place Of business, perhaps along the
street-and lie breathed something
into your soul that gave peace, rest, in
finite quiet, SO that you could take out
the photograph of the departed one and
look into the eyes and face of the dear
one and say: "It's all right; she is bet
ter off, | would not call her back; Lord,
1 thank Thee that Thou hast comforted
my poor heart"
There are Christian parents here who
are willing to testify to the power of
this Gospel to comfort. Your son had
just graduated 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 to be a useful woman and of long
life, but the Lord took her and you
were tempted to say: 'All this culture
Of twenty years for nothing" Or the
little child came home from school with
the hot fever that stopped not for the
agonized prayer or for the skillful ply
stefan, and the little child was taken.
Or the babe was lifted out of your
arms by some quick epidemic, and you
stood wondering why God ever gave
you that child at all, if so soon he was
70 take it away. And yet you are not
repining, you are not fretful, you are
not fighting against God. What en-
abled you to stand all the trial? ''Oh,"
you say, II took the medicine God
gave my sick soul. In my distress |
threw myself at the feet of a sympa-
thizing God; and when l was too weak
20 pray, or to look up, he breathed into
ne peace that / think must be the
Foretaste of that Heaven where there
IS neither tear nor a farewell nor
grave"
Come, all We who have been out to
he grave to weep there-come, all We
,omforted souls, get up off your knees.
IS there no power in the Gospel to
,ooth the heart? Is there no power in
his religion to quiet the worst par
,xysm of grief? There comes up an
answer from the comforted widowhood
md orphanage, and childlessness, say
ng: LAY, ay, we are witnesses"
Again, / remark that we are witnesses
# the fact that religion has power to
rive composure in the last moment