Democratic messenger., 1892-08-27

mourning for the sad event.
But the lad took ship from Dublin
and arrived in Liverpool the very day
the garments arrived He knocked at
the door and the father was overjoyed
AMI the mother was overjoyed at the
return of their lost son. Oh. my friends,
have you waded ont too deep: Have
you wadcd down into sin: Have you
waded from the shore? Will you come
back: When you come back will you
come in the rags of your sin or will you
come rohed i'll the SaviOur's righteous
ness: believe the latter. Go home TO
Your God today. He is waiting for you.
Go home,
But | remark the characteristic of
this resolution was. it was Immediately
put into execution.
DO Not DELAY.
The context saws ''he arose and came
to his father" The trouble in nine hun
dred and nincty-nine times ont of a
thousand is that our resolutions amount
to nothing because we make them for
some distant time. If | resolve to be-
come "a Christian next year, that amounts
to nothing at all. If / resolve to be-
come Christian tomorrow. that
amounts 10 nothing at all. If | resolve
at the service today 10 become n Chris
tian. that amounts to nothing at all.
If resolv. after | 20 home today TO
Weld my heart to God. that amounts to
nothing a, all The only kind of reso-
luton that amounts To anything is the
resolution that is Immediately put into
execution.
There is IL man who had the typhoid
fever He said. "Oh. if could get over
this terrible distress; if this fever should
depart. if could be restored to health.
would all the re t of my life serve
God" The fever departed. He got
we'll enough to walk around the block.
He got we'll enough TO attend to bust
ness He is well today-as well as he
ever was Where is the broken vow?
There is man whu said long ago. IF
could live to the year 1892. 10y that time
| will have my business matters all ar
ranged. and / will have time to attend
to religion. and | will be good,
thorough. consecrated Christian" The
year 1892 has come. January, Febru-
AIRY, March. April. May. June, July
fully half of the year gone. Where is
your broken VOW:
Oh" SAYS some man, I'll attend to
that when can get my character fixed
mp; when can get over my evil habits;
am now given to strong drink. or,
SAYS the man, Il am given to unclean-
ness" or. says the man, Il am given 10
dishonesty. When get over my pres
ent habits. then I'll he thorough Chris
tian" My brother. You will get worse
and worse until Christ takes You in
hand rot the righteous, sinners
Jesus came to call.
Oh, but You say. Il agree with YOU on
all that, but | must put it off a little
longer" Do You know there were many
who came just as near rs You are TO the
kingdom of God and never entered il!
was AT East Hampton, Long Island. and
went into the cemetery to look around.
and i'll that cemetery there are twelve
graves side by side-the graves of sail
ors This crew, some years ago, in u
ship went into the breakers at Amagan-
sett, about three miles away. My broth
er, then preaching at East Hampton.
lhal 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 fellows got into the boat, and they
pulled nightly for the shore. hut just
before they got TO the shore the rope
mapped and the boat capsized and they
were lost. and their bodies aft9rward
washed upon the beach.
Oh. what Il solemn day il 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,
vet 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 he only almost saved is To be
lost.
LOST BEYOND REDEMPTION.
will tell You of two prodigals-the
one that got back and the other that did
not get back. In Richmond there is
very prosperous and beautiful home in
many respects. y young man wandered
off from that home. He wandered very
far into sin. They heard of him often,
but he was always on the wrong track.
He would not 90 home. At the door Of
that beautiful home one night there
was great outcry. The young man Of
the house ran down and opened the door
to see what was the matter. 1t was
midnight. The rest of the family We're
asleep. There We're the wife and chill
dren of this prodigal Young man. The
fact was he had come home and driven
ihem ont.
He said: "Out of this house Away
with these children; will dash their
brains out. Out into the storm" The
mother gathered them up and fled. The
next morning the brother, young man
who had staid at home, went ont To find
this prodigal brother and son, and he
came where he was and saw the Young
man wandering up and down i'll front
of the place where he had been staying,
AMI the Young man who had kept his
integrity said tn the older brother:
Here. what does this mean: What
is the matter with You: Why do You
act in this way The prodigal
looked AT him and said: Who
am !: Whom do You take mo to be-
He said. "You are my brother" No.
am not. am brute. Have you seen
anything of my wife and children:
Are they dead: drove them ont
last night in the storm. am "A
brute. John. do you think there is any
help for me: DO you think | will
ever get over this life Of dissipation
He said. John. 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 brain; | can stand il no
longer" That prodigal never got home.
But will tell You of a prodigal that did
get home.
In this country two young men start