The morning call., 1892-08-24

..om ~ aa.,, 80 a,nnt.,a, Al. .hls
cry had come from man who had himsei.
at one time gone to the very lowest depths
of q drunkard.
"Men to-day smile In their security and
tomorrow are overcome with their lustS, and
the time comes when they never go back to
their God. There are men who to-day look
smilingly into the faces of their INNOCENT
wives or sisters and tonight do deeds that
make the very devils in hell blush.
Il believe this question might wisely be
asked concerning the skeptcal young man,
and certainly he is not happy. | nevef
knew of an infdel that had peace worthy of
the name in his soul. never knew of the
triumphant death of an infiiel. Did YOU?
The death OF David Hume was pointed
TO by treethlnkers as the nOblest spectacle
OF mans dying moments. What spec
tacie! A man dying with sarcasm On his
ups, holding an imaginary conversation
with the ferryman who was to carry him
over 10 Hades.
" oiiaire was mau who was utterly
wretched in the latter years of lis life.
After all his years of skepticism, when
dying he sent for priest and wrote out a
confession that he wanted to die in the
faith OF his fathers, which was attested to
by two eminent men. The furies of hell
were round the deathbed of Voltaire.
Iom Paine was born an Englishman
and came 10 this country when a Young
man. He wrote two books = Common
Sense and 'Crlsis'-which had great deal
to do with our independence. Paine at this
time was Christian aud applied for or
dlnatlon from ministers in New York
Afterward he attacked the Christian re-
ligion. lie went to France, and was one of
the instigators of the Revolution. He came
back to this country, and the stery Of
the last years OF his life, as told by Colonel
Ingersoll and others, showed they were
years or lndescribabe misery. The mean
est and VifpSt W0rde Uriftan aDaiuat Daino
were by inhdels after they thought he had
deserted them and not by ministers
visited the home Of Paine small cot
tage, near New Rochelle, y, Y, and would
have visited his grave. but his body was
stolen, and 10 this day no man knows his
sepulchre. HeiS like Moses in that respect.
After Paine returned to this country from
France he became addicted 10 drink and
spent the last years Of his life in this small
cottage with negro woman in beastly
debanch: few days before his death he
went TO New York, where lie died. Oa his
deathbed his constant cry was 'Oh, Christ
and he was heard TO cry aloud in the words
OF our Savior, My God, my God. why hast
thou forsaken mc? He also expressed him
sell that he would be glad If all the books
he had written against the Chris
tian religion were thrown into the
fire. His infidel friends heard that he was
going 10 recant and they came to his bed
side expOstulatlng with him and telling him
and cried out, Tell me to what shall hold
on?
Il read lecture Of Colonel Ingersoll one
night some years ago as / wanted to see
what he said. But | wouldn't advise you
to read 1t. IL was lecture on ghosts. The
colonel said that Moses was a myth, and
Christ was only a phantom and ali That
brought hope. peace and security to men
were myths, phantOms or ghosts But he
said. i do not pretend 10 know what truth
l.. That's how he shelters himself. |
would not be afraid 10 know any OF these
men If could only see into their hearts. 1t
signifies the depth CT depravity for man
to know The depth and Infinite love of Jesus
Christ and TO lit up his hand against him."
Mr.. Hills spoke OF young woman in Phil
adelpha, whose father was an agnostic
and who had also done her share of leading
people into inhdelity. She had to go TO
New York TO attend the deathbed of one OF
their followers who had al one time been an
Episcopalian clergyman. He asked her TO
pray for him, and made her kueel down and
say God be merciful to him, sinner" and
then he asked her TO pray ii for herself, and
II was forced cut OF her ami she fed from
the room.
She came to me. said Mr.. Mills, and
told me aha had no peace since then. She
believed the Bible truths, but there was no
mercy for her. / told her there was and
prayed with her. but she kept crying out
"Remorse, remorse." / saw her afterward,
and she told me there was no hope for her
Think" she said, ''of the people / have
haunted by that remorseful feeling. Is il
not crime of crimes to say of the suffering
God that he has devil and would steal a
living sacrifice from the Son OF God?
Mr.. Mills then made an impassioned and
elOQuel defense of Christianity against the
infdel attacks of Hume. Voltaire, Paine
and ingersOll, and II was evident that Oulv
the sacredness of the occasion represSed an
outburst Of genuine enthusiasm from his
onraptured hearers.
Continuing, he said: "The question con-
Germs the young man who is neither dissi-
pated nor skeDtieal and never sneers at
morality. 1t also concerns the unconcerned.
indifferent young man. Is he safe? He
might be If every influence tended to bear
US toward heaven. but you are going 10
have TO row up stream; the current is
bearing you down all the time.
There was man named Gordon of Sac
Tamento, goddess man, who drove the
stageeoach. When he was dying he per-
sisted in keeping his hand and leg outside
the c0verlet and kept saying, I'm on the
down grade and can't find the brake That's
what fear for you, too, unless you ara safe
in the security aud understanding that
Jesus Christ gives. l used to walk this city
in the depths OF sin, but stand here to-
night to praise God that my hand is on the
brake and the devil under control and God
IN CONTROL and that / have victory hone
strength and security through Jesus Christ
"Ihe last question is, Is the procrastinat-
Ing young man safe? All. fear not, | fear
not young man in New York was sick
aud sent for physician. He asked If he
would die. and the doctor told him he was
afraid he might not recover. The young
man cried out, NV God, have missed the
saving of my soulP The doctor, who was
Christian man. preached Christ TO him. but
the young man would not hear him, 'Oh.
doctor, he said, two weeks ago there was
revival meeting in our church, and they
urged me 10 be saved. told them wonld
do so when L came back. | came TO New
York for three weeks TO do things that
Christian cannot do before gave up myself
to Christ, and now am dying The doctor
spoke TO him OF the thief on the cross, and
told MIN that many are saved at the elev.
enth hour, but the young man said, There
is no hope for me; my eleventh hour was
that night at home when | was offered itand
put 1t of y; then he turned his face TO the
wall and died.
us there not the desire In your soul to
know OF the wonderful salvation of
Christ?
Almost persuaded harvest fs mast,
Almost persuaded, doom comes at last
Almost cannot avail: almost is but TO fan
Sad. sad. that bitter wall
Almost, but LOST
Now / will ask those who are willing TO
say. Pray for Inc that L may lead godIy
llfe.' also those who have tried but failed
and those who have never tried to lead
Christian life but are willing to commence,
TO stand up for second"
A large number stood up, after which Mr..
Mills prayed earnestly for them-for all un
saved.
Cards were then distributed to be signed
by those willing to become Christians. while
Mr. Greenwood sang why Not Come to
Him NowY the sopranos in the choir