The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-03-23

tenths of his life has been wasted.
| Then answer. Come with crutches; |
come, old men, blind and deaf, come to |
Jesus If you would sweep your hand |
around before your blind eyes the first
thing you would touch would be the |
cross 1t is hard for an aged man or
woman to have grown old without re-
ligion. Their taste is gene. The peach
and the grape have lost their flavor.
| They say that somehow fruit does not
taste as it used to. Their hearing gets
defective, and they miss great deal
that is said in their presence
Their friends have all gone, and every
body seems so strange. Tho world
seems to go away from them, and they
are left al. alone. They be gin to feel
in the way when you come into the
room where they are, and they move
their chair nervously and say: Il hope
l am not in the way" Alas! that ia
Their and mother should ever be in the
way. When you were sick, and they
sat up all night rocking you, singing to
you, administering to you. did they
think that you were in the way? Are
you tired of the old people? Do you
snap them up quick and sharp? You
will be cursed to the bone for your H.
gratitude and unllindness!
Oh! it is hard to be old without re-
ligion-to feel this world going away
and nothing better coming. If there be
any here who have gone far on without
Christ l address you deferentially. You
have found this tough world for old
people. Alas! to have aches and pains
and no Christ to soothe them. | want
to give you a cane better than that you
lean on. 1t is the cane that the Bible
speaks of when it says, THY rod and
thy staff, they comfort me-" | want to
give you better spectacles than those
you now look through. 1t is the spiritual
eyesight of divine grace. Christ will
not think that you are in the way.
. Does your head tremble with the palsy
OF old age? Lay it on Christ's bosom.
Do youfeel lonely now that your COM
panions and children are gone? think
Christ has them. They are safe in His
keeping. Very soon He will take you
where they are, to a place where you
can put down all your burden. Go
with me. Only little while longer
and your sight will come again, and
, your hearing will come again,
, and with the strength of an i'm
mortal athlete you will step
5 on the pavement of Heaven. No
crutches in Heaven; no sleepless nights
t in Heaven; no cross looks for old peo-
, Pile. Dwelling there for ages no one
t will say, Father, you know nothing
about this; step back; you are in the
5 way" o, how many dear old folks
= Jesus has put to sleep! How sweetly
| He has closed their eyes! How gently
4 folded their arms How He has put
His hand on their silent hearts and
/ said: "Rest now, tired pilgrim. II is
l all over. The tears will never start
: again. Hush! hush!' so He gives His
, beloved sleep. l think the most beau
= tiful object on earth is an old Chris
tian-the hair white, not with the
t frosts of winter but the blossoms of
, the tree of life. l never feel sorry for
, a Christian old man. Why feel sorry
. for those upon whom the glories of the
eternal world are about to burst? They
5 are going to the goodly cedar Though
their wings are heavy with age God
: shall renew their strength like the
l eagle, and they shall make their nest in
, the cedar. "All fowl of every wing"
, Again: The very bad, the outrageous
ly sinful, may come Men talk Of the
Q grace of God, as though it were so many
8 yards long and so many yards deep.
}, People point to the dying thief as an en-
courageme Mt to the sinner How much
: better it would be to point to our own
o case and say: IF God saved us, He can
:. save anybody" There may DO those
o here who never had one earnest word
e said to them about their souls. Consider
= me as putting my hand on your shout
y der and looking in your eye. God has
a you know that? He has been very hard
n on me-" where did you come from?''
J. Home" "Then you have home.
It Have you ever thanked God for your
:, home? Have you children" Eyes u
Q "Have you ever thanked God for your
S children? Who keeps them safe? Were
t you ever sick?" "Yes" "Who made
d you well? Have you been fed every
d day! Who feeds you? Put your hand
"A on your pulse. Who makes it throb?
d Listen to the respiration of your lungs.
c Who helps you to breathe? Have
n you a Bible in the house, spread.
d ing before you the future life? Who
y gave you that Bible?" OH it has been
e story Of goodness and mercy all the
, way through. You have been one OF
Il Gods pet children. Who fondled you
8 and caressed you, and loved you? And
10 when you went astray and wanted tc
;, come back, did He ever refuse? l know
s of father who, after his son came
IS back the fourth time, said, mo; l for
n gave you four times, but l will never
), forgive you again." And the son Wen
n off and died. But God takes back Hi.
children the thousandth time as cheer
" fully as the first AS easily as with my
2 handkerchief | strike the dust off ,
IS book, God will wipe out all your sins.
t. There are hospitals for "incurables.
If When men are hopelessly sick, they ar,
d sent there. Thank God! there is n,
n hospital for spiritual incurables. Though
&c you had the worst leprosy that eve
II struck a soul, your flesh shall com,
l. again like the flesh of little child
e o, this mercy of God! am told it is al
e, ocean. Then l place on it four swift
N sailing crafts, with compass, and charts
1t and choice rigging, and skillful naviga
IS tors, and tell them to launch away, an,