Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-03-11


you. administering To you, did they think
that you were in the way' Are you tired
OF the old peoplei DO you snap them up
quick and sharpl You will be cursed 10
the bone for your ingratitude and unkind-
ness!
OIL il is hard to be old without relig-
/ ion-to feel this world going away, aud
, nothing better coming. If there DO any
here who have gone far on without Christ.
/ address you deferentially. You have
found this tough world for old people
Alas to have aches and pains. and no
! Christ TO sooth them. j want TO give you
a cane better than that you lean on 1t is
the cane that the Bible speaks of when IL
says, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort
me-" / waD' TO give you better spectacles
3 than those you now look through. 1t is
the spir tual eycsght OF divine grace
Christ will not think that you are in tho
way. Does your head tremble with the
palsy OF old agel Lay it on Christ's
bosom. Do you feel lonely now that your
companions and children are Comet l
think Christ has them. They are safe in
/ his keeping. Very soon he will take you
whore they are. / take hold of your arm
and try to lead you to place where you
can put down all your burden. Go with
?
sight will come again, and your hearing
/ will come again, and with the strength OF
an immortal athlete, you will step on the
! pavement of heaven. No crutches in
/ heaven; no sleepless nights in heaven; no
cross looks for old people. Dwelling there
! for ages. no one will say, Father, you
/ know nothing about this; step back; you
/ are in the wayl" Oh, how many dear old
/ folks Jesus has put TO sleep! How
I sv'ecLy he has closed their eyes How
! gently folded their arms How he has
put his hand on their silent hearts and
said. Rest now tired pilgrim. u is all
over The tears will never start again.
Hush hushw So he gives his beloved
sleep | think the most beautiful object
on earth is an old Christiau-the hair
white, not with the frosts OF winter, but
the blossoms OF the tree Of life. | never
feel sorry tor Christian old man. Why
| feel sorry for those upon whom the glorles
Of the eternal world are about To oursti
They are going 10 the goodly cedar.
Though their wings are heavy with age,
God shall renew their strength like the
eagle. and they shall make their nest IN
the cedar. "All fowl of every wing"
Again: The very bad, the outrageously
sinful, may come. Men talk of the grace
OF God. as though it were so many yards
long and so many ysrds deep. People
point TO the dying thief as an encourage
ment to the sinner How much better 1t
would be 10 point to our own case and say,
IF God saved us, he can save any body"
There may be t4ose here who never lad
one earnest word said to them about their
souls Consider me as tlIting my hand
on your shoulder and look ng in
your eye God has been good to
YOU. You ask, "How do you know
thati He has been very hard on me-.
'Where did you come fr0m" Home"
"Then you have a home. Have you ever
thanked God for your home' Have you
childrenp. Yes "Have you ever
thanked God for your children: Who
keeps them safes We're you ever sickl"
Yes" Wno made you well Have you
been fed every day! VINO feeds youl Put
your hand on your pulse. Wno makes 1t
throb, Listen 10 the respiration OF your
lungs. WAC helps you 10 breathe! Have
YOU bible in the house spreading before
you the future life. Wno gave you that bi-
ble!" On it has been a story Of goodness
and mercy all the way through. You have
been one of Gods pet children. Who
fondled you, aud caressed you, and loved
You. And when you went astray, and
wanted TO come back did He ever refuse'
know of u father who, after MS son came
back the fourth time, said, "No; forgave
three times, but / VIII never forgive you
again" And the son went off and died.
But God takes back his children the thou
sandth time as cheerfully Is the first. AS
easily as with my handkerchief | strike
the dust of book, God will wipe out all
your sins.
There are hospitals for "incurables.
Wnen men are hopelessly sick, they are
sent there Thank God there Is no
hospital for spiritual incurables. Though
you had the worst lcprosy that ever struck
a soul, your flesh shall come again like tue
flesh Of a little child. o, this mercy OF
God! | am told it is an ocean. Taen l
place on it four swft-sailing craft, with
compass. and charts. and choice rigging
and sklful navigators, and tell them TO
launch away. and discover for me the ex-
tent of this ocean. That craft puts out
in one direct on, and sails to the
north this craft 10 the south; tn 10 the
east; this TO the west. They crowd on
all Their canvass, and sail ten thousand
years. and one day come up the harbor OF
heaven, and | shout 10 them from the
beach, Have you found the shores" and
they answer mo shore 10 Coos mercy! ~
Swift angels, dispatched from the throne
attempt to 20 across it, For a million
years they fy and fly, but then come back
and fold their wings at the foot Of the
throne, and cry, mo shore! no shore to
Gods mercy
Mercy Mercy Mercy l sing it. l
preach it. pray it. Here find man
bound hand aud foot TO tho devil but with
one stroke of the hammer OF Gods truth
the C aims fall off and he is free for ever.
Mercy Mercy Mercy! There is no
depth II cannot fathom, there is no height
il cannot scale, there is no infnity il can
not compass. / take my stand under this
goodly cedar, and sec the flocks flying
thither. They are torn with the shot OF
temptation, aud wounded and sick aud
SCARED Some fought with iron beak,
some once Toasted on carcasses. some were
Fl cree of eye and cruel OF talon, but they
came, flock after lock-"all fowl OF every
wing"
Again: all the diving will find their nest