The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-03-11

they fly Gan fowl of every wing"
THE OLD MAY COME
Again, l remark that the old may
come. You say, Suppose man
has to so on crutches; suppose he
Is blind; suppose he is deaf; sup
pose that nine 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 be-
fore your blind eyes the first thing
you would touch would be the cross.
It is hard for an aged man or woman
to have grown old without religion.
Their taste is gone 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 a great
deal that is said in their presence.
Their friends have all gone and ev-
erybody seems so strange. The world
seems to go away from them and
they are left all alone. They begin
to feel in the way when you come
into the room where they are, and
they move their chair nervously and
say, II hope am not in .the way"
Al;N' that father and mother should
ever be in the way. When you were
sick, and they sat up all night rock.
ing you, singing to you, administer
ing 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 SHARPE You will be
cursed to the bone for your ingrati-
tude and unkindnessl
Oh, it is hard to be old without re-
igion-to feel this world going away
and nothing better coming. II there
be any here who have gone far on
without Christ, l address you def.
erentially. You have found this a
tough world for old people. Alas
to have aches and pains, and no
Christ to soothe them. / want to
give you 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-" l 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 age2 Lay it on Christs
bosom. Do you feel lonely now that
your companions and children are
gomez l think Christ has them.
They are safe in his keeping. Very
soon he will take you where they
are. take hold of your arm and try
to lead you to place where you can
put down all your burden Go with
me. Only Il little while longer, and
your 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
way" Oh, how many dear old
folks Jesus has put to sleep! How
sweetly he has closed their eyesl
How gently folded their arms! How
he has put his hand on their silent
hearts and said: Rest now, tired
pilgrim. 1t is all over. The tears
will never start again. Hush hush p
So he gives his beloved sleep. think
the most beautiful object on earth is
an old Christian-the hair white, not
with the frosts of winter, but the
blossoms of the tree of life. l never
feel sorry for Christian old man.
Why feel sorry for those upon whom
the glories of the eternal world are
about to burst9 They are going to
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"
THE VERY BAD MAY COME.
Again, the very bad, the outra-
geously sinful, may come. Men talk
of the grace of God as though it
were so many yards long and so many
yards deep. People point to the
dying thief as an encouragement to
the sinner How much better it
would be to point to our own case
and say, IF God saved us he can
save anybody There may be those
here who never had one earnest word
said to them about their souls. Con-
slider me as putting my hand on
your shoulder and looking in your
eye. God has been good to you.
You ask: How do you know
that7 EIe has been very hard on
me-" Where did you come from9"
Home" 'Then you have home.
Have you ever thanked God for your
homer Have you children?" Yes"
Have you ever thanked God for
your children? Who keeps them
safe2 Were you ever sick?'' Yes"
"Who made you well3 Have you been
fed every day? Who feeds youl Put
your hand on your pulse. Who
makes it throb2 Listen to the res
piration of your lungs. Who helps
you to breathe2 Have you a Bible in
the house, spreading before you the
future life2 Who gave you that
Bible9"
Oh, it has been a story of goodness
and mercy all the way through You
have been one of Gods pet children.
Who fondled you and caressed you
and loved you9 And when you went
astray and wanted to come back did
he ever refuse2 / know of father
who, after his son came back the
fourth time, said, No; ] forgave
you three times, but l will never for
give you again. And the son went
off and died. But God takes back
his children the thousandth time as