Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-08-25


| waiting for you Go homel
But / remark the characteristic Of this
resolution was, it was Immediately put
| into execution.
The context says che arose and came to
| his father" The trouble in nine hundred
| and ninety-nine times out of thousand is
| that our resolutions amount to nothing be-
| cause we make them for some distant time.
| If | resolve to become Christian ucXt
| year, that amounts to nothing at all. If
resolve to become n Christian tomorrow,
that amounts to nothing at all. If l re-
! solve at the service today to become
| Christian, that amounts to nothing at all.
| If ] resolve after | go home today to yield
my heart TO God that amounts to nothing
at all The only kind of resolution that
amounts to anything is the resolution that
is Immediately put into execution.
There is a man who had the typhoid
fever. He said. "Oh, if I could get over
this terrible distress, if this fever should
depart, if I could be restored to health, |
would all the rest of my life serve God"
The fever departed. He got well enough
to walk around the block. He got well
enough to attend to business. lie is well
today-as well as he ever was. Where is
the broken vow? There is man who said
long ago. "If 1 could live to the year 1859,
by that time will have my business mat
tiers all arranged, and | will have time to
attend to rcli zion, and l will be Il good,
thorough, consecrnted Christian "The
var 1892 has come. January, February,
March, April, May. June, ,Tulv-fully half
of The year gone. Where is your broken
vow?
Oh" says some man, "Ill attend to
that when can get my character fixed un;
when | can get over my evil habits. | am
now given to strong drink" or, says the
man, II am given to unclcanncss," or, says
the man, Il am given to dishonesty. When
] get over my present habits, thea I'll be II
thorough Christian" My brother, Won
will get worse and worse until Christ takes
you in hand. Not the righteous. sinners
Jesus came 10 call"
oh" Int You say. 81 agree with You or
all that but must put it off little long
err" 10 YOU know there were many who
c1mc just Is near as YOU are to the king
dom Of God ard never entered it, | was
at East Hampton. Long Island, and went
iato the cemetery to lool, around and in
that cemetery there are twelve graves side
by sidc-the graves Of sailors. This crew,
some years ago, in II snip, went into the
breakers at Amagansctt, about three miles
away. My brother, then preaching at East
Hampton, had been at the burial. These
men Of the crew came very near being
saved. The people from Amagansett saw
tn" 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 he shore, but Just before they
got to the shore the rope snapped, and
the boat capsizcd, and they were lost and
their bodies afterward washed upon the
beach.
Oh what a solemn day it was-I have
been told of Il by my brother-when thee
twelve men lay at the foot of the puli.it
and he read over them the funeral service
They came very near shOre--Within shout
int; distance Of the shore, yet did not ar
rive on solid land. There are some men
who come almost to the shore of Gods
mercy, but not quite, not quite. To be
only almost saved is to be lost.
TIE HOPELESS PRODIGAI.
will tell you Of two prodig gals, the one
that got back and the other that did nos
get back. I'm Richmond there is a 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 a great outcry.
The young man Of the house ran down and
opened the door I o see what was the INIT
ter. 1t was midnight. The rest of the
family were asleep. There were the wife
ANA children Of this prodiGal young man.
The fact wa, he had come home and driven
them out.
He s'id; "Out Of this house. Away with
these children. | will dash their brains
ont. Ont into the storm The mother
gathered them up and fed. The next
morning the brother, n young man who
had staid at home, went out to find this
prodigal brother and son, and he came
where he was and saw the young man
wandering up and down in front Of the
place where he had been staying, and the
young man who had kept his integrity
said to the older brother: Here what does
this mean: What is the matter with YOU?
Why do you act in this way" The prodi-
gal looked at him and said: "N'ho am
|? Whom do you take me to be-"
He said: "You are my brother" "No,
am not l am a brute. Have you seen
anything of my wife and childrrn2 Are
they dead? drove them out last night in
the storm. ] am a brute John, do you
think there is any help for me? Do yuu
think | will ever get over this life of diss-
patton" He said, John, there is just
one thing that will stop this" The prod
gal ran his finger across his throat and
said: That will stop it, and Ill stop it
before night. oh, my brain; can stand
it no longer That prodigal never got
home. But l will tell you OF prodigal
that did get home
In this country two young men started
from their fathers house and went down
to Ports mouth. The father could not pur-
sue his children; for some reason lie could
not leave home, and so he wrote Il letter
down to Mr.. Griffin, saying: Mr. Griffin,
! wish you would go aud soc my two sous
They have arrived in Portsmouth, and they
are going to take ship and going away
from home. ! wish you would persuade
them back" Mr.. Griffin went and he
tried to persuade them back. lie per-
suaded one to go Ile went with very easy
persuasion, because he was very homesick
already The other young man said: Il
will not go. | have had enough Of home.
III never 90 LOmc.' "Well," said Mr.
Grillin, then if you won't go homo I'll
get you respectable position on q respect