The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-03-09

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tenths of his life has been wasted" ="
Then answer. Come with crutohes;
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 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 great deal
that Is said in their presence.
Their friends have all gone, and every
body seems so strange The world
seems to go away from them, and they
are left all alone They be gin to feel
in the way when you come into the
room where they are, and they move
their chair neryously and say: u hope
l am not in the way" Alas! that IA
ther 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 sharpP You
will be cursed to the bone for your in
gratitude and unkindness
Oil 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 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 cane better than that you
lean on. 1t is the cane that the Bible
speaks of when 1t says, "Thy rod and
thy staff, they comfort me-" i 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 you feel 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 inn
mortal athlete you will step
on the pavement of Heaven. No
crutches in Heaven; no sleepless nights
in Heaven; no cross looks for old peo-
pie. Dwelling there for ages no one
will say, Father, you know nothing
about this; step back; you are In the
way" o, how many dear old folks
JesGs has put to sleepl How sweetly
He has closed their eyesl How gently
folded their armsl How He has put
His hand on their silent hearts and
said: "Rest now, tired pilgrim. II Is
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
frosts of winter, but the blossoms OF
the tree Of life. never feel sorry for
Christian old man. Why feel sorry
for those upon whom the glories Of the
eternal world are about to burst? 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"
Again: The very bad, the outrageous
ly sinful, may come. Men talk of the
grace of God, as though il were so many
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
case and say: III God saved us, He can
save anybody" There may be those
here who never had one earnest word
said to them about their souls Consider
me as putting my hand on your shoul.
der and looking in your eye. God has
been good to you You ask, "How do
you know that2 He has been very hard
on me-" where did you come from?"
Home" "Then you have a home.
Have you ever thanked God for your
home? Have you children" yes"
"Have you ever thanked God for your
children2 Who keeps them safe? We're
you ever siclx?" "Yes." "Who made
you well? Have you been fed every
day! Who feeds you? Put your hand
on your pulse. Who makes IT throb2
Listen TO the respiration Of your lungs.
Who helps you to breathe? Have
you Bible in the house, spread
ing before you the future life? Who
gave you that Bible2" OH IL has been
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 you? And
when you went astray and wanted TO
come back, did He ever refuse? know
of father who, after his son came
back the fourth time, said, mo; for
gave you four times, but will never
forgive you again" And the son went
of and died. But God takes back His
children the thousandth time as cheer
fully as the first AS easily as with my
/ strike the dust off a
book, God will wipe out oil your sins.
There are hospitals for "incurables."
When men are hopelessly sick, they are
sent there. Thank Godl there is no
hospital for spiritual incurables Though
you had the worst leprosy that ever
struck soul, your flesh shall come
again like the flesh OF little child.
o, this mercy Of Godl ! am told IL is an
ocean. Then l place on II four swift
sailing crafts, with compass, and charts,
and choice rigging, and skillful navigA-