Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-06-13

very old. lust able 10 piCh MS
way ont amid the rocks and precipices,
leaning on his staff with one hand and
Guiding himself with the light in the
other. You come up and say. Father,
YOU seem to be lost You are long
wav from home" "YeS," he replies.
And then you take him by the hand and
lead him home. That is very kind OF
you.
BUT SUPPOSE,
instead Of that. you should snatch the
staff from his hands and hurl il over the
rocks, and snatch the lantren and blow
it out? That would be dastardly, con-
temptible until there is no depth OF
contempt beneath it. II you have
better STAFF, give il to him. Ifyou have
! a better light,give 1t to him.
When God has put the staff OF the
Gospel in our hands and the lamp OF
Gods Word to light our feet, are you
going to take from US our only support
and our only illumination? | love the
sting of the wasp and the rattlesnake
better than | do the man who wants to
clutch the Word OF God from my grasp.
There are people here who have been
reading 10 good while. 1t is precious
book TO their souls. IL has been so In
times of darkness and trouble. There
was a soldier who fell in battle, and
after he had fallen he said in feeble
voice to his comrade, "Give me drop.
His comrade replied, There is not a
particle of water in my canteen.
'sOh," he said, ~ didn't mean that.
Look in my knapsack aud you will ind
Bible there. Get out that old Bible
and Just give me drop out OF that"
And his comrade found the Bible and
read few passages. The dying soldier
said, "Oh, George, there is nothing like
that, is there, for dying soldier|
CLING TO YOUR BIBLE!
II this Bible should be destroyed, II
all the Bibles that have ever been
printed should be destroyed, we could
make up Bible right out OF this audi
enee. From that Christian mans ex-
perience / take one cluster OF promises,
and FROM that old Christian mans ex-
perlence another, put them all to-
gether, and l think l would have
Bible.
You see, my friends, have not tried
to hide the fact that have large expec-
tations Of you who have entered the
Christian life. Do not be discouraged.
Press on toward the prize; God beside
you aud heaven before you. Keep your
courage up. Look in thirty years from
now upon this church. Another man
in the pulpit. Other faces in the pews.
Another man leading the song. Others
carving around the alms-boXes OF the
church. All changed. Thirty years
have gone and look into the faces OF
the people and say, "Why, IL seems to
me have seen these people somewhere,
but cannot exactly say where. Oh,
yes, now begin TO think. These were
the converts In 1892 aud 1890. Why,
how you have changed" "Oh, yes"
they say, ''of course we have changed.
Thirty years make great change"
saw, ''How many wrinkles there are in
your faces" "Oh, yes" they say,
"thirty years make a great many Wrin-
kles."
'HAvE you KEPT THE FAITH""
Eyes. we have kept the faith" Where
are those people who used to sit in the
pew with your" "All gone" Then"
say; well, l feel lonely; come, let US
sing one of the old hymns we used to
sing thirty years ago in 1892 on Com.
munion day. Any of you know the old
tune? Some one hum it, Yes, that's
it, that's it. Now, altogether, let US
sing, just as we did in 1892.
There is q fountain filed with blood
Drawn from ImmHuUel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see,
That fountain in mis- day;
And there may l, though vile as ne,
Wash all my sins away.