The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-03-18


them, and they are left all alone. They
begin to feel 10 the way when you come
into the room where they are; and they
move their chair nervously, aud say,
81 hope am not in the way" Alas!
that mother and father should ever be
in the way. When you were sick and
they sat up all night rocking you, sing
ing to you, administering to you, did
they think you were in the way? Are
you tired of old people? Do you snap
them up quick and sharp? You will
be cursed to the bone for your ingrati-
tude and unkindness.
o! it is hard to be old without relig-
ion--to feel this world going away and
nothing better coming. II there be any
here who have gone on far without
Christ, | address you deferentially.
You have found this a tough world for
old people. AlasL to have aches and
pains, and no Christ to sooth them.
want to give you a 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-" 1
want to give you better spectacles than
those you now look through. It 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 companions and children are
gone? think Christ has them. They
are safe in His keeping. Very soon He
will take you where they are. l take
hold of your arm and try to lead you 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 athlete, you
will stop on the pavement of Heaven.
No crutches in Heaven; no sleepiess
nights in Heaven; no cross looks for old
people. Dwelling there for ages, no
one will say, Father, you know moth
ing about this; step back; you are in
the wayr' o, how many dear old folks
Jesus has put to sleep! How sweetly
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. 1t is
all over The tears will never start
again. Hush! hush!" So He gives His
beloved sleep. l think the most beauti-
full object on earth is an old Christian
the hair white, not with the frosts of
winter, but the blossoms of the trees
of life. never feel sorry for Chris
tian old man. Why feel sorry for
those upon whom the glories of the
eternal world are about to GSrst? They
are going TO the goodly cedar Though
their wings are heavy with age, God
snail 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
" sinful may come. Men talk of the
grace of God as though it were 50
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. Consider me as putting my hand
on your shoulder and looking in your
eve. You ask: How do you know
that? He has been very hard on me-"
'Where did you come from2'' Home"
Then you have a home. Have you
ever thanked God for your home?
Have you children" Eyes" Have
you ever thanked God for your
children? Who keeps them safe?
We're you ever sick?' Eyes"
"Who made you we'll? Have you
been fed every day? Who feeds you?
Put your hand on your pulse. Who
makes it throb? Listen to the respira-
tiou of your lungs. Who helps you to
breathe? Have you Bible in the
house, spreading before you the future
life? Who gave you that Bible?" o!
it has been a story of goodness and
mercy all the way through You have
fondled you, and caressed you and loved
you? And when you went astray and
wanted to come back did He ever re-
fuse? know of a father who, after
his son came back the fourth time said,
mo; forgave three times, but l will
never forgive you again" And the son
went off and died. Dut God takes back
His children the thousandth time as
cheerfully as the first AS easily as
with my handkerchief strike the dust
off book God will wipe out all your
sins. ..f ..t.. .....
There are hospitals for 'incurables."
When men are hopelessly sick, they
are sent there. Thank God! there is
no hospital for spiritual incurables.
you had the wort leprosy that
ever struck a soul. your flesh shall
come again like little child. o, this
mercy of God! am told that it is an
ocean. Then place on it four swift
sailing craft with compass, and charts,
and choice rigging, and skillful naviga-
tors, and tell them to launch away,
and discover for me the extent of this
ocean. That craft puts out in one di-
rection, and sails TO the north; this
craft to the south; this to the east; this
to the west They crowd on all their
and sail ten thousand years,
and one day come up the harbor of
Heaven, and l shout to them from the
beach, have you found the shore? ?"
and thev answer, mo shore to Gods
mercy" Swift angels, dispatched from
the throne, attempt to go acros it For
a million years they fiv and fly, but
then come back and fold their wings at
the foot of the throne, and cry, no
shore, no shore to Gods mercy!
Mercy! Mercy! Mercy! i sing it
I preach it pray it. Here 1 fed a
man bound hand and foot to the devil,
but with one stroke of the hammer of