The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-12-22

legions of darkness, successfully war
ring. Tract distributors, month by
month undermining the citadels Of sin.
You do not know their going or their
coming, but the footballs Of their minis
try are heard in the palaces of heaven,
Who are the workers In our Sabbath
schools throughout this land today? Men
celebrated, men brilliant, men Of vast
estate? For the most part, not that at all.
have noticed that the chief charac-
teristic of the most of those who are sue
cessful in the work is that they know
their Bibles, are earnest In prayer, are
anxious for the salvation of the young,
and Sabbath by Sabbath are willing to
sit down unobserved and tell of Christ
and the resurrection. These are the
humble workers who are recruiting the
great army of Christian youth-not by
might, not by power, not by profound
argument, not by brilliant antithesis,
but by the blessing Of God on plain talk,
and humble story, and silent tear, and
anxious look, "the lame take the prey"
Oh! this work of saving the youth of
our country-how few appreciate what
1t isl This generation tramping on to
the grave---we will soon all be gone.
What of the NEXT
NOT TALENTS, But EFFORT.
An engineer on a locomotive going
across the western prairies day after day
saw little child come out in front of
cabin and wave to him. SO he got in
the habit of waving back to the little
child, and it was the days joy to him to
see this little one come out in front of
the cabin door and wave to him while
lis answered back.
One day the train was belated and it
came on to the dusk of the evening. As
the engineer stood at his post he saw by
the headlight that little girl on the track,
wondering why the train did not come,
looking for the train, knowing nothing
of her peril. A great horror seized upon
the engineer. He reversed the engine.
He gave it in charge of the other man on
board, and then he climbed over the en-
zine, and he came down on the cowcatch-
en-. He said, though he had reversed the
engine, it seemed as though it were GO
ing at lightning speed, faster and faster,
though it was really slowing up, and
with almost supernatural clutch he
caught that child by the hair and lifted
it up, and when the train stopped and
the passengers gathered around to see
what was the matter, there the old en-
gineer lay, tainted dead away, the little
child alive and in his swarthy arms.
"Oh," you say, THAT was well done"
But want You to exercise some kindness
and some probation toward those in the
community who are snatehihg the little
ones from under the wheels of teinpta-
ton and sin--snatching them from under
numbering rail trains of eternal disaster,
bringing them up into respeetability in
this world and into glory for the world
to come. You appreciate what the en-
gineer did. Why can you not appreciate
the grander work done by every Sabbath
school teacher and by every Christian
worker?
Oh, my friends, Iwant to impress upon
myself and upon yourselves that it not
the number of talents we possess, but
the use we make Of them.
God has a royal family in the world.
New. if / should ask, "Who are the
royal families Of history" you would
say, blouse of Hapsburg, House Of Stu
art, House of Bourbon" They lived in
palaces and had great equipage. But
who are the Lords royal family? Some
&c +l,o,, ~, ~ oarva 1,o,, in tho bobc abnl6
some Of them are in unlighted garrets,
some of them will walk this afternoon
down the street, on their arm a basket
Of broken food; some of them are in the
almshouse, despised and rejected of men;
yet in the last great day, while it will
spmptuously every day are hurled back
into discontinue, they are the lame that
will take the prey.
One step farther: There are a great
many people discouraged about getting
to heaven. At my desk in The Christian
Herald Office am in daily receipt of nu-
merous letters from people brought up
in good families, and who had Christian
pafentage, but who frankly tell me that
they are astray thousand miles from
the right track and fear their case is
hopeless. My brothers, it is to you want
to preach now. have been looking for
YOU, will tell you how you got astray.
1t was not righteousness on your part.
1t was perhaps through the geniality
and sociality of your nature that you
fell into sin. You wandered away from
your duty; you unconsciously left the
house of God; you aomit the gospel to
be true, and yet you have so grievously
and SO prolongedly wandered you say
rescue is impossible.
1t would take week to count.up the
names of those in heaven who were on
earth worse than you tell me you are.
They went the whole round of iniquity
they disgraced themselves; they dis
graced their household; they despaired
of return because their reputation was
gone; their property was gone; every
thing was gone. But in some hour like
this they heard the voice of God, and
they threw themselves on the divine
compassion, and they rose up more than
conquerors. And tell you there is the
same chance for you. That is one reason
why like to preach this gospel, SO free
gospel, so tremendous a gospel. Ittakes
man all wrong and makes him all right.
In $srmer settlement where |
preached, a member Of my congregation
quit the house of God, quit respectable
circles, went into all styles Of sin, and
was slain of his iniquity. The day for
his burial came, and his body was
brought to the house of God. Some OF
his comrades who had destroyed him
were overheard along the street, on their
way to the burial, saying, Come, let us
go and hear Talmage damn this old sin
nerp Oh! had nothing but tears fol-
the dead, and had nothing but invita-
tions to the living. You see, could moi
do otherwise. Christ Jesus came tc
seek and save that which was lost.
Christ in his dying prayer said, Father
/ forgive them," and that was prayer fol
you and prayer for me.
A PERSONAL APPEAL.
1 Oh, start on the road to heaven today