The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-12-15
THE LONDONDERRY SITTER, .

resurrected by the Saviour, and people
who could tell Paul all the particulars of
the crucifixion-just how Jesus looked in
the last hour, just how the heavens grew
black In the face at the torture.
He heard that recited every day by
people who were acquainted with all the
circumstances, and yet in the fresh MEM
DRY of that scene he goes to prosecute
Christ's disciples, impatient at the time
it takes to feed the horses at the inn, not
pulling at the snaffle, but riding with
loose rein faster and faster. Oh, he was
the chief of sinners! No outbreak of
modesty when he said that. He was q
murderer. He stood by when Stephen
died and helped in the execution of that
good man.
When the rabble wanted to be unim-
peded in their work of destroying Steph-
en- and wanted to take off their coats,
but did not dare to lay them down lest
they be stolen, Paul said, "I'll take care
of the coats" and they put them down
at the feet of Paul, and he watched the
coats, and he watched the horrid man.
Cling of glorious Stephen. Is it wonder
that when he fell from the horse he did
not break his neck-that his foot did not
catch somewhere in the trappings of the
saddle, and he wasnot dragged and kicked
to death? He deserved to die miserably,
wretchedly and forever, Notwithstanding
all his metaphysics. and his eloquence,
and his logic.
THE CHEF OF SINNERS.
He was the chief of sinners. He said
what was true when he said that. And
yet the grace of God saved him, and SO
it will you. If there is any man in this
house who thinks he is too bad to be
saved and says, II have wandered very
grievously from God; l do not believe
there is any hope for me" tell You the
story of this man in the text who was
brought to Jesus Christ in spite of his
sins and opposition. There may be some
here who are as stoutly opposed to Christ
as Paul was. There may be some here
who are captive of their sins as much so
as the young man who said in regard to
his dissipating habits: Il will keep on
with them. know l am breaking my
mothers heart, and know am killing
myself, and | know that when | die
shall go to hell, but it is now too late to
stop"
The steed on which you ride may be
swifter and stronger and higher mettled
than that ON which the Cilician perse-
cutor rode, but Christ can catch it by
the bride and hurl it back and hurl it
down. There is mercy for you who say
you are too bad to be saved. You say
you have put off the matter so long;
Paul had neglected it a great while.
You say that the sin you have commit
ted has been among the most aggravat-
ing circumstances; that was SO with
Pauls.
You say you have exasperated Christ
and coaxed your own ruin; so did Paul.
And yet he sits today on one of the high
est of the heavenly thrones, and there is
mercy for you, and good days for you,
and gladness for you, if you will only
take the same Christ which first threw
him down and then raised him up. II
seems to me as if | can see Paul today
rising up from the highway to Damas-
Gus, and brushing off the dust from his
cloak, and wip,ng the sweat of excite
ment from his brow, as he turns to us
and all the ages, saying, This a faith
full saying and worthy of all acceptation
that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, Of whom am chief"
THE SUBLIME REALITY.
Once more learn from this subject
that there is a tremendous reality in re-
ligion. If it had been a mere optical de-
fusion on the road to Damascus, was not
Paul just the man to find it out? If it
had been sham and pretense, would he
not have pricked the bubble? He was
man of facts and arguments, of the most
gigantic intellectual nature, and not a
man of Authorizations. And when see
him fall from the saddle, blinded and
overwhelmed, I say there must have
been something in it. And, my dear
brother, you will find that there is some
thing in religion somewhere The only
question is, Where?
There was man who rode from SIAM
ford to London, 50 miles, in five hours
on horseback. Very swift. There was
a woman of Newmarket who rode on
horseback thousand miles in thousand
hours. Very swift. But there are those
here-aye, all of us are speeding on at
tenfold that velocity, at thousandfold
that rate, toward eternity. May Al
mighty God, from the opening heavens,
flash upon your soul shis hour the ques-
ton of your eterfa1 destiny, and oh, that
Jesus would this hour overcome you
with his pardoning mercy as he stands
here with the pathos of a broken heart
and sobs into your ear: II have come for
thee. l come with 91y back raw from
the beating. l come with my feet man.
gled with the nails. l come with my
brow aching from the twisted bramble.
come with my heart bursting for your
woes. / can stand it no longer. am
,Jesus whom hon DarSecutesto