The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1893-12-22

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
parentage, but who frankly tell me that
they are astray thousand miles from
the right track and fear their case is
hopeless. Ny brothers, it is to you want
to preach now. have been looking for
you. l 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 admit the gospel to
be true, and yet you have SO grievously
and SO prolongedly wandered you say
rescue is impossible.
1t would take a 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
a gospel, so tremendous gospel. 1t takes
a man all wrong and makes him all right.
In former 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
nery' Oh! had nothing but tears for
the dead, and l had nothing but invita-
lions to the living. You see, could not
do otherwise. "Christ Jesus came to
seek and save that which was lost"
Christ in his dying prayer said, Father,
forgive them" and that was prayer for
you and prayer for me.
A PERSONAL APPEAL.
Oh, start on the road to heaven today.
You are not happy. The thirst of your
soul will never be slaked by the fountains
of sin. You turn everywhere but to God |
for help. Right where you are, call on
him. He knows you; he knows all about
you. He knows all the odds against |
which you have been contending in life.
Do not go to him with long rigmarole
of prayer, but just look up and say,
"Help! Helpw
Yet you say, "My hand trembles so
from my designations, can't even take
hold of hymn book to sing" Do not
worry about that, my brother; I will
give out hymn at the close so familiar
you can sing it without book. But
you say, Il have such terrible habits on
me, can't get rid of them" Ny an
swer is, Almighty grace can break up
that habit and will break it up. But
you say, 1.-The wrong did was to one
dead and in heaven now, and | can't
correct that wrong" You can correct
it. By the grace of God, go into the
presence of that one, and the apologies
you ought to have made on earth make
in heaven.
ooh" says some man, eff should try
to do right, if l should turn away from
my evildoing unto the lord, would be
jostled, l would be driven back, nobody
would have any sympathy for me-" You
are mistaken. Here, in the presence of
the church on earth and in heaven, l give
you today the right hand of Christian fell
lowship. God sent me here today to
preach this, and he sent you here to hear
this: LET the wicked forsake his way and
the unrighteous man his thought, and let
him return unto the Lord, who will have
mercy, and unto our God, who will
pardon" ,
Though you may have been the worst
sinner you may become the best saint,
ind in the great day Of judgment it will !
% found that where sin abounded {
race does much more abound" and s
While the spoils of an everlasting king
lom are being awarded for your pur- I
uit it will be found that "the lame took c
he prey" Blessed be God that we are {
his Sabbath one week nearer the oblit-
ration of all the inequalities of this life I
nd all its disquietudes. |
Years ago, on boat on the North
liver, the pilot gave very sharp ring to d
he bell for the boat to slow up. The
ngineer attended to the machinery, and .
hen he came up with some alarm on
eek to see what was the matter. He saw I
was a moonlight night and there were v
o obstacles in the way. He went to the
ilot AMI said: "Why did you ring the
ell in that way? Why do you want to S
top? There's nothing the matter" And I,
be pilot said to him, There is mist :,
on the river; don't you see c
lat? aid there is night gathering darker &
nd darker, and can't see the way" .,
Then the engineer, looking around and 3
icing it was bright moonlight, looked a
ito the face of the pilot and saw that
g was dying, and then that he was !,
cad. God grant that when our last IL
Ioment comes we may be found at our G.
Ost dong our whole duty. And when 6,
lie mis5s of the river of death gather on
II eveids NAV the good Pilot take the u