Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-10

want few hundred Christian men and
women to come down from the highest
circles OF society to toll amid these wan
dering aud destitute ones, and ktndle up
a light in the dark alley, even the glad
ness Of heaven.
Do not go from your well-illed tables
with the idea that pious talk is going to
stop the gnawing OF an empty stomach
or to warm stockingless feet. TAKE
bread, take raiment, take medicine, as
well as take prayer There is great
deal Of common. sense in what the poor
woman said TO the city missionary when
he was telling her how she ought to
love God and serve him. "OA." said
she, 'if you were as poor and cold as l
am, and as hungry, you could think OF
nothing else"
A great deal of what is called Chris
tian work goes for nothing for the sim
pie reason it is not practical; as after
the battle of Antietam man got out OF
an ambulance with bag of tracts, and
George Stuart, one Of the best Christian
men in this country, said to him: What
are you distributing tracts for now?
There are three thousand men bleeding
TO death. Bind up their wounds, and
then distribute the tracts"
WE WANT MORE COMMON SENSE
in Christian work, taking the bread OF
this life in one hand, and the bread OF
the next life in the other hand. No such
inapt work as that done by the Chris
tian man who, during the late war,
went into q hospital with tracts, and
coming TO the Ted of a man whose legs
had been amputated, gave him a tract
on the sin of dancing! l rejoice before
God that never are sympathetic words
uttered, never prayer offered, never
Christian almsgIying INDUCED in but 1t
Is blessed.
There is place in Switzerland, have
been told, where the utterance OF Que
word will bring back a score Of echoes,
and have to tell you this morning that
sympathetic word, kind word, a gen
erous word, a helpful word uttered in
the dark places Of the town will bring
back ten thousand echoes from all the
thrones of heaven.
Are there in this assomblage this
morning those who know by experience
the tragedies of midnight in tom? ]
am not here 10 thrust you back with one
hard word. Take the bandage from
your bruised soul, and put on 1t the
soothing Salve OF Christ's Gospel and OF
Gods compassion. Many have come. l
see others coming to God this morning,
tired of the sinful life. cry up the
news tOyheaven. Set all tho bells ring
ing. Spread the banQuIt under the
arches. Let the 5rc%aA herds ce1hJ5-
dGGE All sit at the jubilee. l tell you
there is more delightin heaven over one
man that gets reformed by the grace OF
God than over ninety and nine that new
er get off the track. I could give you
the history, in minute, OF one of the
best friends I ever had. Outside OF my
own family, l never had better friend.
lie welcomed to my home at the West.
He was of splendid personal appearance,
and he had an ardor Of soul and
warmth Of affection that made me love
him like a brother. | saw men coming
out Of the saloons aud gambling hell,
and they surrounded my friend, and
they took him al the weak point, his
social nature, and l saw him going
down, and l had a fair talk with him
for | never yet saw man you could not
talk with on the subject Of his habits,
il you talked with him in the right way.
l said to him, why
DON'T YOU GIVE UP
your bad habits and become a Chris
tian?" | remember now just how he
looked, leaning over his counter, as he
replied: II wish 1 could, Oh! sir, l
should like to be a Christian, but have
gone so far astray l can't get back"
So the time went on. After awhile
the day of sickness came. l was sum-
moued to his sickbed. l Mastered. 1t
took me but q very few moments TO get
there. l was surprised as l went Ia. /
saw him in his ordinary clothes, fully
dressed, lying on the top of the bed. l
gave him my hand and he seized it con-
vulsively, and said: ooh! how glad |
am to see you. sit down there" sat
down, and he said: "Mr Talmage, just
where you sit now my mother sat last
night. She has been dead twenty years.
Now, | don't want you to think am out
of ma mind, or that l am superstitious;
but, sir, she sat there last hight just as
certainly as you sit there now-the same
cap, and apron, and spectacles. 1t was
my old mOther-she sat there" Then
he turned TO his wife. and said, 81 wish
YOU would take these strings of the
bed, somebody is wrapping strings
around me all the time. | wish you
would stop that annoyance" She said,
There is nothing here" Then | saw
it was delirium. He said: "Just where
you sit now my mother sat, and she
said Roswell, l wish you would do bet
ter / said, Mother l wish could do
better. l try TO do better, but can't.
Mother, you used to help me; why can't
you help now% And, sir, got out Of
bed, for it was realty, and went to her
aud threw my arms around her neck,
and | said, Mother, | will do better,
but you must help; | can't do this
l knelt down and prayed.
That night his soul went out.
THE LORD THAT MADE IT.
Arrangements were made for the OBJ
seQuies. The question was raised
whether they should bring him TO
church. Somebody said: lyon can't
bring such a dissolute man as that into
the church." | said: "You will bring
him in the church; he stood by me
when he was alive, and / will stand by
him when he is dead. Bring him" As
stood in the pulpit, and saw them car
rying the body up the aisle, felt as If
l could weep tears of blood.
On one side Of the pulpit sat his little
child Of eight years. sweet, beautiful
little gir Jhat I mad seen him hug con-
vulsively in his better moments. He
put on her al jewels all diamonds, and
gave her all pictures and toys, and then
he would 90 away as il bounded by an