Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-10

DO tcop0Dp<o = y C4oN8 IA kxb oSc<S-
ID, hssls dnAhsd q 0. tslkst,ve snd
sarruloes as 10. q II hlasp&e:no1s.
nr II she hAs falls 81 snd ske man
fAlis - the door asking Tor more drink
Ssr~wu through tbs arm king saloons u
the eity'-fsthers. brothers. husbands.
sons. - sod - you are by nature. pr
hsps better.
In the high circlsseof society it Is
hashod up. A merchsn vApr,nee, II be
.vts noisy and uncontrullAhls, IL taken
by his fellow jewellers. who try 10 get
him % bcd. o. take him home. where he
falls lat Ia tho entry. Do not wake up
the children. They have bad digracs
enough Do not let theul know il. Hush
IL up. Bus sousstimrs Il cannot be- hush
Cd up--whcn tbs rum toache. tho brain
and the uiAn becomes thoroughly frrn-
xied.
OH. II the rum touches the brain. you
csLlnot hush 10 up. You do not see the
worst. In the midnight meetings q great
multitude have besn saved We want u
fsw hundred Christian men and women
70 cou,e down from ths highest circlesof
society ~ coil amid these wandering and
destitute ones and kindle up light in
tho dark alley. even the glaAiness u
heaven
Do not 20 from your well hlled tables
with tie idea that pSous talk u going ~
stop the gnHwine Of IN empty stomach
"a 70 warm ssockinglsss feet. Take bread.
take raimcnt, take medicine IN well a.
take prayer. There Is . great deal Of
common sense In what the poor woman
said To tho city missionary when he WAS
telling hcr how shs ought to love God
and serve hird. ''Oh!" said she, III you
were ~ poor and cold " ! am. and a.
hungry, you could think of nothing
else"
A great deal Of what u called Chris
tian work goes for nothing for tho sim
pie reason it y not practical. ~ after
the battle Of Antietam q man got out of
sn ambulance with bag Of tracts. and
he went distributing the tr,scts, aud
George Stuart. one Of the best Christian
men in this country, asid ~ him: what
are you distributing tracts for now7
There arc 5000 men bleeding 10 death.
Bind up their wounds. and then distTib-
ute the tracts."
PRACTICAL SENSE NEEDED.
We want moro common sense in Chris
tian work. taking the bread Of this life
In one hand, and the bread Of tho next
life In the other hand. No such inapt
work as that done by the Christian man
who. during the war. went into . hos
pital with tracts, and coming to the bed
Of man whose legs had been amputated,
gave him q tract ON tho sin OF dancingl
rejoice before God that never are SYM
pathetic words uttered, never . Tuayx
offered. never Christian almsgiving in
dulged in but il h blessed.
There 10 place in Switzerland. have
been told. where the utterancc OF ono
word will bring back score If echoes.
and I have to tell you this morning that
sympathetic word. kind word, gen.
crous word. . helpful word uttered in
the dark places Of the town will bring
back ten thousand echoes frOm oil tho
thrones Ut heaven.
Are there in this asscmblage this
morning those who know by experience
the tragedies of midnight in town. am
not here to thrust you back with ono
hard word. Take the bandage from
your bruised soul and put on it the
soothing salve Of Christ's gospel and Of
Gods compassion. Many have come. l
zee others coming 10 God this morning,
tired Of sinful life. Cry up the news to
heaven. Set all the bells ringing. Spread
the banquet under the arches. Let tho
crowned heads come down and ut ut tho
jubilee.
] tell you there Is more delight in
heaven over one man that gets reformed
by tho grace Of God than over ninety
and nine that never got of the track. I
could give you tho history ia minute
Of one Of tho BEST friends ever had.
Outside Of my own family never had u
better friend. He welcomed me TO my
home at the west. Ho Wa Of splendid
personal appearance, and he had an ar
dor Of soul and y warmth Of affection
that made me love him like q brother.
Issw msu coming out Of tho saloons
and gambling bells. and they surrounded
my friend. aud they took him at the
weak point. his social nature. and saw
him going down. and had fAir talk
with hmm, for never yet saw man you
could not talk with Oh the subject Of his
habits. IL you talked with him in the
right way. I said ~ him. why don't
you give up your bad habits and become
aCfristianT remember now just how
he looked. leaning over his counter. as
he replied: II wish could. Oh. SIR
should like to be q Christian. but have
gone 50 far astray can't get back"
siCKNEss AND REPENTANCE.
So tho time went on. After awhile
tho day Of sickness came. was sum-
rnon~d to his sickbed. halstened. II
TOOK me bVt . very few moments to get
ther,. - surprised IA ! went In.
saw him in his ordinary clothes. fully
dressed. lying on the top Of the bed.
gave him my hand, and he seized 1t con-
vulsivcly AMI said: 'Oh. how glad am
20 SO youi Sit down there" sat down,
and he said; "Nr. Tal,naee. just where
you sit now my mother sat last night.
She has bean dead 90 years. Now,
don't want You % think am out Of
my mind, or that / am supcrstitious:
bat. str. abe sat there last night Just as
certainly - you sit there now-the same
cap. and apron and sfectscles. II WAS
my old mother-shc sat there"
Then be turned 20 his wife and said:
Il wish you would take these strings Of
the bed. Somebody N wrapping strings
sruuad me ell the time. | wish you
would stop that annoyance" she said.