Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-12-18

| 'NP iot VhoE' Anere are great
many people discouraged about getting
70 heaven, At my desk In The Christian
Herald Office am in daily receipt Of mn
merous letters from people brought mn
IN good families, and who had Christian
Rarentage. but who frankly tell me that
they are astray q thousand miles from
the right track and fear their case Is
hopeless. My brothers, it is to you want
10 preach now. have been looking for
you. will tell you how you got astray.
1t was not maliciousness on your mart.
1t was perhaps through the geniality
and sociality Of yaAur nature that YOU
fell into sin. You wandered away from
your duty; you 'steonsciously left the
house of God; you admit the gospel to
be true, and yet you have 80 grievously
and so prolongedly wandered you say
rescue is impossible.
1t would take week to count nm the
names Of those in heaven who were on
earth worse than You tell me you are.
They went the whole round of iniauity;
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 l tell you there is the
same chance for you. That is one reason
why like to preach this gospel, so free
a gospel, SO tremenhousa gospel. 1t takes
q man all wrong an I makes him all right.
In q 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, Ind his body was
brought to the houSs 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 sim
nerl" Obi had nothing but tears for
the dead, and l had nothing but invita-
tions 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 60 to him with long rigmarole
Of o Yrysr. bat just look up and say,
"Helpi HelpI"
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; will
give out hymn at the close 80 familiar
you can sing 1t without a book. But
you say, Il have such terrible habits on
me, can't get rid of them" My an
swer is, Almighty grace can break up
that habit and win break it up. But
you say, "The wrong / did was to one
dead and in heaven now, and l can't
correct that wrong" You can correct
ii. 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.
"Oh," says some man, ''if should try
TO do right, if should turn away from
my svildoing 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, give
you today the right hand of Christian fel-
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.
md in the great day of judgment it will
be found that "whero sin abounded
zrace does much moro abound" and
while the spoils of an everlasting king
iom are being awarded for your pur-
,uit 1t will be found that "the lame took
The prey" Blessed be God that we are
his Sabbath one week nearer the oblit-
,ration Of all the inequalities OF this life
md all its disquietudes.
Years ago, ON a boat on the North
liver, the pilot gave very sharp ring to
he bell for the boat to slow up. The
engineer attended to the machinery, and
hen he came up with some alarm on
leck 10 see what was the matter. He saw
/ was moonlight night and there were
40 obstacles in the way. He went 10 the
,ilot and said: "Why did you ring the
,ell In that wayi Why do you want TO
Itopi There's nothing the matter" And
he pilot said TO him, There is mist
,athering on the river; don't you see
,hatY and there is night gathering darker
md darker, and can't see the way"
Then the engineer, looking around and
,esing il was a bright moonlight, looked
nto the face Of the pilot and saw that
,e was dying, and then that he was
lead. God grant that when our last
moment comes we may DO found at our
,ost doing our whole duty. And when
~ ,nists Of the river Of death gather on |
- .vslds may the good Pilot take the |